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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think getting hit by a swing

110 replies

RalphLaurenLover · 02/03/2014 09:50

To think getting hit by a swing Is a life lesson? Everyone does it at some point at least once!

A friend and me took our dc's to the park yesterday and a lady was pushing her DS on the swing, friends little boy run out behind it and nearly got hit the lady then told my friend she needed to "take better care of her DS" as a "good mother wouldn't let their kid run around the park like that" Hmm

I did have a word with her stating that she could of just said be careful and moved on but she was having none of it because we'd obviously left out super mum powers in the car Hmm even if she ran she wouldn't of caught her DS in time
I mean everyone in their life gets hit by a swing at some point right? I mean that's how we learn to not run behind or in front of a swing when it's moving Grin yeah it hurts but that's life

OP posts:
brokenhearted55a · 02/03/2014 09:58

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CoffeeTea103 · 02/03/2014 09:59

Yabu, your friends DS could have been hurt really bad. What if it hit his head quite seriously. That lady was right, your friend should watch her children better. It's not a laughing matter.

Frusso · 02/03/2014 09:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WitchOfEndor · 02/03/2014 10:01

Fits in rather nicely with the Things that used to happen when we were children that would never be allowed now. thread that is active right now! we were sent off to the park on our own for hours in the summer with no parental supervision. I'm sure getting hit by a swing was the least of our worries!

RiojaHaze · 02/03/2014 10:01

YANBU. Kids run round the park. That's what they're for.
Get hit once, they won't get that close again I agree!

LiegeAndLief · 02/03/2014 10:02

My two have never been hit by a swing. I have spent a lot of time in parks screeching "mind the swing!" but there have been a few near misses so I think this is luck rather than superior parenting.

A friend's ds has been hit by a swing I was pushing though. He came out of nowhere and I didn't have time to grab the swing. He went flying through the air and I felt awful - neither me nor my friend blamed each other for terrible parenting or terrible swing pushing though, it was just an accident!

shakinstevenslovechild · 02/03/2014 10:02

I got hit by a swing and ended up with concussion and stitches. I think I would rather avoid my children having the same life lesson.

MrsDeVere · 02/03/2014 10:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
RalphLaurenLover · 02/03/2014 10:07

She wouldn't of got the blame for it.

However my friend wouldn't of caught him in time. I thought you go to a park to let your children run around not to walk on their heels ensuring they aren't possibly going to get knocked.

My parents constantly told me never to walk around a moving swing, however as a child couldn't see the fuss till I got hit by one, it hurt and I never did it again.

As Witch said all of my siblings were often sent to the park with the other kids from the neighbourhood plenty of us fell and got hit by swings never damaged any of us as far as I'm aware.

Obviously I'm not saying form an orderly queue and let your kid get smacked in the face by the swing, I'm just saying If they happen to run near it as someone is swinging and they get hit they learn that life lesson of not run by the swings

OP posts:
DustyBaubles · 02/03/2014 10:07

My son was hit by a swing that had 14st of nursery teacher sitting on it Grin

He gave the teacher, and swings, a wide berth for ages.

WilsonFrickett · 02/03/2014 10:08

I agree with mrsdevere - I worked hard to teach DS to take care round swings but accidents do happen and your kid running too close to swing hardly puts you in the running for terrible mother of the year. And vice versa. She had her judgy pants on a little tight, didn't she?

WelshMaenad · 02/03/2014 10:10

Where can kids run if they can't run in a park?

I frequently warn mine about not running in front of/behind swings but they still have frequent near misses because they get all excitable and giddy and forget their sensible heads. I'm not going to keep them in a leash in the park so all I can do is shriek at them to move when they do something daft. As kids are wont to do. Anyone who saw fit to lecture me on parenting skills because I let my kids have fun and take risks would get pretty fucking short shrift from me.

Incidentally mine have never been hit, but I was once pushing dd on a swing, shoved a but hard and watched horrified as she sailed through the air, off the swing, graceful as a dove, and landed three miles away with a mighty crash on her tailbone before vomiting everywhere from the pain. I had to take her to a&e and tell the doctors that I pushed her off a swing at 473268mph. Now THAT'S shitty parenting.

Original poster
RalphLaurenLover · 02/03/2014 10:12

wilson she was pretty much on her kids toes, he wasn't allowed to run around and she was right behind him. As soon as I get in the park my son is allowed to run around I watch him obviously but I'm not going to be stuck to his back. You run around the park I can honestly say I've never been to a park where all the kids walk around

OP posts:
80sMum · 02/03/2014 10:13

I think YAB somewhat U.
I was never hit by a swing as a child, neither were my sisters, despite the fact that we were allowed out to the park on our own from the age of six.

At that tender age, however, I did see another child hit by a swing - and it was a nasty business, teeth knocked out, bleeding nose, blood everywhere and the child screaming and screaming. I can tell you that it scared the life out of me and I was very wary of walking behind or in front of swings after that.

I also made sure my own children were aware of the dangers - and when they were too young to take responsibility for themselves I watched them closely when around swings and prevented them from going into the "danger zone".

Sirzy · 02/03/2014 10:20

The swing is the one area of the park I have always told DS to keep away from unless he is actually going on the swing. I think to just accept that they will get hit by a swing - and potentially seriously injured - is a rather daft idea.

When He was little I stayed close enough to the swing area I could grab him if needed, now he is a bit older he needs a bit less supervision as he realises the dangers more himself.

Children can learn things are dangerous without needing to be injured by them in the process!

CantUnderstandNewtonsTheory · 02/03/2014 10:23

It does happen but it's best to try to catch them before they get hit!

The other mum sounds like an arse though.

Alisvolatpropiis · 02/03/2014 10:24

The woman was over the top in her reaction.

Being hit by a swing can be serious though.

I was hit by one when I was quite young, knocked me out. My cousin and her friend who had taken me to the park had to carry an unconscious three year old back to my aunts house in hysterics, thinking I was dead.

Granted in that instance it was more stressful for my cousin and her than me. But head injuries can be devastating even minor ones can have unexpected consequences, in adults as well as children.

Think the woman meant well but was a bit of a dick about the way she delivered it.

Pigsmummy · 02/03/2014 10:34

yabu if you think that getting hurt, potentially very seriously is the only way to learn danger however the mother could have been kinder in her approach but if you and your friend were ignoring a child that was in danger I would have also said something.

Me, my sister and childhood friends didn't get hit by a swing despite playing in a park most days.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 02/03/2014 10:38

I think she's right that they shouldn't be allowed to run near the swings but didn't need to say it like that. Our park has a small enclosed bit with the equipment in, it's only the smallest children that can really run around in there, it's easy enough to stand back and let the DCs play freely but call them back if they run towards the swings. I don't agree that it's a lesson they need to learn the hard way, I've never been hit and neither have my DCs.

Marylou62 · 02/03/2014 10:38

WitchOfEndor I found that thread!!! So funny but horrifying now!!I am one of 5 and we were given a pack of sandwiches, collected all the empty Corona bottles and swapped it for a full one and went out on our bikes ALL day doing silly things. Had to be in by dark tho which was 9pm in summer. I had a great childhood but have scars!! No wonder parents now, me included, are so careful with our kids. Hang on...my grown up kids have just wandered into the kitchen and I asked them what they got up to and wish I hadn't!! But they're all alive!!

TeacupDrama · 02/03/2014 10:40

when you are on a swing it is really hard to stop so you would not hit a small child child running behind or in front, a hit by a swing can be nasty

I have repaired too many teeth damaged by swings I have told DD not to run between swings she is 4 I do not follow her around park 6" behind

I think ladies reaction is similar to a driver that has just missed hitting your child when it runs out

the accident would not have been remotely their fault but they would have still felt really bad about it, they may have got blamed and i think it was perhaps a bit instinctive to shout out "watch your kid better" or something similar

Marylou62 · 02/03/2014 10:44

And I got hit by a swing when I was about 6 when swings were hard....not the soft rubber ones they have now!!!I was covered in blood and I had 3 stitches and was careful after that. Anyone remember the 'Witches hat?' My friend lost 2 teeth on that!!! It is a whole different way of raising kids now isn't it? I understand why parents want to protect their DCs but they have no freedom to make mistakes and learn.

Original poster
RalphLaurenLover · 02/03/2014 10:48

The swings aren't enclosed and they're is two sets at either end with things dotted in between however she said not to let them run anywhere in the park.

Personally if my son is gonna ignore me and run behind/in front of the swing he is more than likely gonna get hit. He will then learn not to do it. I do tell him obviously lol

OP posts:
Silvercatowner · 02/03/2014 10:54

If swings were invented now they would be banned on H&S grounds. Everyone would be horrified at the thought of such a potentially dangerous device.

nennypops · 02/03/2014 10:59

The problem is that if your son is, God forbid, killed or paralysed - and it's not impossible - he's not going to learn anything, is he?