To think getting hit by a swing

[RalphLaurenLover]

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"

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 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 yeah it hurts but that's life

I hate parents who don't keep an eye out near the swings - if I'm pushing DD in a baby swing (she's 4 but they're the only one's in our local playground and she can still fit in - but this applies from age 1ish onwards) I'm pushing her hard and high - that swing hits a 2-year-old - the end result will be very serious. And it would be that child's parent's fault, though that wouldn't stop me from feeling utterly shite about it.

If we're talking about an older child it's different - you haven't said anywhere the ages of the children concerned. But little ones - yes, they should be supervised around swings.

DD has never been hit, and I (1970s child, often in the park with no adults, though not at age 4) was never hit. It doesn't have to happen, you know.

what a weird idea.

A life lesson I learned as a teenager was that if you must jump off the biiiggggg swing (low to the ground and wide enough to sit 5 comfortably) then don't do it at the end of the back swing as it will come forward, hit you just above the ankle, tear a ligament and pitch you forward face first into a large and muddy puddle.

Always jump off the swing at the forward most point...

Dp once got accused of deliberately pushing a swing at a ladies son becajse he had SN

He pointed at his own son sat in the swing and informed her that he had enough to deal with looking after his own ((disabled)) child and couldnt look after hers too !! On and on she ranted.......even her husband told her to shut up in the end.

Personally I think flying swings are the.risk you take in the playground and it's your own responsibility to prevent it if you wish so yanbu.

I'm all for not mollycoddling children, in fact there are areas of my parenting which would probably shock some mumsnetters - e.g. I use a loo brush, I have books and magazines in the loo, I'm not that fussy about food past its sell-by if it smells OK, I've been known to leave a sleeping child in the car whilst keeping an eye on him etc etc. But leaving a child to learn about the danger of swings from the experience of being hit by one is one risk I just wouldn't take.

Exactly nennypops

Where does it stop, putting a child's hand on a hot cup to prove its hot.

Things I did as a child I wouldn't feel comfortable forDC to do, like tree swings.

Why HadABad ? As long as it's properly supervised, it's good for DCs to have challenges. When are you going to let go?

I was watching our GD on a tree swing a short while ago it was fine I had a go too not comfortable though!

She was a bit OTT in her comments, but I would be annoyed if a parent didn't seem bothered about stopping her small child running in front of the swings.

I have a back problem which can flare up easily and I once finished up shelling out for emergency physio so I could actually walk properly, after having to grab hold of a swing that DS1 was on, because a toddler ran straight at it and was about to be kicked full in the face. His mother was sitting chatting and did nothing other than shout "oh dear, be careful."

She probably viewed it as an important life lesson.

I've seen a couple of really nasty swing-related injuries, and it's the one thing I am really careful about in the playground. If DS2 wants to fall off things and bump into things, I'm generally of the 'well he'll only do it once' school of thought (within reason obviously - I don't watch him climb to the top of a 20 foot climbing frame and launch himself off!), but I don't let him anywhere near the swings without me being close enough to grab him.

And I'm a little surprised that anyone would accuse a parent pushing a swing of being 'negligent' as a previous poster did!

Things I did as a child I wouldn't feel comfortable forDC to do, like tree swings.

why not? as long as they are properly supervised no reason they can't do anything like that

Witness to many accidents as a child, I sprained my wrist. Friends has sprained ankles and one even broke her foot because the rope snapped.

Still didn't prevent us building another one.