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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think schoolchildren should not be turned loose in a rose garden

137 replies

SunRoute · 04/06/2016 07:00

I was enjoying the peace in my local park and had just got DS to sleep in his pram. A group of around 30 kids started charging around the rose garden, running along the paths screeching and chasing each other Angry The teachers just sat by the fountain and did nothing! Didn't even tell them to keep the noise down and of course DS woke up when a bunch of them jostled past his pram Angry

It was the same at the zoo and Sealife centre recently, groups of noisy shrieking school kids pushing in front of everyone, shoving each other, getting in the way and generally being a nuisance.

AIBU to think kids on school trips should be kept under control, not left to run wild?

OP posts:
Ditsy4 · 04/06/2016 07:57

I agree. I work in a school and we wouldn't have allowed that. We make sure our kids learn how to behave in public as a lot of the parents don't teach them. However we would have let them have a run on the grass or play park while reminding them to be considerate of other people. Anyone who was too boisterous ( near other children) would be made to stand with us for a few minutes and reminded.
The Rose garden was a strange place to allow them to let off steam. It is half term I wonder if it was a play scheme session.

Original poster
SunRoute · 04/06/2016 07:58

I didn't say the children shouldn't have played there, just that they should have played quietly, with some respect for other people! 30 kids screaming, shouting and chasing each other is IMO inappropriate in a rose garden. It's an ornamental garden not a playground Confused

At the very least they shouldn't be barging past people, particularly old people who may be unsteady on their feet. There was much tutting and muttering from those who were trying to enjoy it quietly.

I'd never let DC run around screaming in a rose garden. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but why should kids be allowed to create a disturbance and spoil it for everyone else? Genuinely puzzled.

When I was a child we were always expected to behave with consideration on school trips. It was drummed into us that we were representing the school and had to be on best behaviour!

There's a playground not far from the rose garden and lots of green open spaces where they could have run around letting off steam.

OP posts:
Orwellschild · 04/06/2016 08:01

The teacher probably used the rose garden so that they could see the children, and have them all in me place. Very reasonable of them. YABU.

blitheringbuzzards1234 · 04/06/2016 08:02

I can see this from both sides. In many parks there's a big field where kids can let off steam and run around. A smaller area such as a rose garden is usually set aside for those who want to sit quietly and just enjoy being in the fresh air. I suppose that the adults in charge just didn't think. If it had been a memorial garden it would have seemed more disrespectful.

As it's half term these open spaces are going to be much more crowded. When I lived in a seaside town half-terms and bank holidays were better spent in the garden due to the crowds, parking, etc. When the weather is good the beach would be heaving so it was better to stay at home.

Lighteningirll · 04/06/2016 08:03

Yanbu the rose garden is generally accepted as a quieter area, with a whole park to play in and around it's not hard to ask children to respect that one small part of it. My local parks specifically asks for quiet in the rose garden as it's a sensory area. I agree as well that's it would have been a great opportunity to teach the children about respect thing other, jostling a pram is something I would want my dc told off for by any adult let alone a teacher.

ExpandingRoundTheMiddle · 04/06/2016 08:05

YABU unless there were signs up. When I read the title I thought it was a memorial type rose garden but if it's in a park it's fine. I hope I'll be the kind of old person whose default response is to smile and enjoy kids who are just playing.

Bambooshoots14 · 04/06/2016 08:11

YABU and PFB

ineedaholidaynow · 04/06/2016 08:12

I must admit I would assume a rose garden is somewhere to sit quietly, not a play area, especially if it is part of a larger park, even if there were no signs up.

AddToBasket · 04/06/2016 08:16

YABU and PFB and frankly ridiculous.

Hehehe. Give it six years, OP.

acasualobserver · 04/06/2016 08:16

I hope you spoke to their teachers about this appalling behaviour. And of course, once you had discovered the name of the school, you could have also involved Ofsted.

WellErrr · 04/06/2016 08:18

Did anyone else think this was going to be about thorns?

honkinghaddock · 04/06/2016 08:18

I think a small garden is for anyone that appreciates it even if like my son it is in a noisy way. Although if there was a playground nearby it would be better to take a large group of children there.

branofthemist · 04/06/2016 08:18

Yanbu the rose garden is generally accepted as a quieter area,

by who? All the parks in our have clearly signed quiet areas. The rest, rose gardens and all are for use by anyone.

How is it 'accepted'? You mean 'some people assume the rose garden is a quiet area'

smellyboot · 04/06/2016 08:19

Oh dear. Let's stop the world as one baby is sleeping. Why couldn't you just move? The poor teacher or play leader probably wanted them in a contained area. Kids need to seriously run and let off steam. They are not adults. It's 1/2 term. They need fresh air, play and physical exercise

DurhamDurham · 04/06/2016 08:25

When your son starts school I'm sure you'll see things slightly differently.

I like the way you ramped up the children's behaviour to justify your feelings. From being noisy and waking your son to almost knocking over unsteady old folk.

adagio · 04/06/2016 08:28

I am amazed how many people think its ok!

It's a rose garden ffs, in a big park - you know the bit where everyone dozes quietly while the noisy children wreak havoc in the children's area? With benches in memory of xyz? And the elderly totter around for some air? I love my kids but the world does not revolve around them, and some things are not for children to 'enjoy' at the expense of others.

I would not expect kids to be running riot in that bit, so no, YANBU OP.

Fpmd1710 · 04/06/2016 08:34

Whenever I see young children running around and shouting (basically just being kids and playing) I can't help but smile. The way you can see how excited they are and the fun they're having is visibly clear on their innocent faces is so contagious for me and makes me smile too. I don't get when people tut and mumble irritation/complaints at children who are just having fun, but I especially don't understand when that tutting and complaining comes from a mother of a small child. Believe me you will experience this before you know it with your DS and then other people's complaining and tutting will actually just fume you when the child is doing no harm and just having fun.

Sparklingbrook · 04/06/2016 08:36

Yes give it a few years and things will seem very different.

Fpmd1710 · 04/06/2016 08:37

Also OP, you expressed about feeling the same when visiting the zoo and the sea life centre; what did you expect? Those places are primarily for children and at this time of year most schools arrange trips for these sort of places so really you should have expected it. If the children were being naughty then fair enough, but just running around and having fun... Give them a break

honeysucklejasmine · 04/06/2016 08:38

I agree that I would not expect hordes of children to run screaming through a rose garden. Especially when there were other, more appropriate, places to play.

Op I think people are just reading your first post and frothing, without appreciating that there were other parts of the larger park they could play in.

BeauGlacons · 04/06/2016 08:39

OP, I remember going to the park in the school holidays when my DS was about 15 months and just walking and being horrified by the big, rough, children of 6, 7, 8 and surprised at how they didn't watch out for the tinies and sooo worried that my ds would be knocked or bumped Blush.

And in no time at all my DS was 6, then 7, then 8 and he loved the park and used to look at all the mummies with tinies and think "meh - you and your babies have the park every day - it's our turn right now".

Sorry OP but you will get used to this but I do remember feeling much the same.

AddToBasket · 04/06/2016 08:44

I appreciate there are other parts of the park to play in - but they'd like to run round the rose garden, thanks. And so they should.

youarenotkiddingme · 04/06/2016 08:46

I live quite near somewhere that sounds similar. There's a huge adventure playground, tennis courts, a field and a lake. The rose gardens are advertised as a quiet area and also there are delicate flowers in there the council don't want trampled on or pulled apart. A museum backs onto it so plenty of school children visit.

I agree if they need to let off steam then they can run around one of the 100's of square meters of park and field land - they don't have to chose the small rose garden area.

AddictedtoSnickers · 04/06/2016 08:50

YANBU OP, rubbish choice of venue by the activity leaders. Rose gardens are the highlight of a visit to the park for many people, shame the peace and quiet was ruined for you. And lazy of the organisers too - they should have set up a play area in the open space with games/activities so the children could exercise and have fun without disturbing lots of other people but for ease they took the children to a small, enclosed spot and let them run around in circles. Learn your lesson - if you see big groups of kids approaching when baby is asleep, just cut your losses and move away.

Pipbin · 04/06/2016 08:51

they should have played quietly, with some respect for other people!

Have you ever been in charge of 30 5 year olds?
When you have been and you are able to work out how to get them to play quietly and respectfully can you please let the entire teaching profession know. We've been trying to work this out for years.