To have not asked older kids to get off play equipment?

[Fonzy]

We have a huge play area near us.

There is a new piece of equipment, about 6 kids sit on dangly seats and it spins round.

My DC (5 & 7) wanted to stop at the park as we were passing and have a go.

There were some older kids on it, I'm guessing 11 year olds so we waited until they'd had their turn. And waited, and waited.

They were on for over ten minutes,
There parents sat nearby. My DC were too shy to ask for a go as kids were bigger/older.

Should I have asked?

I didn't by the way, we just left.

I don't think you were BU, not to ask, the other children were playing as is their right. I would just go when it is less busy.

I trained my dn to look wistfully at older children on the swings in the hope they might let her have a turn. We must have great teens here because one said "do you want a go?". She said her thanks and hopped on. Result.

I would have asked. 10 minutes is a long time to stay on park equipment when you can see other children waiting. I was in a park with my 2 once when a group of girls were hogging the swings. After mine had politely asked and been told no and had been waiting for quite a while I asked if they were nearly finished. 'I'm going to stay on all the time until we go home and so are my friends.' So I told them that wasn't very kind, as the equipment was for everyone to share (summer's day, packed park). When one of mine asked me if they were getting off I said I couldn't force them but I didn't think it was very nice of them. One then did get off so I let mine have 2 minutes each before letting someone else go on.

I tell mine that if a park's busy they can't have long turns. If I'm there and someone else comes over to a swing or whatever that mine's been on for more than 5 minutes I tell mine to get off and let the next person have a go.

worra I was taught to wait but I was also taught not to be selfish, to not commandeer things and be mindful of others.

I would have waited. I don't think they were on it for a ridiculous amount of time. It's good for kids to learn that sometimes you have to wait. The other way around I would get my kids off if they were spending ages on some equipment and other kids were waiting but would make sure they got a turn first.

Can't quite imagine parents accompaniment kids of 11 to the park.

Seriously were they their parents? Wierd. 11 year olds are at high school.

Also I see no harm in letting my kids see that sometimes other people don't do the 'right' thing and let them solve the problem without me doing it for them. They could wait, find something else to do or ask for a turn themselves if they re that bothered.

Why not just ask? I'd expect mine to let little ones have a go. I'd also be v disappointed in them if they stayed on for 10 mins while others waited.

MyBreadIsEggy How annoying! That would have really pissed me off.

I am not clear if they were stood their waiting or playing on other stuff..

If they were playing on other stuff.. I would not expect the 11 year olds to know.

However if they were stood waiting yes I would of asked. In my experience the older kids are great with the little ones.

10 minutes isn't that long.

I would have told DS's to wait or play on something else until the other children had had their turn.

Dd was at the park with some friends yesterday

Sign at the edge of the park says children up to 14 -dd and her friends are 12

They were sitting on a large climbing frame
Lady came over and asked if her son could have a turn -they all got off and sat on the grass

They then spent the next 5 minutes watching the child try and climb up a climbing frame that was clearly too big and he couldn't manage it

Lady and child moved off and dd and her friends went back to the climbing frame
Lady came back over and told them they shouldn't sit on the climbing frame

Climbing frame is quite clearly for older children and has a 'den' at the top of it

If children are using play equipment appropriately then they should be allowed

If they are hogging something or being rude then it's perfectly reasonable to ask them to let other children have a turn

My 3yo didn't get a turn on a basket swing the other day.

Shit happens, park was full of school aged kids and he both wasn't quick enough and wasn't prepared to hang around waiting when there was other stuff to play on.

Life lesson!