To think that when you're using play equipment in the park it's rude for parents to stand next to you waiting for you to finish

[Qedwai]

I'm wondering if I'm the only one who hates this or if I'm being unreasonable.

When I'm in the park with my Sons and we want to go on something we play on something else until it's free and then quickly go on it once it becomes available. We don't stand right next to the parent and child waiting for them to get off! If we know something is really popular we will only stay on 5 mins so that everyone gets a chance to play.

One thing I've noticed consistently, is that there are a small number of parents who will stand right next to you with their child, literally waiting for you to get off the equipment. In the process, making you feel rushed and uncomfortable. Especially if they make a big deal of the fact they are waiting by saying stuff like 'won't be long now and you can go on once this boy has got off'.

Today I was in a large, fairly busy park and I put my Son in the swing. I had only just put him in when a woman went right behind me and said to her daughter 'we will go on once this boy has finished' she then proceeded to stand still, right next to me, with a grumpy face until we took our Son out of the swing'.

It's something I would never ever do. I think it's rude and unnecessary. Standing nearby is different but right next to the person is rude.

If a park is so busy it's necessary to queue for things I suppose that's different, but i'm not talking about parks like that. Just normal parks.

I know I probably am being a bit unreasonable but it's happened a few times now, and it's really getting on my nerves.

Really? A bloke? Well slap my face with a wet haddock.

Doesn't everyone queue like this in a park though? And doesn't every adult look grumpy because they're in a park?

I think I have been doing The Park all wrong.

I wouldn't mind a parent telling a child that it will be their turn next in a loud voice, children to have to learn to read situations as well as sharing. And how often do we as adults tell people "I'll only be a second"?

However I do understand the standing too close / in someone's personal space. I agree that some people can be unashamedly rude and if someone is standing that close to me that I could have a normal volume conversation with them, I wouldn't try to appease them because I can only imagine their language would match their behaviour. Eugh!

Let your child have a reasonable turn and ignore the rude people. They will never say thank you.

yabu. and you are THAT parent

YABU and being precious. It doesn't matter that you're a man, fathers can be precious too!

If your child only likes the swings, for example, and doesn't want to use anything else but they are waiting nicely, then what's the harm? If the parents are making PA comments, then I'd be pissed off but politely queuing?! That's fine.

YABU.

If your kid wants to go on a specific piece of equipment then suggesting to go on something else usually results in a tantrum.

You stand in a queue and wait until the one they want to go on is free.

Actually, I agree. Sometimes it feels like being bullied off something when a child and adult are standing very close and glaring, there is a difference between that and them hanging back but waiting to go on! That feels different. Completely agree with learning to queue and share but sometimes there is a hint of intimidation. Playgrounds shouldn't be this complicated!!

I say things like that to my daughter, not to hurry up the child that is currently onto swing but to remind my daughter that she will get a turn but has to wait patiently first. I usually try to encourage her to go on something else first but sometimes she wants to wait.

So yes, YABU

Op if you had called your thread - "space invaders are rude" then you would have got universal agreement. The thread is however, complaining about parents waiting by play equipment for their child to have a turn, that is not an unreasonable thing to do. You have emphasised the wrong part of your complaint therefore you have irritated all of us parents who wait patiently in a queue for the swings with our kids, by implying it is rude. It isn't rude, you have experienced rude behaviour from individual parents and that is a separate issue. Hth.

I am willing to be corrected here
Clearly not!

I don't like feeling pressurised to moving on.
But you should feel a degree of pressure. You should be aware that there are other children waiting. If the other kids were all playing on other things, you might stay on it for ages completely unaware that anyone else wants a turn.
By waiting, the other people are indicating that they would like a turn. It's shared equipment - you have to take turns.
The busier the park is and the longer the queue, the quicker everyone's turn should be. That is teaching kids to be fair and considerate of others. 5 minutes is fine sometimes, but if there's several kids waiting, that's too long.

It's clear he means people who get too close.
People really aren't standing THAT close though are they. They're keeping their kids away from where they might get hit by the swing, but it's perfectly reasonable for them to be close enough so you know they are waiting, and also for other people in the park to see that there is a queue.

And talking the queuing process through with the child is called teaching them.

Some of you go to mean playgrounds!
The playgrounds I go to are happy places.

YABVU

I wouldn't do it mine just wait and then Linford Christie it over when it's free. Tbh if someone was stood at the side of me saying shit like " won't be long" I'd take even longer.

I don't think YABU at all
It's not called queuing it's just being rude

YABU.
You might only stay on a popular piece of apparatus for 5 minutes but loads of parents don't do this.
Also sometimes my dc don't want to go on anything else and want to wait for one particular thing.

Also, as someone else said, most people say YABU but you don't want to hear this- don't post here if you are already so definite that you are right.

I so do this and say "not long now darling". This is general park etiquette. It's teaching all the kids that everyone has to have a turn. 5min is also too long. How else do the kids know who's turn it is next if they don't que?

Ps I also tell my kids to say thank you to the kid who's just gotten off the swing. Good manners, courtesy etc these are the times they learn social skills

I fucking hate the park I suppose it depends how busy the park is on the day. Sometimes we play on something until swings are free and sometimes we hover nearby and sometimes we go near the swings and wait but not up their arse as you describe. Why do these things bother people so much? As long as someone doesn't come over and say get the fuck off the swing then whatever

So we have a list OP.

Busy park. Tick
Limited equipment. Tick
Limited time. Tick
Children queuing. (Close to you..... Aggggggg the bloody cheek) Tick
Parent hogs the swing that's you btw Tick
Parent ignores other parents trying to get their kids to wait five, yes 5 blessed minutes, FFS Tick

Ignoring posters who say you are being unreasonable and not listening at all.... you again

Hum.

And you think the person standing too close to you has a problem?

Five minutes is waaaay too long to hog the swing in a busy park with a queue. Your playground radar is really off whack. as is your inpervious posting style

Playgrounds teach children many things. How their parent appears like a selfish git is one of them. That's a lesson you don't have to teach.

And in the interests of everyone on this one little planet of ours, it's better to share and take turns no matter how loud your neighbour is or how close they stand to you, or how selfish, contrary and pigheaded you want to be.

Our kids will inherit a world where resources are even more scarce with more and more people trying to use them. Think about that, and teach them to share and take turns.
Remember, you won't be there to 'protect' them in the future.
They have to learn how to get along with others themselves, and that means sharing and taking turns of limited public resources.

😂 I'm not above actually saying to a parent. "Is it ok if my little girl has a turn now, she's been waiting ages ...oh thanks so much, isn't that kind dd, such good sharing, thank you so much" 😁😁😁😁

I'm still trying to figure out how someone stands in your personal space whilst pushing a swing? Surely they'd get trodden on/elbowed/wiped out as you moved each time you pushed?