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AIBU?

To not let ds keep his present from our au-pair?

53 replies

ojalele · 23/03/2017 17:04

Our lovely au-pair gave ds a present for his 7th b-day: a real dartboard. With real darts. I also have a dd(4) and a dd(9). I'm hesitant to let him play with it. Am I being precious?

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Serialweightwatcher · 23/03/2017 17:35

I also agree with supervised but maybe make him wear goggles just in case ... it worries me when it comes back off the wire. Mine used to play at 10 and 7 with us watching but there were quite a few missed shots eek. I also kept the darts well out of the way the rest of the time.

Notso · 23/03/2017 17:36

My kids 17, 12, 6 and 5 love playing darts. It's good for their mental maths.
The youngest are only allowed to play supervised.

Universitychallenging · 23/03/2017 17:38

Our utility door at home had a round set of holes from where the dart board had been long after we all left home.

I'd supervise him and put the darts away when not using them.

Mummymoanasaurus · 23/03/2017 17:40

Yes let him play with it supervised. Put the darts away when not in use. Mine play outside in the garden with theirs, dogs are removed! My brothers had one growing up and one of them decided to do dart throwing (imitating knife throwing) and threw a dart in other brothers foot. It was the 70s! He lived!

Rainbow1987 · 23/03/2017 17:43

My DD (9) plays darts with her dad occasionally. As long as they're supervised I don't see a problem x

Howlongtillbedtime · 23/03/2017 17:45

Sounds fine to me . My son had one and he loved it .

His mental maths came on leaps and bounds as well . His teacher even started using different darts senarios in class .

We did have rules about it , and more supervision of friends were around.

SoupDragon · 23/03/2017 17:46

I think you're being precious. We had a dart board in the house when I was growing up and we managed not to stab each other :)

that said, my experience of having had a dartboard in the house growing up tells me that the garage is exactly the right place for it! The holes around the board (even with a frame) and in the wooden floor looked like horrendous woodworm.

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 23/03/2017 17:48

When I was about 9 my younger dsis got a dart board. It was put up in our bedroom. For some reason, we decided to set out on a career in knife-throwing - using darts. I don't know how we still have our eyes intact.

I should add, I'm an atrocious darts player even now.

Could you get your au pair to swap it for magnetic darts set?

Cleebope · 23/03/2017 17:50

Put it away, get a magnetic board, a guy I know l lost his eye at that age when his brother accidentally threw a dart in it.

picklemepopcorn · 23/03/2017 17:53

Keep it away from radiators!

floraeasy · 23/03/2017 17:53

I think you need a chat with you au pair to make sure you're both on the same page in terms of safety, age-appropriate activities, etc.

IloveBanff · 23/03/2017 17:58

1horatio Seems ok to me...Anyhow, he's 9.

No, he's 7. I agree with the posters who say under adult supervision and you have the darts when they're not being used.

1horatio · 23/03/2017 18:00

Ilove

True, his older sister is 9.

Opps.

Well, I think adult supervision is certainly needed in the beginning.

But if he and for example his sister both show they can handle them? I don't think constant adult supervision would be needed.

LIZS · 23/03/2017 18:01

I'm sure we had darts at that age. It is a good time to educate everyone about safety and risk, only playing under supervision and removed at first hint of silliness.

MarchEliza · 23/03/2017 18:02

Very good for maths, I would have thought.

Isitjustmeorisiteveryoneelse · 23/03/2017 18:02

My DDs had a real dart board and real darts (Christmas present) from age 7 and 8. It lived in the garage, on the door, and it was an excellent present, they're sensible and no major injuries. The upside - great fun and great for their Maths. The downside - they've both now got beer bellies and an unnatural admiration for Jockie Wilson......

Lazyafternoon · 23/03/2017 18:08

Put it in garage or have hook to hang outside. If it has to be inside then don't have it up all the time and get some sort of wall protection. My FIL had a big bit of cardboard (think a big flattened out cardboard box with a slit in) that went behind the board and the the dart board hung on top of.

I don't see the problem with a 7 year old having a go at darts. Always with an adult and not when little ones are running about.

I'd presume you au pair knows he'll love it!

LanaKanesLeftNippleTassle · 23/03/2017 18:12

Put it somewhere safe, away from main areas, say garage, or in my Grans case, the back porch.

What my Gran did was leave the board up, but hide the darts, so if we wanted to play, we had to ask, and thus were supervised easily.

Goldmandra · 23/03/2017 18:32

This is a great opportunity for you to teach him how to assess and manage risk. Children who aren't allowed sharp objects don't ever learn to do this.

When he is old enough to handle knives, darts, etc, he will need those skills and you don't want him learning them the hard way then.

Explain the rules and why they are in place. Play with him and supervise closely and you will have a child who is better equipped to handle risk.

ThreeLeggedHaggis · 23/03/2017 18:38

My brother and I had a dart board at a similar age. It was fine... because neither of us wanted to be stabbed by darts, so we were careful.

hellokittymania · 23/03/2017 18:59

I am severely visually impaired and I have played darts !

We also had a unit on archery at our special needs school for the blind ????? And yes I am obviously still here to tell all of you about it

Could he play with it when supervise? Or else give it to him when he is older. In some countries, this would be totally OK. Many children I know walk to the school by themselves when they are six years old and are responsible for their younger siblings. So they have much more freedom and responsibility. Not sure where your au pair is from but this might have been her thinking. Just tell her you are worried about his younger sibling playing with it and getting hurt.

ojalele · 24/03/2017 22:18

Thanks all. I had a chat with the au-pair and it turns out she didn't realise the darts were proper darts made of metal. She thought it was a child version made of plastic.

So she understands that we'll not leave them play with the board by themselves.

I'm most worried about ds and dd fighting and throwing it in anger and about little dd running in front of the others.

None of that should happen with proper supervision though.

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Majorgoodwinschickenbeatstrump · 24/03/2017 22:30

You having custody of the darts in a very special box is the solution.

Majorgoodwinschickenbeatstrump · 24/03/2017 22:32

By that I mean he has to ask to play- not banned completely. I have many happy memories of games of darts in my friends basement around that age- we all loved it (it's the little things when you are that age, or it was for me )

Dilligaf81 · 24/03/2017 22:34

Darts is fantastic for mental maths. Get a wall protector and let him get on with it.
My DD was playing darts at 4, she could stand closer than the others.
Only you know your kids capabilities and coordination so do what you thinka right but i wouldnt have a problem with it.

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