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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu? Parents at playground

137 replies

Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 17:47

Hi everyone, Smile

Because it was such a lovely day today we decided to take ds to playground. When we got there, there was 2 boys on swings (only two swings in the entire playground BTW) the one boy got to the swing before ds did, fair enough ds needed to wait his turn etc, that's fine.
Boy 1 was on swing around ten minutes, by this time big queue is building up. Boy 2 was on swing wayyyyyy before boy 1. Boy 1s parents finally called him off and let ds have a turn because he was next (although ten mins was quite a long wait I'm not that overly bothered)
However boy two was on the swing for over thirty minutes! His parents just stood there watching him and not calling him off, whilst theres a big back log of kids waiting...
Husband did say something to them in the end and they completly ignored him. I find this behaviour unacceptable, but maybe it's just me? Aibu? Please be gentle, I'm not looking for a fight honest 😁

OP posts:
MegsMog · 02/04/2017 17:48

YANBU. That's dreadful playground etiquette.

zzzzz · 02/04/2017 17:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 02/04/2017 17:58

Idiot parents day out today I think. .
Df and dm smoking at the table at the entrance gate of the toddler park - barely walking baby and toddler wandering off on a gravel walkway. .
Bigger dc area huge dog off lead running amok. . Df having a smoke at the bottom of the slide. Not even noticing the huge shit the dog had done either. .
I sat there mind boggling of the summer to come....
Going to ring the council tomorrow about smoking rules in the play areas....

FumBluff1 · 02/04/2017 18:01

YANBU

Pigface1 · 02/04/2017 18:02

YANBU.

I think part of the gig for parents is to teach your offspring that they are not the only human being with feelings and wants and to think of other people. Not just their siblings and friends but strangers who they've never met.

This kind of parenting is the exact opposite of that.

However there is very little you can do about it so just comfort yourself with the knowledge that your DS won't grow up to be a selfish twit but theirs will Smile

Original poster
Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 18:02

Oh dear... Sounds like you had a worse day then us Confused

OP posts:
TheAntiBoop · 02/04/2017 18:05

Parents on plane letting their kid watch the iPad at full volume with no headphones. But apparently it's better than the little darling screaming with boredom...

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 02/04/2017 18:05

Sorry but I'm chuckling to myself her.
Its making me think of the scene in Mr Bean where hes got the baby and he won't let anyone have a turn of the ride, and. Next second there's a snaking queue of pissed of faces.
All jokes aside though. No you're not being unreasonable. I can't stand entitled attitudes, and people who don't or rather won't teach their little poppets etiquette and basic manners.

Longwalkoffashortpier · 02/04/2017 18:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 18:12

Awwlookatmybabyspider...that made me laugh so much

OP posts:
Original poster
Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 18:13

Longwalk..my 2 nephews are also badly autistic and we too ration their time. Thank-you for being a considerate parent xx

OP posts:
boolifooli · 02/04/2017 18:21

Some kids seem to have this dog eat dog mentality where they need to grab at everything for themselves. I'm not sure if it's a lack of modelling or a deliberate influence. I work with small kids and the kids who are fighting to get what they want first all the time are never the happiest.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 02/04/2017 18:26

And this is why I just don't do playgrounds.
It's was even in my mother's day poem from DS:
"Van, the best mother of all, giver of hugs, lover of wine, hater of playgrounds & fresh air."

cheeseismydownfall · 02/04/2017 18:28

YANBU. Incredibly rude of parents.

To say that life is too short to worry about little things like this is missing the point. It is in exactly these sort of situations that we HAVE to teach our children about being considerate of other people. If we don't teach them when they are in the playground, then when will we? I don't think it is trivial at all, I think it is a massive deal that speaks volumes about how those children are being raised and the values that they will have as they grow up.

LilQueenie · 02/04/2017 18:30

yanbu they do grow up to think they can have what they want. Took DD to local park and 2 teens sat on the cute and refused to let the kids on. I went ballistic.

PamBagnallsGotACollage · 02/04/2017 18:30

While 30 minutes is a ridiculously long time to hog a swing, I'd say it was quite rude standing and waiting, putting pressure on children enjoying the swing.

No one queues for swings in any of the parks round here. Children play on other playground equipment and grab a turn if they spot the swing is free and fancy a go. If my son was hanging around by the swings for ages I'd encourage him to go and play on something else and come back to the swing when it's free.

TinselTwins · 02/04/2017 18:37

Why were you queueing for the swing? If something is taken don't you just wander off and play with something that's free? Nobody queues round here

YABU

Original poster
Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 18:37

I think people only started queueing because the child clearly wasn't coming off the swing

OP posts:
Original poster
Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 18:39

Our children are entitled to play too on what they want. Why should one child take everything?

OP posts:
SecretNetter · 02/04/2017 18:39

Agre with the pp...I never see this kind of queuing behaviour in parks, only hear about it on MN. Kids will wander up for a look and wander off if the swing or whatever is in use. Standing with your dc and staring at another kid who's using a swing is just as rude IMO.

TinselTwins · 02/04/2017 18:40

Did any CHILD approach boy 2 and ask "can I have a turn?" or was it just a load of PA tutty type parents queueing up and throwing evils? if the latter - good on him!

Original poster
Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 18:41

Far ruder to hog something for half an hour imo

OP posts:
TinselTwins · 02/04/2017 18:44

Iloveanimals why did you stand there judging though? if my kid really really really wanted a go on something that was taken I'ld encourage her to approach the kid and say "I'ld really like a turn, can I have a go now please"?"

Original poster
Iloveanimals · 02/04/2017 18:45

We didn't judge my husband said something to them. I mentioned it above in first post and they still didnt move him

OP posts:
hazeyjane · 02/04/2017 18:46

I find the queue for the swing thing a bit annoying, because you then feel really under pressure! Ds only goes on the swing, he can't really access anything else, and it is the baby swing (which, with him being nearly 7, has caused consternation in the past). If someone is on the swing we would have to go for a walk. (or endless walks until it was free)