to not stop my DC doing things because other people don't want their DC to do them?

[hollyvsivy]

My children are adventurous and unless something is dangerous or unsafe for themselves or others, I don't see the problem. Increasingly I find myself being scowled at by other parents whose DC want to copy mine as if I should stop mine to help them out. I've had passive agressive comments, too. As far as I'm concerned, it's up to them to enforce their rules on their children - not me.

Some examples to give you an idea of the contexts of these situations:

Splashing in puddles
Climbing trees
Standing up on the swing
Climbing the slide (as long as no one else is waiting to go down)
Painting their hands and feet at toddler group
Rolling down hills

AIBU to continue to let my children do what I'm fine with them doing and ignore disapproving outsiders who expect me to stop them so their children won't do the same?

I always get glared at for climbing up slides and standing on swings or rolling down hills.....maybe its because i am 46.😊

Not bothered to read the thread then, Oblomov?

Eh Bertrand?
Yes, I've read every post. and posted before. Thanks very much.

Oblimov17 Most people, including me, aren't objecting to the slide climbing because it's dangerous but because it's anti social.

You must have missed all the posts about why climbing up slides is a bad idea then.....

I've actually experienced a hilarious reverse of the "hostile takeover" when an over-ambitious dad of a tiny tot attempted to coax him down a slide meant for much older children. Cue about five primary-age kids waiting patiently but eye-rollingly on the steps as tiny refused to go for about 5 mins., then went and slipped dramatically sideways and had to be caught by dad lunging onto slide, etc. etc. etc.

No. I've read all the posts. I just don't agree.

Is that ok?

I don't think that slide climbing is THAT anti social. Or dangerous. Or a mud problem.

And am laughing at the 'hostile takeover'.

I have a friend whose job involves providing equipment to council play parks.
Slide climbers are her absolute nemesis. She will quite happily rant for 10 minutes half an hour over a glass of wine about how climbing up slides absolutely ruins the slidy surface and makes the slide non-slidey and spoils the slidey fun for everyone else. Soles of shoes really do scuff the top slidey layer - apparently the angle of heels of sliders coming down is ok and much much less damage than full feet going up I think she has researched this. She would spend her life going round cleaning and polishing slides with a giant cloth all day if she could to make them slidey again.
Her plea to the world is "don't let your kids climb slides!!"

Are you absolutely sure that trhese choices aren't impacting on other people?

Climbing up a slide obstructs the use of a slide and leaves the seating area muddy. Standing on a swing leaves the swing muddy. Painting their hands and feet spreads paint absolutely everywhere. Spashing in puddles spashes muddy water on anyone standing nearby.

You seem to think people are disapproving because YOUR children are dirty/unsafe - I think maybe they are pissed off at you because your "adventurous" children are making the general area dirty and unsafe.

"And am laughing at the 'hostile takeover'."

Good. Glad you're amused. It's hilarious when children are excluded from stuff intended from everyone because one child/parent insists on their spirited child's right to do his own thing.

Yeah, the climbing up slide thing is a no-no (or rather was, my girl is too old now). I've got a 3 inch scar on my chin because I climbed up a metal slide and slipped...

Can't see why anyone would have issue with anything else on your list?

Climbing up slides no, they will inevitably want to do it at some popint when folk are wanting to come down, but everything else yeah, bring it on. My grands kids come to stay whinge they have to come out to walk my dogs, yet when they get in the park, forest, beach, they love it. Its what kids should be doing.

I love your friend Rednails

The comments of 'that is not how the equipment should be used...make me depressed

In our local park there is a double zip wire. It spends 90 per cent of the time out of order, because children use it as it is not supposed to be used. Two or three sliding at once, or sliding down holding onto both wires at once, pulling the out of shape, that kind of thing. So these children who are having risky fun are spoiling the play of all other children, and also causing money that could be spent on new equipment to be spent on fixing the old equipment.

I remember 4 year old dd standing at the top of a slide for ages while some little shits spirited, adventurous children climbed up and slid down, again and again. I told them to get off in the end, cue much eye-rolling and tutting from their completely unaware glued to phones parents

I'm not saying my children actually do this.
But, I object to the idea that children who do are :
pita, badly mannered, feral, etc. Necessarily.

Who said any children were being excluded? Because of one child climbing up a slide. How is that excluding anyone else. Nope. Don't agree.

I haven't seen any kids climbing up slides for ages.
I might just do myself next time we go to the park. Just. Because. Of this thread.

I love it that slidey research is part of someone's job

Still maintain that upwards feet are no more mucky than downwards ones though, even though it makes sense that they do more damage to slidey surface.

All the arguments are getting mixed up here, I can see I'm on several different sides for several different reasons and can't be arsed to keep up with all the various strands.

Strongly disapprove of slide-climbing, yet don't have it in me to spontaneously combust over a bit of mud or water. But please don't call my "adventurous" children "feral", "dirty" or "unsafe". They're really not. And there's no need to have the collywobbles when they do their acrobatics on the monkey bars. I'm watching carefully, albeit a short distance away. They need to learn to judge risks after all, and they do go to climbing club once a week.

And, finally, please don't take ten minutes trying to coax your tiny tot down a slide designed for older children: people are waiting for their go!

Bad mannered, who doesn't give a toss about others?
Nope. I don't agree, that its THAT bad.
You all make it sound so incredibly awful. Like its the MOST selfish thing to do.
Most awful thing. EVEEEERRRR.
I don't think it is. In the grand scheme of things.

"Most awful thing. EVEEEERRRR.
I don't think it is. In the grand scheme of things."

In the grand scheme of things, I agree.

In the context of the OP's list, however..........

It is selfish. Stop showing off and just use the slide normally

How does one go
about getting a Job in the slide inspection business? Sounds much better than my current job.

I love how people are presuming that all kids are all 'aggressively taking over play equipment' are there no times when the parks are empty? There are with ours.

There are times when its just a few kids playing together and not bothering anyone else.

Everyone is so convinced that any kid who doesnt conform to their view is bullying or running rampant. It is possible to do stuff and still consider others, my kids always have.

We used to stand on top edges of the 'slide' bit holding on to the top bar of the slide and friends would shoot down through our legs is that now a terrible thing to do? TBH I dont remember one kid falling off and hurting themselves on the concret below.

My children do all of these things - slides are dirty anyway whether kids climb up them or not.

I think people who think it's not that bad have no idea of the consequences for others. (Or didn't do physics, or didn't pay enough attention)

I've seen it when there has been so much slide climbing that the friction is such that a child cannot slide down the slide at all, but remains on slide unable to slip down - thus ruining it for other children. I have Been known to take a cloth to polish said slide.