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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have been a bit annoyed by this school class? (

86 replies

Thecatsmother17 · 18/07/2017 17:03

I may well be being v v v unreasonable as I've had very little sleep and am feeling pretty grumpy!

I took my two young children to a small playground near our house early this afternoon. It's good because it's fenced off and doesn't have very much there so doesn't usually get very busy. We arrived to find an entire school class of 30 kids there with about 3 teachers or TA's. They basically took over the entire area meaning mine and the other small children there couldn't play and so we had to leave. They were being very boisterous and hogging all of the playground equipment. Most of the time they were not even using it properly but seemed to be playing The Walking Dead. They were only about 7 or 8 so I was shocked they even knew that show! Anyway it meant them using the one slide and small climbing frame as their "base" to jump off and congregate on. So the little one seems there felt a bit intimidated and obviously it wasn't that safe as children that age don't think to watch where they are going.

The teachers sat at a picnic table chatting. I've been to the school they are from and they have several nice playgrounds with their own equipment and activities so I'm really not sure why they were there. I know it's a public space and they had every right but they took it over completely. We were not the only people to arrive and then leave because of them.

So aibu to have been a bit annoyed?

OP posts:

TheSolitaryBoojum · 18/07/2017 17:40

A school playground with slides and climbing frames?
Did you try and work with the children to accommodate yours, helping yours take turns, talking to the children? Or did you remove your children, glare and harrumph and then post?

iwantedanap · 18/07/2017 17:44

They were on a trip somewhere nearby I expect? Unless it's all day every day I really don't think you have the right to ask them to leave, no.
You would, however have been fine to approach the teachers and ask if your toddlers could play on the slide for a bit. It shouldn't be an issue.

SandyDenny · 18/07/2017 17:45

School playgrounds can have slides and climbing frames, why are you questioning that? I take one of my dcs to an activity next to a primary school that has way more equipment in the playground than than the nearest park, I bet they never take their children out.

cottagecheesequeen · 18/07/2017 17:45

Yes You Are Being Unreasonable.

What gives toddlers priority over 7 year olds?

You wait...your kids will be 7 soon. stuck in school on a hot day, being given a treat of going to the local playground....

I'm finding it hard to believe you've written this post tbh. I bet you complain when a large 3/4 year old is in the under 4 sections of soft play don't you?

and clearly they were very bright kids if they found other uses for playground equipment.

melj1213 · 18/07/2017 17:46

Whilst I do think yabu to be annoyed that there were kids at a park and therefore it was just too busy for your child to play on this particular day, I do think the teachers should have been supervising the kids better (and I say this having been a primary teacher) or they should have at least acknowledged that the childrens' play was preventing other children from using the park at all. Yes this was one incident and hardly the end of the world that today the OP couldn't use the park, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be annoyed at the way it was handled.

If those 30 kids were there with their parents or in small groups, I'm sure their parents would have ensured that their child didn't spend half an hour standing at the top of the slide so no other child could use it, or you could have at least approached the individual child/parent to ask them if they could move so your child could use the equipment, but if there's a huge group you can't always do that and it's not always just one kid's behaviour that is making the park unusable for others, but the collective.

It's a great thing to take a class to a park as an end of term treat, but that doesn't mean they should be allowed to take over and prevent any other child from using the park at all. When I was teaching we'd take the kids to a public park near the school in the summer but before they left the school, all of the children were told that they must be mindful of other people and teachers would be actively patrolling the area, so if the kids were monopolising specific play equipment then they would be encouraged to play elsewhere and let others have a turn (both other kids in the class and other random children in the area). They would also be reminded that there would be other people and they have to take turns and/or include the other children in their games too

Upanddownroundandround · 18/07/2017 17:46

It's mildly annoying but that's all. YABU to be overly upset about it.

glitterlips1 · 18/07/2017 17:49

Our school did this with our children recently. I thought it was a fun idea for the children. You don't own the playground so it isn't worth getting worked up over it. I doubt very much the children were not being supervised by their teachers.

RiverTam · 18/07/2017 17:55

I get that its annoying but it's one time and it's a nice end-of-term outing for the kids.

One day that'll be your child.

YABU.

QuackDuckQuack · 18/07/2017 17:56

Schools often offer treats to incentivise good behaviour, but given school budgets, finding treats that are free or low cost is essential. That's probably why they were there. It would be lovely for them to be able to afford alternatives, but the money just isnt there.

ALittleMop · 18/07/2017 18:05

YABU
Schools do trips and treats like this to make it affordable for parents. You could have come back later

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 18/07/2017 18:09

I doubt they would be spending the day there. You could've just asked the teachers how long they were planning on staying.

Ha ha to whoever would have asked them to leave. As if.

2ndSopranos · 18/07/2017 18:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GreenTulips · 18/07/2017 18:13

Dear me - I hope you say no to trips when your kids are at school just in case someone is offended that they're there!!

Nothing wrong with a change of sencery -

Go and have a lie down

Original poster

Thecatsmother17 · 18/07/2017 18:13

It's a school that's situated just behind the park so it wasn't a school trip. Their school playgrounds are probably much better. This one has two toddler swings, a roundabout and a climbing frame with a slide attached.
They definitely seemed to be playing The Walking Dead as some of them were " saviours".

Had it been 30 children with their parents it wouldn't have been so annoying as in my experience most parents follow their children around and make sure they take turns etc.

These teachers were sat at the picnic bench in the grassed area chatting. They weren't close enough to have noticed when a group of them decided to steal one boys hat and run away with it.

I obviously didn't ask them to leave as I realise they have as much right as us to be there. I just found it a strange choice tbh as it's very much a toddler/ preschooler playground with everything sized accordingly. The school kids were too big for the swings so we're just climbing on the seats. They were using the climbing frame as their base and so none of the other children there could get on to go down the slide.

But I accept most of you think I'm being unreasonable so tomorrow I will try and remember to get out of bed the right side 😂

OP posts:

MargaretCabbage · 18/07/2017 18:15

YABU. I have small children and often go the playground. Sometimes it's busy with big and boisterous children, but they are allowed to play there just as much as my own are so we either deal with it or leave.

As a child in primary school we went to the local park on an outing once and I thought it was just fantastic. I remember playing with all my school friends so vividly. I hope the children had as much fun as I did!

2ndSopranos · 18/07/2017 18:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Whosthemummynow · 18/07/2017 18:16

The school kids were too big for the swings so we're just climbing on the seats. They were using the climbing frame as their base

Playing then 😂

wobblywonderwoman · 18/07/2017 18:18

It is mildly annoying but come on op... Last few days of school and they play in thief own one everyday. The buzz of being out of school is probably good for them all. It is a once off.

I would have gone to the library or coffee shop and come back later.

Allyg1185 · 18/07/2017 18:20

The park is free for all to use!

The staff should have been monitoring correctly to stop any inappropriate behaviour and games but other than that you are being unresonable

Toooldtobearsed · 18/07/2017 18:21

YABU, its a one off end of term treat!

We were at a NT property last week, lots of school groups there and all descended on the tearoom picnic tables with their packed lunches leaving nowhere for us paying customers to sit. Had a momentary wtf, but then got a grip and hit a local pub instead 😉

If it happened everytime you went to the park, or we went to a NT place, fair enough, say something, but end of term one off? Nah....

Saiman · 18/07/2017 18:22

It's a school that's situated just behind the park so it wasn't a school trip. Their school playgrounds are probably much better

Whats the offcial distance to qualify it a trip? Our kids have had a trip round the village spotting different flowers and trees. Still a trip.

Doesnt matter if their play grounds are better. This was somewhere different. Thats whats kids are like.

And i can pretty much guarantee that if it was 30 kids with 30 parents, there would be at least a few who wouldnt be supervising or making sure their kids took turns.

Why ask iabu if you are so sure you arent?

MuddlingMackem · 18/07/2017 18:25

If the play equipment is pre-schooler size, it seems an odd choice of park to take a class of 7 - 8 year olds to if they've got more appropriate sized play equipment in the school grounds.

To be fair, I wouldn't let my kids at 7 or 8 play on toddler equipment if there were toddlers in the park, so I don't actually think in these circumstances the OP is being U.

ShelaghTurner · 18/07/2017 18:26

Our school finishes at lunchtime on the last day and the parents always take the children to a local park for a picnic and play etc. There’s at least two classes going to this particular park so 60+ children. Another park we went to previously had well over 300 children there one time. It’s annoying I'm sure but it’s a one off.

Starsandwishes · 18/07/2017 18:26

What's wrong with using the climbing frame as their Base? I don't get it.

I don't follow my 7 year old round the park

GreenTulips · 18/07/2017 18:26

when a group of them decided to steal one boys hat and run away with it.

None issue - wait till your kids are bitten head butted bullyied etc in school

Hat stealing on a trip in the park? Whatever next!

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