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

[Thecatsmother17]

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?

Nothing wrong with the schoolkids using the playground BUT - if they're there under adult supervision, then I would expect those adults to ensure they were behaving in such a way as it didn't make the park unusable to everyone else (in the same way that I would tell my kids off if they were hogging the swings, sitting at the top of the slide so no-one could go down it etc). That's sort of the point of the teachers being there to supervise isn't it?

My kids school do this to the local park, they take 90 kids! It's not a massive park, and I'm theory yes they have better equiptment at school but they love that trip. Enjoy the 6 weeks hols op!

Couldn't agree more with melj's post

'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. '

Even if you ignore the OP's perspective, it's not respectful to the children in the teachers' charge to allow them to be seen as a nuisance by other parents & children. Esp when being paid to be in charge of them!

Completely agree park equipment should be used however the user wishes, BUT not when a 'turn' is never allowed for other park users.

Yeah, I would move my toddler out of their way if she was on the bigger kids' stuff, so that she wasn't taking ages climbing the steps and making them wait. I just think the adults should do the same for the little ones already there using the stuff intended for them.

If it was the same time every week I would just avoid that time, but they turn up at different times each week. They are definitely old enough to watch out for smaller ones and not push past them, and I've seen children from the same school all waiting for the bus, and standing aside to let older people on first, so I think it's just not made clear to them to watch out for others so they can use the park too.

It doesn't seem the other kids were doing anything other than playing though. If there are 4 pieces of equipment and 30 plus kids it's going to be a struggle getting around it. I'm sure if the op has said 'excuse me, could my toddler have a go on the slide' they would have made way.

I obviously didn't ask them to leave as I realise they have as much right as us to be there.

Well there you are! You said it yourself. So WHAT exactly is the problem? Whether they have 'better' equipment at school or not, they have every entitlement to be there, you have no idea as to the reasons why they are there.

You simply need to get off your high horse and understand the very words you said yourself - THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE THERE.

And no, 30 kids with their parents are NOT going to be followed round constantly by their parents. Total exaggeration on your part.

It's not the same time every week - it's one off end of term outing!

OP has all (school) year to take her toddler if she wishes

Local school out for an afternoon - not a big deal

Our school takes the year 1s over to the park sometimes - it's a fab park and fantastic for PE. I doubt they do it often. Dd's class went once a term. Yes they have a playground but they use it for 2 break times and a lunch time every day. Would you use the same play park every day for your dc?

Re the walking dead thing - you should have spoken to the teaching staff. Did they definitely say walking dead? Dd is 9 and knows her df watches it and it's zombies but she's not watched it. Her zombie knowledge actually come from scooby doo.

It's a school that's situated just behind the park so it wasn't a school trip.

Our school does school trips round the block doing maps, up in the woods by the school and in the park next door. Anything outside of the school site is a school trip. When dc start school you sign permission for local trips and only sign individually for bigger trips and those costing money.

I suspect some of you are about to have a nasty shock as the summer holidays crash in and the park is full of school aged children every day

Wait! So the children's park was full of children playing - and using the equipment meant for children? And there was nobody helicoptering 7 year olds on a one to one basis???

You have a lot to learn OP......