AIBU to wish people would not use playgrounds yet.

[mathdoc]

So I've just been walking in the local park with my DD (5) and she's been so upset she can't use the playrgound. Virtually every other child was being allowed on the swings and slides, despite clear signing saying it's not allowed and tape around the equipment. She was asking if she'd been naughty and therefore wasn't allowed on and I had to try to explain that nobody was meant to be on them. Am I being unreasonable to follow the rules? Have I got the rules wrong? AIBU to wish people didn't break them, especially while other children are around?

@museumum

There’s absolutely no way I’m teaching my 6 year old to ignore or remove hazard tape! Next time it could be stopping access to something really dangerous. I’m not particularly Covid anxious - we went to the woods this morning and ds climbed all over a tree his friend was also all over. We washed hands when we got home. But it’s really dangerous to let kids think that rules are not important -especially safety rules.

I completely agree!

@TabbyMumz
You are the one making generalisations and dismissing the concerns of other parents.

"I suspect parks being closed wont do them any harm."

In response to a parent who raised concerns about their children not being able to play with their friends for 3+ months and said it's damaging:
"Not if you dont make it an issue."

You have in fact blamed parents for their children feeling sad:
"I think it's what you make of it. If you parade them past playgrounds that they cant go in, then moan all the time how awful it is, they will feel sad."
(Ever occur to you that sometimes a parent might have no choice but to walk past a closed playground with their child, because there's no other route to take, and because we have to take them out for walks, bike rides etc somewhere?!)

I don't moan in front of my son, and it's not my moaning that makes him sad, but if he is sad (which he has been at times because of missing family, friends and activities) then I'm going to moan about it to others if I want to. That doesn't mean I am to blame for his suffering.

I have in fact acknowledged that some children have been ok, while others have not, but you don't seem capable of the same nuance.

44AnotherEmma

"@TabbyMumz
You are the one making generalisations and dismissing the concerns of other parents.

"I suspect parks being closed wont do them any harm.""

It's a view I'm allowed to give. Goodness me, other people are allowed views you know. You were the one jumping down my throat trying to make out I didnt have any kids, just because I dared to say that a tually I dont think it will have such terrible connotations. . People are allowed to have opposing views.

"Ever occur to you that sometimes a parent might have no choice but to walk past a closed playground with their child, because there's no other route to take, and because we have to take them out for walks, bike rides etcsomewhere?!)"

Ever occurred to you to allow people to have opposing views and express them on an open public thread?

@mathdoc, thank you very much for your measured and thoughtful response to my reply to your post.

I did appreciate that your calculations were only illustrative that small risks could have real repercussions. My responding point was that there are different, small risks that could equally be multiplied with real repercussions.

I do not agree with the sorts of mass gatherings that have apparently taken place yesterday in parts of London and today on beaches. I think such mass gatherings can indeed have serious consequences (as similar gatherings in the US in Florida apparently did).

However I think that playgrounds are a very different issue. I am pretty sure that an official “major incident” of the sort declared in southeast beaches today has never been recorded in a playground!

The “slippery slope” argument is almost always bogus.

Despite your reference to these gatherings I still think YABU for wanting other parents to reinforce and validate your child rearing principles. I even think YABU for wanting them to make it easier for you (and others who take a similar position) - for example breaking the rules only early in the morning. If the rules are silly, they are silly all day long... And while it is true that obvious rule breaking might make it harder for some parents, it is just as likely that such rule breaking will make it easier for others, who might need a small impetus to do what they instinctively feel right for their own child, despite what the rules, and the government, may say.