To think flagstone in the garden is a hazard with toddlers?

[theterror]

Hello,

DH and I have been chatting about sorting the garden out tonight. We moved to a new a house a few months ago and there is a reasonably sized patio (about 4mx5m) made out of a nice but very hard flagstone (not sure what material it is).

I feel like this is a hazard to our trippy 2.5 year old, and our soon to be 1 year old. Esp. As we will have garden furniture that they will inevitably climb on, and fall off of. I feel we should temporary cover the flagstone with rubber tiles (like you get in playground areas). Then in a few years time when the kids are older, remove.

DH thinks I'm being unreasonable and flagstone is fine, they'll always put their hands out to protect their heads (I just feel you can't predict how accidents will play out).

YABU = flagstone and toddlers are fine!

YANBU = flagstone is a hazard - get it covered!

I think it sometimes helps to look around at what other people do, especially if you’re not sure whether YABU. Have you ever met anyone who as padded their patio?

What if they trip on the rubber tiles and bang their heads on the, (presumably), brick wall.

Our hallway and kitchen are quarry tile flooring, we have a 4 year old and a just learning to walk 1 year old...they’re fine

We’ve put rubber tiles on our patio. I have two 1 year olds and a small garden with a large patio (not our design). I don’t fancy another trip to a&e with my twins in tow, I’ve been there and done that. It gives me peace of mind and they are able to play more independently.

If you want to cover your (potential) patio in rubber matting, go for it. You don’t need anyone else’s permission and you certainly don’t seem to want any opinions which differ from your own anyway.
Fwiw I think you’re being ott, but your children are not my children, so do what you think is right for them.

If our kids are anything to go by, they will find the one thing in the park/garden/playground to hurt themselves on. Astroturf grazes, manhole covers, splinters in wood. We have walls, slopes, low trees and paving in our garden, We have taught them to be careful from day 1. I tend to be more careful with visiting children as they aren’t familiar with our garden. I am terrified of ponds though.

This flagstone feels harder than concrete paths etc.
I doubt it is.

DD has just moved, there is a big, flagged patio and outside the patio doors is about a 6 inch step and the doors have a high awkward frame so they’ve put a section of big rubberised tiles that I found in JTF last year. DGS is 20 months and still trips over fresh air.

If you are that worried why don’t you just get a garden rug to go under the seating area so if they do climb and fall they won’t hit the flagstone.
Anything else is a bit excessive.

Decking if you have the money and like the look of it?

Though you might want the grippy decking because it can be slippery

I think you are right to worry about small children climbing on garden furniture on a patio.... but the solution is to not have garden furniture left on the patio rather than to try to pad the floor.

My son is 3. We have a sandpit (one of those plastic turtles) and a water play table (which a toddler stands at) on our patio, so the patio is for calm and stationary play not running or climbing.
There is a picnic table on the grass. Or you could have light furniture in a shed you lift out when needed. My son loves to parkour round the living room furniture and definitely would climb on furniture on a patio. He does use the picnic table as a climbing frame. It's round and he goes round and round the seats.

@orpah

why not go the whole hog and wrap them in bubble wrap? 🙄

This ^^^