To expect an outdoor gym to not be used as a playground by children?

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

Went for a run yesterday and afterwards went into an outdoor gym which is (unfortunately) next to a kids' play park. There are some weights attached to vertical beams, an exercise bike, ropes, cross trainer and markings on the ground for relay runs. Loads of signs saying age 13+ only and children weren't to use it as play equipment.

It was absolutely over run with small kids aged about 4-10 climbing all over it, using the equipment and just generally getting in the way while their parents sat in the play park in clear sight of them doing nothing. When I did manage to use some equipment kids were waiting as if we were taking turns. I'd been on the exercise bike for about 15 minutes with one little girl who was about 6 staring at me...she went to get her mum who actually came and asked if her DD could have a go as she'd been waiting for ages I said no this bike is for adults and they she got all huffy and was all "Never mind darling, the lady won't get off so we'll have to just wait won't we". I was then doing relays on the markings and they were running in front of me nearly knocking into me. I gave up in the end!

Is it really so much to ask that parents tell their children to keep out of adult only areas and stay in the massive park built for children? Want to go again today as it's a great little gym, council spent a small fortune but CBA with all the unsupervised kids.

15 minutes was fine, especially as there was nobody within the age group allowed waiting for it.

See above, parents don't helicopter parent their children all of the time. If the equipment is next to the playground it is natural for children to wo der over to it. One of the parks where I live has this set up and some children swing off the monkey bars etc but then again there is no age minimum sign post so it is acceptable.

It's not helicoptering to remove your DC from kit /areas that are for the use of others. It's common courtesy.
(Helicoptering would be hovering over them when they're playing normally in the children's area)

It's a basic lesson in sharing - they have their playground, adults have a gym and younlet each group enjoy the facilities for it.

@Porcupineintherough

YANBU We have the same problem with the skate park in our local park. It's the one thing in the park marked age 13+ (there is tons of stuff for smaller children). Infested by toddlers whilst their parents look on admiringly and shout at the teens to be careful whilst little Jamie wobbles around on his scooter.

Oh God this is awful at our local skatepark. I’m not usually allowed to watch DS as he’s too cool but I did get the opportunity to in the Easter holidays and it was full of over indulged toddlers on three wheeled scooters scooting round and round the bottom of the bowl while all the older children sat on the side waiting to finally get their turn. Without the toddlers, the children quickly work out their lien system for turn taking but obviously toddlers don’t get that and their parents just stand their smiling smugly.

Presumably the toddlers at the skate park are just expressing themselves while their parents beam with joy.
It must be difficult for the children that want to use the facility properly because they wouldn't feel comfortable asking the toddler parents to shift little Jamie of the way

That's not the same at all though as a toddler cannot use a skate park in any sense. It is dangerous for the toddler. A 9 year old is not a toddler though and children that age do their own thing in the park vicinity, using an exercise bike is not any different if you are 8 or 80! My DD and her friends don't stay in the play area they will do things nearby so we have a maze that is near the play area but outside of the play area, I don't check up on her every minute of our time there. Children are not robots.

@0gfhty

Op reading all my posts makes me think you are judgemental and intolerant and worrys me that you have also said you work with young people. When you have got to the point of staying longer on an exercise bike to annoy a small child - I think that's a red flag that you should move yourself away from working with young people.

Lol...an exercise bike that the kid was too young/small for, as stated on the signage.

Those of us that do work with young people also understand the importance of boundaries. Poor boundaries, mostly from parents, but also schools, society etc are the cause of a lot of the problems I see in young people. If kids have no boundaries, they’re not psychologically (or physically, in many cases, eg a 6 year old trying to use equipment designed for adults) safe.

I do believe these need to be flexible - as others have said, there’s a whole world of difference between a taller and more mature Year 7 age kid who’s a couple of years off the age limit and a smaller kid who could get hurt. Personally I’d have fewer issues with that, I also wouldn’t have an issue with waiting while a parent explained the equipment to a curious younger kid as long as the parent didn’t then expect kiddo to be able to then use it. As part of that explanation comes with “you can use it when you’re older honey, see that sign there it says you have to be 13”.

The ability to a) say no b) understand that not everything in the world is for kids and c) enforce reasonable boundaries does not make you unsuitable to work with young people. That’s someone I’d very much want as a colleague.

@Goldenbear

That's not the same at all though as a toddler cannot use a skate park in any sense. It is dangerous for the toddler. A 9 year old is not a toddler though and children that age do their own thing in the park vicinity, using an exercise bike is not any different if you are 8 or 80! My DD and her friends don't stay in the play area they will do things nearby so we have a maze that is near the play area but outside of the play area, I don't check up on her every minute of our time there. Children are not robots.

Depends on the dimensions of the bike. As a child I couldn’t ride my Mum’s as my legs weren’t long enough. I am guessing the bike in question would suit legs aged 13 and over. 🤷‍♀️

@Goldenbear

That's not the same at all though as a toddler cannot use a skate park in any sense. It is dangerous for the toddler. A 9 year old is not a toddler though and children that age do their own thing in the park vicinity, using an exercise bike is not any different if you are 8 or 80! My DD and her friends don't stay in the play area they will do things nearby so we have a maze that is near the play area but outside of the play area, I don't check up on her every minute of our time there. Children are not robots.

They can do things they enjoy in the skate park - go around on their scooter, scramble up ramps, etc. - they just shouldn't, because it's selfish, dangerous for them and stops the people it's actually designed for. A bit like a 6 year old using an adult exercise bike... What an amazing and happy coincidence that you think the exact age of children you have are the age that should be able to go on anything they like, though, goldenbear - a real surprise!

Well said @ YorkiePanda

@tinofbeans

Yanbu, but I have never actually seen an adult want to use those bits of equipment at any of the playparks my kids frequent... (I don't let mine on unsupervised though and would definitely remove them if an adult was in your position).

Do you not think that adults are likely put off by the presence of your children? I.e. that they might be using it if it weren't already overrun?

It's funny, whenever anyone posts about adults going on swings in playgrounds there's usually a big pile on of ppl saying why shouldn't they, the world doesn't revolve around kids blah, blah blah..
I'm also getting hilarious images of a person trying to exercise while being besieged by dcs. It honestly wouldn't bother me but it does you do fair enough, I guess you have to just try and beat the tots to them or swat them away. Maybe their parents are bringing them out to avoid their neighbours complaining about the sounds of children in gardens ( another one I've seen numerous threads on mn) ..

*so fair enough

As a child I was taught to give way to adults out of respect - give up my seat on the bus, let them through doorways first. This is just another form of that surely. And I just know someone is going to say that's a form of children should be seen and not heard - it's not.

The op and some other just sound jealous that they aren’t allowed on the swings...

You've got me

But it seems the only people who are being particularly entitled are those expecting to use public spaces without regard for any others

Totally agree with this though I wonder if we are referring to different people?

@Goldenbear

This is where I find Mumsnet unrealistic and not a reflection of reality. Where I live we have quite a few parks, it is a common occurrence to go to them after school pick up, particularly as the weather has been good, the children can play with their friends in a bubble and they have been unable to do that for a long time. My youngest is 9, in reality the parents are not trailing behind their children, telling them, 'no' as you are hurting and adult's feelings. They are confident children that would ask politely, that would try their luck and would leave said adult alone, especially if they hissed, 'no' at them. Parents have always left their children to play in the past, I know that climbing trees, cycling to woodland areas I was told not to etc, was a curiosity I had to satisfy. Surely it's the same! In fact an exercise bike at 8, 9 is not as dangerous as the tree climbing I see and took part in as a child!!

No, it's not the same because you are supposed to tell children that specific area isn't for them. Tree climbing is a free for all.

Again my kids are told what is and isn't for them so wouldn't be so rude as to ask an adult to get off the equipment they're using for exercise. And if they did I'd 100% support hen getting told no and 'hissed' at. Then again I don't think my precious little darlings should be the centre of everyone else's universe just because they're the centre of mine. Try it sometime

@RoseAndRose

Employing woodland, even with dangers, sounds way preferable to me than occupying exercise space specifically set up for other groups

Agreed

Just double checking we mean this sort of serious outdoor gym?

@Goldenbear

And before anyone says it, yes, I know the Mum of the perceived 6 year old asked on her behalf but so what. It is hardly an 'altercation'. The Mum was hardly being passive aggressive, she was just explaining in young child language that the OP didn't want to get off. What is she supposed to say instead, 'oh, the woman is not going to get off'. Maybe the mum was feeling overwhelmed, stressed that day and just thought there is no harm in asking, even if it says 13 as an exercise bike is not that hard to use. Maybe, she was going to show her how to use it, which some on here have said is 'acceptable'.

I disagree about "no harm done". Thankfully I'm confident and able to say no to a child and their entitled mother. Someone else, who may have mustered the courage to even go to the outdoor gym in the first place would find that intimidating and feel obliged to get off when they didn't want to. There are so many barriers to vulnerable people exercising already, why should more be created so that children can go on something they don't belong on when a perfect alternative of fun is next to them? But hey, they're only adults, it precious darling children so they're feelings don't matter right? A little bit of consideration from people like that mother - and a bit of boundary setting with their child - would be far more beneficial than little diddums getting her way for no good reason other than "let's not stifle her"

@Goldenbear

So it's disingenuous to say it is about safety.

I think the rigid thought process about park space being 'off limits' to some, when it is seemingly a free flowing area so not fenced in, not a private concern is never going to happen, why get so cross about it, you are just ruining your own well being by getting worked up about it.

I'll ask again - why do you think the age limit was put at 13+? Do you think they randomly plucked it out the air?

@tinofbeans

Yanbu, but I have never actually seen an adult want to use those bits of equipment at any of the playparks my kids frequent... (I don't let mine on unsupervised though and would definitely remove them if an adult was in your position).

They're constantly in use at my park

Head to Bognor, they've put equipment like this along the prom (complete hazard to those blind/short of sight, they're spaced 20m apart ) and it's all well rusted from the sea air. Almost nobody uses the equipment, the odd kid swings from a bar but that's about it. Utter waste of money.

I imagined something like this

That's not the same at all though as a toddler cannot use a skate park in any sense. It is dangerous for the toddler

EXACTLY MY POINT in relation to the outdoor gym.

Children can't use an outdoor gym in any sense, it's dangerous for them.

There are no age limited on skate parks AFAIK. There are on outdoor gyms. Which makes the gym argument even stronger.

What is it you don't get?!

I try and bring my children up to be independent and inquisitive. However as they are still small they do not have the capacity to assess danger, nor do they have the capacity to understand other people's motivations.

Part of being a parent is to teach them these things, not just let them do whatever they want. They aren't capable of thinking things through so I have to tell them no and why. I don't see why this is so difficult for some parents to get, they need to be shown how to coexist with others in peace and they learn that by seeing boundaries, not by seeing their parents force others to give them what they want.