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.

I have a feeling I'm hitting a nerve with some posters here

Yes, I agree with that!

Yes you should have and it's reasonable to stay on. But you didn't want to stay on and only stayed on for longer to make a point to a small child - that's the bit that's weird.

We're all a bit weird now and again. Part of the fabric of life. Everyone will live to tell the tale I'm sure

I would expect more from a teacher. You seem to have a very bitter narrative towards the children you come across, they will pick up on this and this will perpetuate it for you.

Why should I always be fawning over random children just because I'm a teacher? I'm also a human. And I'm a good teacher one reason is because I can risk assess what's safe for children and a 13+ outdoor gym is not safe for a 6yo and I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I let it happen for fear of a child being upset.

You’re a legend OP. Hats off to you for being so patient with all the uptight commenters who think you’re cruel for not letting a child use equipment they aren’t allowed to use. Utter madness!

YABU

I feel a little sad for you

Yes @OhShitShit you should be flamed. Everyone has had to give up things in the last year. Why should everyone bend over backwards for kids as if they take priority for everything

Are you joking!? Because they’re kids, who don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with things in the same way as mature adults.

I’m with @ohshitshit kids should be given a bit of a pass at the moment. Do you honestly not see how a child and an adult are different?

@Binswangers awwww thanks hun

@Someonetookmyname so kids should just get whatever they want even if it's unsafe, isn't made for them and impinges on someone else's space and experience? How in the world is the healthy? You're right, kids can't cope as well as adults - but blindly giving them their way with everything does not build coping skills

I was at Woodcraft Folk years ago and there was a dreadfully behaved boy who was a member of the group. Some of the adults went for a chat about something and this child's mother was explaining something and said her son was "spirited". Having spent too long on here, I laughed in her face thinking she was being ironic as his behaviour was really extreme and every other adult and child in the group struggled with him. Nope She was being 100% serious - I'll never forget the look of utter puzzlement on her face as it dawned on me that she honestly thought he was just curious and inquisitive as opposed to completely without boundaries and entitled to fuck!

I'd heard of such things but that was the first time I'd seen it in the wild... Utterly deluded! And she absolutely would've expected you to jump off that bike, OP...

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop I like you. I love all your replies to people. And I agree with you. If there’s no one else on it I would let my kids have a quick go I confess but it someone else came along as in an adult who wanted to use it properly I would remove them.

I had a similar issue in a large soft play centre, it had a small dedicated area for toddlers up to a certain height and an absolutely massive place with lots of fun stuff for older kids. Talking football pitch size. Massive kids tearing around the small bit knocking little ones over when they had the rest of the centre to play in, I used to turf them out!!!

“and I refuse to share gyms with sweaty selfish equipment-hogging men who never clean their arse sweat off the seats and mansplain kettle bells to me”

As a man, I’d like to point out that other gym users not cleaning equipment/hogging stuff affects me just as much as anyone else! That’s just idiots rather than men specifically I think.

Also to the people who are saying it’s bad when ‘muscly men’ use these outdoor gyms (not kids play parks, I agree that’s annoying) - it’s not their fault you feel intimidated by them. Plus most properly muscly men are absolute geeks who are obsessed with things like what and when they eat, there’s nothing to be intimidated about.

You are an adult, they are kids. Chase them out! Children now are over parented, over managed and over indulged. Thats why so many of them grow into entitled little princes and princesses waiting for you to kiss their hand.

Oh I hate it when big kids go in the toddler pit at soft play (and vice versa when toddlers are allowed in the 8+ bit and everyone's surprised that a bigger child running round like they're supposed to knocks into the toddler 🙄).

Because I'm a grinchy, stifling witch-woman whose main goal in life is to suppress the curiosity and creativity of other people's children, I always tell the big ones to get out the toddler area, it's not for them. Not sorry. I especially hate it when they leap in the ball pool where the babies are and start inquisitively chucking balls about.

@SanFranBearthata hilarious that you laughed in her face I remember when DD was 3 (and she's tiny she looked more like 18 months) and this little bruiser of a boy who was maybe 5/6 actually clotheslined her in the toddler area and she went flying, he knocked her so hard her lip burst. His mum came along and said "Oh dear, he doesn't mean it, he's just naturally boisterous". I was and said could he be naturally boisterous where there aren't children half his size. Never even made to say sorry to DD.

@memberofthewedding

You are an adult, they are kids. Chase them out! Children now are over parented, over managed and over indulged. Thats why so many of them grow into entitled little princes and princesses waiting for you to kiss their hand.

I have a mental image of me going "RAAAAAAH" with my hands in the air as they all scuttle out the outdoor gym

@Rob87 it is only ever men who refuse the clean gym equipment IME. The women only gym I went to was great and everyone was very considerate of each other. But I agree it's fine for muscly men to use outdoor gyms, would far prefer they did than children. If this intimates children, so what, they shouldn't be in there anyway.

I saw it the other way around in our park. Two blokes in lycra using the kids' playground to do pull-ups and general weird showing off. My kid had to wait while one of them did stretches and lunges on the steps. They looked like proper pricks. They really wanted the mums to look at them.
My kid also waited 20 minutes for some teens to get off the box swings. They never did. We hovered and I gave loud hints, but they didn't budge.
Or parents who let their kids walk up sides and block them. Dicks.
I just think most people are bellends these days.

I used to tell big kids off at soft play (the good old days), but I'm a bit wary of groups of teens. I should woman up a bit.

Youd soon be moaned at by these mums if you were playing on their park, staring at kids going down the slide or on a swing saying are you going to be long id like a go now!
Ignore them and go back!

If the council built it, then I would report this to them. You can bet your butt that if a child is injured, they will be legally liable, even with the signs posted.

Outdoor gym equipment is not playing equipment.

@ceilingsand

Oh diddums....