Birthday parties in the park

[Happymiraclemorning]

I met up with my friend the weekend and we took our kids to a small local park.
There was a kids birthday party there. I couldn’t help feeling a bit pissed off.

It’s a small park- 2 picnic tables that they had covered both with their party table cloths.
They’d put the swings over the bars so
They couldn’t be used so they could hang a couple of piñatas.

It was only us and this party that has about 8 kids and I felt like we had interrupted a private event!

I pulled one of the swings down as my daughter wanted to use it and the dad came running over and said the swings were out of use because they were using the bars for their piñata

They had tied balloons to the gates and the slide- my friends daughter started playing with a loose balloon and the grandma of this party came over saying ‘no that’s not for you that’s for the party’

We we were hoping to use the table for our picnic but obviously that was out of the question as it was not a party table- we left as we felt so uncomfortable.

AIBU to have felt pissed off?
It’s a public play park that they decided to take over!

Is having birthday parties in a public play park the thing nowadays?

You can't decide that the swings are out of use because it suits you in a public park. If they wanted a private space without other people using it then they should have bloody well paid for one, what complete CF's.

YANBU

* I would have asked him to produce a receipt for the hire of playground equipment from the local council. He's just another example of entitled folk who think everything revolves around him and his family's needs.*

^Thid

Not unreasonable to host a party at the park or to use the benches for this purpose.

Yes unreasonable to have the swings out of action or actively stop you using the play equipment.

@BoredZelda I would imagine the OP used the chain to pull the swing down but impossible to put back up if you aren't tall enough.
And regarding the balloons, i don't think the OP mentioned how old the kids were but i have a 3 year old and fair game if she was touching another childs balloon in their possession or with their personal property (tied to a pushchair etc) she would know not to touch or be reminded not to as soon as i noticed it. To expect a child to know not to touch a balloon attached to a slide or the main gate to the park is madness. I would certainly direct my child away from it but they couldn't be blamed for touching it in the first place.

Both tables is inconsiderate
Swings not on
Lose balloons unreasonable to expect non party kids will play with them
Party in the park normal

@Knittedfairies

I wonder what would have happened if you had arrived at a picnic table before they did; would they have asked you to move d'you think?

I don’t think they would have asked. They would have demanded and huffed and puffed like the cheeky fuckers they are.

As most people have said, fine to have a party in the park, not fine to be a dick. One persons right to have a party does not trump anyone else’s right to use the space as intended.

Generally speaking park parties are fine by me, but taking over in this way so that the park can't be enjoyed by other children is selfish- yanbu

So bloody rude and I'd have been pissed off. The balloons maybe they were being ok but to cordon off the swings so others can't play on them is rude.

Having a party in the park on the grass is fine but otherwise if you want to make use of everything there you have to ensure it's free. If not you have to be aware others may want to use it - including picnic tables.

They're being tight by not hiring a venue.

@coloradoqueen

YANBU, and I'd have told him where to stick his piñata.

@Happymiraclemorning

I told him we were using the swing - he told me to put the swing back up once I’d finished and to not damage the piñata. Him and the grandma were tutting at us. Once my daughter had finished - I didn’t put the swing back as I physically couldn’t.

He came running over and put the swing back up- looking pissed off.

Yeah I agree with that you mean about the tables - it could have easily been 2 different families.

I didn’t realise parties in a public park was a thing- I need to get with the times haha!

Parties in the park have always been a thing. My children are 27 and 29. We went to several in the nineties

Picnic and party food is fine. Hijacking the entire playground and using the swings for a piñata is total cheeky fuckery. They need to pay for a proper party if they want exclusive use.

I can see why a party in the park is a good idea - (grass bit) if you can’t afford a party in a party venue
I do think it’s cheeky to take over the actual play park with the play equipment.

Someone mentioned about the swing- I pulled it down with the chain - I’m not tall enough to hook it back over

The balloons were tied to the gate and the play equipment.

Our kids played with one that had come loose. No helium- just on the floor

It just felt like we had gate crashed a private event

It's fine to have a picnic party but what they did was extremely rude and I suspect they knew that and didn't care.

In my local district, the parks team will allow use of the parks for this purpose but they do not allow private hire off the playgrounds and you are only permitted events/parties if you don't prevent other park users from accessing it.

My children's birthday parties were often held in the park. It's great for lots of different reasons, and all the more so during Covid.
It's totally fine to use a picnic table - if you had used it, others wouldn't have been able to, would they? But of course the swings etc have to remain usable by all.

As others have said the tables could have been in use anyway BUT they were being cheeky and annoying and they were having their party in a public place so not on to tell you / your DD that you can't use the swing or touch the balloons etc.

And what would they have done if you were on the swing when you got there?

We have a park adjoined to our garden and I feel like it would be very cheeky to go have a party in it even if not using the play park area

I don't see a problem with with parties in the park, especially when the weather is good buy taking over the swings and moaning because a child touched the balloons is really off!

but not buy

Like others have said there’s a middle ground. Party in park is fine - they’re playing and eating, they just got there first.

Reserving other equipment is not ok.

I could pull a swing down by grabbing the hanging down chain or getting my fingertips onto the swing seat to push/pull it down, but I wouldnt be able to get it back over the bar because I wouldnt be able to reach.

As a short person, I couldn't do either of those so can't imagine how you could do one and not the other. Of course, as a short person, I would throw the swing over the bar. You know, like those other short people - children - do when they are being mischievous. Who knew that being short made me come up with clever solutions that taller people don't know how to do.

You really dont need to be very clever to work that out, so I think you're just being rude because it's an anonymous forum so you can get away with being rude and belittling someone. But you've just made yourself look stupid.

Excellent, you've come up with what you obviously think is a brilliant conclusion. So, what would your excuse be for being so rude?