Annoying playground dad

[Twopizzasfriday]

Just got back from the playground with Dd, almost 4, it’s an enclosed large playground, most parents sat on benches watching their children closely but giving them space to play (aside from teeny toddlers etc)
This dad following his daughter around constantly (admittedly I do this at times from one area to the other, but stand back and let her play with others)
His Dd was maybe 6/7 and he wouldn’t let her play. My Dd and her were running around, chasing one another and he was chasing them & hiding from them, sweet girl a bit but not the whole time. I then heard him call back his Dd and she said she wanted to go and play with Dd and he said ‘I thought you wanted to play with me?’ 🙈
All I could think…just let them play together, back off!

Aibu?

*Sweet for a bit

Maybe he doesn’t get to spend a lot of time with her and wanted to make the most of it

Not saying he should helicopter parent her

We don't know the full story.

There could be any number of reasons he hovered over her such as disability, illness, doesn't see much of her, just wanted to play with his kid etc.

Tbf, none of it is your business. Fair enough you found him annoying but so what?

Voted yabu cos yeh it’s a bit weird but each to their own?

As @Notagain76 said, you have no idea of the background, perhaps this was his 'admittedly I do this at times' time
Lovely that he is trying to be involved and not stuck to his phone

So a man wants to spend time with his DD and play with her and gets criticized. You couldnt make it up. If it was a woman you wouldnt have said a thing nor raised it on MN. Men can do no right in the eyes of some.

I thought his behaviour was very stifling, almost trying to stop her playing with other kids and literally right behind her wherever she went. It wasn’t just a case of a dad playing with his daughter, his Dd looked sad as she actually wanted to play with the other kids.
I understand if he doesn’t see her much, but perhaps the playground isn’t the best place to take her then if she wants to play with other kids and he doesn’t want her to.

A friend of mine did this all the time. It is really annoying.
The children were happily playing and she constantly got involved in their game of hide and seek/chase.
I gave up meeting up with her.

It has nothing to do with adults being on their phones otherwise. As a child, it is nice to play with other children. It’s good for them to organise their own games, make the rules and play without adult intervention if possible.This helps make children more independent and confident.

My friend now has a child who wants to stay at home with her all the time. It created a problem even with going to school.

@Youcansaythatagainandagain That’s exactly it. I wasn’t on my phone and others weren’t, I’m too paranoid to not be watching her every second…but I also try to step back and be present but give her some independence etc

Could be just enjoying being with his DD ... or could be doing it for the attention. 'Hey, look at that fabulous man, making such an effort with his child.' Yes, I know I'm being cynical, but the only time MIL's (2nd) DH ever bothered with my DC was when he had an audience. Then he was all over them, acting like the best grandpa ever. Without knowing the guy you are talking about, couldn't know for sure.

He's been watching Bluey

Live and let live.
You have had a tiny view into a snippet of their lives, why would you be judging them. There could be any number of reasons he was doing it. So I think you are being unreasonable.

how depressing - you can’t even take your child to the park without someone critiquing your parenting style!

leave the poor man alone. There are much worse things parent can and do do to their children. Dave your horror for that.

you are being very judgemental, just leave people to parent their own way.

Just observing that it was a little sad for his Dd who seemed a bit embarrassed and clearly wanted to just run around with the other kids and not be constantly called

YANBU

“but I thought you wanted to play with me?” Ffs grow up man

Yabu I’ve seen parents criticised for not playing with their kids enough and just sitting on their phone now he’s being criticised for playing with his dd. Why do you care? Fair enough you found it weird but starting a thread about it?! 🙄

You really don't know the reasons, and you have no right to feel sad for a child being well looked after by their parent really.

@AllHailKingLouis I know! Think that was the bit that pushed it over the edge

I prefer to see this than the many parents who sit on their phones not interacting with their children, most of the time there are fights between smaller children in my local play park over the equipment and kids walking around crying whilst their parents have their heads in their phones, not to mention the kids who ask me to push them on the swing, or up the steps on the slide.

I think the fact that his daughter verbalised a desire to play with another child (who was also willing to play) and he said "but I thought you wanted to play with me" puts this in the yanbu camp. It's a bit weird to forcefully interfere with your child's play in that way. He should have handled it differently.

This. That comment from dad was a bit emotionally manipulative.

However I guess there could be all sorts of back story that we are not aware of that would put his behaviour into context.

Yanbu, he was performance dadding and being a pain in the arse to boot.