Park Runs: Children - Why?

[Knowillbeflamed]

There’s a park run every Sunday near me. They jog along the pavement by the seafront taking the whole damn thing up so no one else can even walk along it.

Honestly, I don’t get running. But, what I understand even less is dragging young children along?! Yes, the older one’s (10+) seem to enjoy it but there’s at least 5x more that seem wayyyy to young - toddlers, very young kids - who hate it. They’re dragged along by their parents, literally kicking and screaming and crying.

AIBU to think if your kid hates running that much or patently doesn’t want to be there, that you do NOT force it on them?! Just because you like running doesn’t mean you force it on them. Find them an activity they enjoy.

PS. Yes I am annoyed by the sheer ignorance of 100+ people taking up that much space and forcing others to dive out the way - but mostly it’s the shrill screams of toddlers being forced to run that drives me bonkers. Someone will pop up and say ‘they love it,’ but I’m sorry - kids screaming ‘it hurts’ ‘I don’t want to’ whilst their parents drag them along by their wrist just angers me. And it’s not one parent one week - it’s multiple different parents on various weeks.

My child who has been pushed over multiple times by adults, and generally blocked from getting around groups parents and children, thinks otherwise.

It is a junior park run not a family fun run.

@Instakilogram

like what? For some people it literally will be their only opportunity all week to exercise.

Ger a grip! My parents forced me on many family hikes as a child and I am eternally grateful to them. Still live close to them and see them regulary- we speak most days too!

I am a long way off Amy Chua!!

I've said so many times already on this thread. Her older sister also complained when she first started and now loves going and asks to go to the Saturday one too! I was also dragged on many 10+ mile hikes despite whining and complaining as a child and not only did it not put me off hiking it is now one of my favourite activities!

They are allowed by the organisers to run. There are many reasons for that and your preferences don’t get to decide what’s best for everyone else.

Parents are allowed to run with their children, but I agree some are thoughtless and don't hesitate to block other children. My preference is that as soon as a child can safely run without an adult, their parent should watch instead.

Completely agree @TheYearOfSmallThings

So you think it is fine for adults to push over lone running children, because of your preferences? Nice.

I actually think that the difference between marshals and parents is that parents are only focussed on their own kids or the few around them whereas marshals see all of them (twice in our case as it’s two laps of the park).

I said in my first post that our run director (who is really good) gave a clear message about it and the behaviour has pretty much stopped since then. Sometimes it’s helpful to hold a mirror up

At least with these sports its obvious that some level of training and preparation has gone into it before the event or competition. With Parkrun who knows if the kids are prepared either physically or mentally. Parents can just shove them into any old trainers and drag them running for miles because its a free activity.

Mine love it some weeks, hate it others. Usually only becomes clear by about 100m in what type of week it's going to be. Based on the ratio of love it vs hate I'm guessing about 1 in 10 kids were having a hate it week.

You’re basing your opinion on a snapshot of their lives, what you see in the ten seconds it takes them to run past you at that point.

DH and I both enjoy running. DS not so much but he enjoys spending time with us so will willingly join for a run but will he complain about it as he’s doing it? most of the time yes! But in the same way as adults, he enjoys the feeling afterwards and it builds self esteem and a sense of pride. He’s a back of the pack runner like myself and I like to think I’m showing him there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. He wouldn’t enjoy football at all! OP, you do you and try not to put so much thought into families you don’t know

Do your arms ache with that reach?

Im sure given your perfectly reasonable and measured responses that they actively used both arms to shove your child out the way! On purpose!

It’s 2k.

Which is a long way if you're 4 years old, haven't exercised beforehand and are wearing cheap trainers that are getting too small for you.

Sure, it’s also a long way if you are doing consecutive forward rolls, but it would be strange to make these judgements based on assumptions

Not really a reach given you completely ignored that parents running with children can be, and is, an issue.

Ridiculous comment. Kids run around a lot. It's only 2k, not 'miles'. Little light children don't need fancy trainers to do a bit of running. How do you think humans ran around before specialist running shoes?

Quite. I think the OP is just very upset by healthy people exercising their right to exercise in a free park. 😂

What?! 😂😂😂😂

I do worry sometimes that we’re raising a generation of softies who will be competing in a global market for jobs against much more resilient young adults. My kids would definitely whine and cry if I took them to park run.

Mental training and preparation to run a mile. Ye Gods. I can feel myself turning into Victor Meldrew here, muttering 'what is the world coming to' to myself.

It's the seafront - harbour side.

Hard to be upset by 'healthy people exercising' when the kids are crying because they say they're in pain. I have no issue with exercising - I have an issue with children being forced to run whilst they say they're in pain, because their parents enjoy running and want to force it on their kids which, IME at this particular park run, appears to be the main reason most go.

Have you missed the many posts saying that it's perfectly OK to walk parkrun? In my experience it's rare to see a 4yo running the whole distance. They very often start at a bit of a run, slow down almost to a stop, see a marshal smiling and high fiving, which makes them start running again, and so on, all the way round - stop start. Very sweet. Alternatively, they walk round the whole distance holding a parent's hand and chatting. Your idea that they're being shoved into some sort of Olympic training camp is very wide of the mark.

To be honest, I think forcing children esp v young ones to do a 1.2mile run when they clearly hate it, is just going to make them to hate all activity.

I agree.

My parents loved long walks. I might have not minded occasional ones but to be dragged out on dark gloomy weekends to walk until it was dark and come back tired, covered in mud (df always managed to find a "short cut" that wasn't but was very muddy), etc did nothing for me except to make sure I haven't been on a walk since I could have a choice.
Telling me how wonderfully healthy and good for me (and often fun) added insult to injury.