Today i saw a woman at the swing park with three children, one was naked from the waist down, dirty and drinking a bottle of coke (must have been no more than 2), the other two were older and i felt..............

[lucyellensmum]

envious. The woman looked relaxed and happy, her kiddies were playing really nicely, no whinging or crying, happily left when it was time to go. Her little boy probably aged about 6 took time to play with my DD, they were polite and lovely children.

I bloody well wish i had the confidence to not be such an uptight mum

I don't see a huge problem with anything you described but the nakedness from the waist down. Maybe she had been caught short by wet or soiled pants fair enough. But I don't see that a 2yo walking around the streets with no bottoms or socks or shoes on is v fair. Not for "peados" before everyone shouts me down, but it gets cold quickly, it could rain, they could step on something that cuts them...

I have to say, i did think that she might battle with the climbing frames, slide etc, but she was as happy as a pig in shit!

Great OP, LEM. Although I do agree that there is no right or wrong in parenting just different shades of grey.

@Haribo
I live in Hariboland. Do you know that the boss of Haribo is a great fan of hunting and rewards children who bring him chestnuts for the deer with pound for pound haribo. We collect chestnuts in Autumn, drive to Bonn and exchange them for Haribo goodies

Great post, LEM!

(Got to admit I only clicked because I wanted to see just how badly this was kicking off ... )

i loathe haribo. they taste shite imo. m&s sweeties much nicer.

re the haribo boss, thats enough reason in my book to insist on a blanket boycott!

When I read the title I thought 'OH it must have been us'!!!

Except mine are 3 and under. DS(3) is always dirty and if he's at all hot he won't think twice about taking his top off (at a recent M&T bouncy castle party he was the only one just wearing pants!) He also loves coke and would happily finish a half drunk bottle if he found it on the ground if I didn't see him!

However I am not very uptight about those sorts of things. Mine eat and sleep well so I'm not too bothered what snacks they have or how dirty they get or whether the wee outside. I do care about manners, rude words, whining, fighting, sharing etc.

exactly, soph, that's the important stuff imo.

LEM
I have just checked on the Haribo thing, I was wrong. Don't know where I got the hunter thing. They collect the nuts for the local deer park. Sorry to make you choke on your Gummibears

Haribo smell. And whoever eats them always makes irritating lip smacking noises. They will be BANNED I tell you BANNED in my house!

Oh I have been wearing my horizontal stripe top over my post baby bump. I dont care.