When is it safe to go on the BIG slide?

[gingerbear]

At the park? DD (almost 3) is banned as it is about 3 metres high and there are big gaps in the steps. I remember using the same slide when I was little, but it seems very scary to me now!

[cupcakes]

I followed my ds the first time he went up.
Dd however is probably going to go on earlier (she is 2.4) as she's bolder and has to follow ds everywhere.

[zipzip]

The only advise I could offer is - the time is right when you think it's right.
I was and still am terrified of letting son do things I consider dangerous.
Like you, I did all sorts of scary stuff when I was young but now EVERYTHING seems far too scary for me to let son do!
People used to make comments when I didn't let son go on big slides etc - but baisically I'M his mum and I say what goes.
Do what feels right to you

[LunarSea]

Bad mother alert..... ds has been going on big slides since not long after his first birthday. Admittedly one without big gaps, and we did follow him up at first, but not for long.

BUT by nature he is totally fearless, and judging from his climbing skills you'd be forgiven for thinking he was a cross between a monkey and spiderman! It wasn't that long after he started going up on his own that he developed a penchant (which he soon grew out of thank goodness) for wanting to hurtle down the slide head first. Now (at 3.9) we just have to restrain him from wanting to jump off the top of the climbing frame!

[gingerbear]

I did take her up a big slide once, but my bum got stuck and we had to shuffle down .

[tarantula]

DD is 17mnths and never thougth about saying no to her going on the big slide. She is a wee monkey tho and sussed the bunkbad ladder at 12mnths (now safely blocked off). Do hover near her tho as shes a minx and totally fearless.

[elliott]

same as lunarsea.
I usually let them try whatever they are interested in - follow them to see if I think they are safe/competent and to catch if they fall. I can only think of one 3m slide where ds1 has played but I'm sure he was on it around 14 months-ish. he is very sure footed and fearless though.

I'm probably at one end of a spectrum though as more than once I've discovered one or other of the ds's at the top of something rather tall before I've even noticed they'd gone