Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

Playground etiquette

41 replies

bubble99 · 21/09/2005 23:36

I took the boys to a playground after school today. It's not big and, as most people in our area have tiny gardens, always busy.

There were two mothers there with their babies. Both seemed totally neurotic. (judgemental? moi?) I suspect they had flash cards and baby ipods (sp) playing Mozart or whatever.

They were putting their babies onto the slide and guiding them down making cooey noises. All well and good, except they were totally oblivious to the queue of five year olds desperately waiting at the top for a go.

There were steps ups and two slides coming down IYSWIM. The babies went down about three times until DS2 decided he'd had enough of waiting. When mummy 2 had scooped her embryo up to place at the top of the slide again, he saw his chance and ran up it to get to the top.

She turned to him and told him off, telling him that he should be more careful because there were babies on the slide. At this point I went over to see what was going on, but they turned and left.

Bloomin' first-time parents eh?!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Heathcliffscathy · 21/09/2005 23:38

sorry, but i'm a first time parent and everyone knows that you can't do the going up the slide the wrong way if there is anyone in the queue....they're just gits imo

hunkermunker · 21/09/2005 23:38

Bubble...bloomin' neurotic, oblivious nutters - not first-time parents.

Although try me again on that one in a few months' time

Mind you, I've always been...er, laid-back, shall we say re DS.

hunkermunker · 21/09/2005 23:39

DS was playing on a slide a little while ago, some little girls wanted to play on it, we went on the swings. Simple. He had been climbing up it the wrong way though

But with bare never touched the ground feet!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting
bobbybob · 21/09/2005 23:39

And this is why I take ds to park while school is on...

ScummyMummy · 21/09/2005 23:40

Nightmare! TOTAL bugbear of mine this.

suzywong · 21/09/2005 23:40

oh no, so you missed your chance for a showdown? I used to love showdowns, highlight of my week.

You are right, the etiquette is to coo, that bit's ok, but on the third or maybe the second assisted slide, you must say " oh looke it's getting busy here so we must let the other boys and girls have a turn on the slide"

sorry that's all I can think of to say at this early hour

MarsLady · 21/09/2005 23:41

Yesterday I had to restrain myself from slapping a dad who was pushing his little Jocasta's teddybear on the swing!

ScummyMummy · 21/09/2005 23:42

Mars! NO! That's SO simultaneously pathetic and selfish.

suzywong · 21/09/2005 23:42

which playground Mars, name and shame!
Dh would never got to Waterow park with the boys on a sunday for htat very reason, he didn't want to be forced to yell "PONCE!"

hunkermunker · 21/09/2005 23:42

I mean, calling a child Jocasta...honestly!

(Joke...joke...joke...!)

Original poster
bubble99 · 21/09/2005 23:43

If it had been baby or toddler play equipment they would have been justified in getting sniffy. A horde of five year olds have no place on a baby slide. But this was a standard slide in a playground with the usual see-saw and hack-your-legs-off EU banned round-a-bout. And they decided to go there at 3.30pm after school chucking-out time, FFS.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 21/09/2005 23:43

Oh, SW! Just as I took a mouthful of water - forced to yell ponce indeed!

MarsLady · 21/09/2005 23:44

Cherry Tree Woods, East Finchley. He was completely oblivious to the fact that I was waiting with my friend to put our babies on the swing. Still Teddy had a good time!

suzywong · 21/09/2005 23:44

well then I see your rabies is cured if you can drink water

hunkermunker · 21/09/2005 23:45

Yep. Shrugged it off. I'm tough, me.

colditz · 21/09/2005 23:47

"Perhaps Teddy would mind less about having to get off the swing, than my child minds about being made to wait for the swing because someone has put a piece of stuffed cloth on the seat?"

MarsLady · 21/09/2005 23:49

ouch colditz. My sides hurt. So glad I wasn't drinking when I read that. PMSL

Think I need a new acronym... SMSL, split my side laughing..... OUCH!

ScummyMummy · 21/09/2005 23:49

lol colditz

Original poster
bubble99 · 21/09/2005 23:51

Our own children will always be the most fantastic children, of course. But so many parents seem to transplant their selfish attitudes into something as simple as going to the park.

Mars. Grrrrrr on your behalf. A good example. Jocasta seeing her teddy on a swing is more important than another child having a go.

These are the usual w***s who blab on about how badly behaved other people's children are, whilst bring their own up to be selfish little so and so's.

OP posts:
colditz · 21/09/2005 23:52

All spat out between prim, not-in-front-of-the-babies lips.

Or SHOUT

"oh LOOK, that big man is pushing a TEDDY in that swing, doesn't that make him look like a LADY!!!"

to the dear babies. With pointing.

Original poster
bubble99 · 21/09/2005 23:55

Or children seeing hunker and shouting " Ooh! Look mummy. That lady's got a foamy mouth."

OP posts:
MarsLady · 21/09/2005 23:55

SMSL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even DH is laughing now!

Original poster
bubble99 · 21/09/2005 23:56

"And why is she chasing her tail?"

OP posts:
colditz · 22/09/2005 00:00

approach him with a blanket, and say

"Your daughter has to get off the swings, it's Blanky's turn now...."

MarsLady · 22/09/2005 00:22

will remember to pack "blanky" so that when we go next time I can put your cunning plan into action colditz. smsl

Swipe left for the next trending thread