Please tell me it is ok to let my baby crawl around the playground

[qwertina]

My DD is a very active 10 month old, crawling and cruising. We live in a very small flat and she gets bored easily. I have been letting her crawl around the playground, she loves just pottering about, playing with twigs and stones.

I am always right next to her to make sure she does not pick up any wrappers, sweets etc or puts anything in her mouth. I always clean her hands as soon as she goes back in the buggy. We only go in the morning so it is not busy.

On several occasions I have been told by other mums/carers that it is dangerous to let her pick up twigs/pull herself up against the bench/play with stones. I have also been told she will catch something if I let her crawl on the ground.

Letting her play outside has helped with her sleeping, she is very happy exploring the environment and gets really excited about the playground before I even take her out of the buggy, but I am starting to doubt whether I am doing the right thing after these comments. We don't have any indoor play places anywhere near us. I do take her to the library sometimes, though at the moment I am trying to make the most of the weather and save going to the library for when it is cold or raining.

Would you/do you let your baby crawl outside or do you think those people have a point?

Ooh great idea about the rainsuit 5mad I shall be looking into getting one of those. I imagine I will get even more comments letting her crawl when it's wet :)

Very reassuring comments, I will keep taking her out then and just smile and nod at the disapproving people.

DS2 has finally started walking at 18 months old, which isn't late but seemed like such a long time in comparison to DS1 who was walking at 12 months.

DS2 crawled in playgrounds, fields whilst camping, the beach, the garden, soft play, local baby groups etc because I sure wasn't going to carry him or keep him strapped in a pushchair just because he wasn't upright, it just wasn't practical.

He has been soaking wet, muddy and just generally grubby but I find keeping a change of clothes handy, as well as some wetwipes will clear up anything. And I keep an eye out for him at all times - he is quite sneaky and a 'mouthy' child so still has a tendancy to put things in/near his mouth.

I wouldn't worry too much, 8qwertina*. As long as you keep an eye out not much harm can come to them!

Let the kid enjoy herself... when it gets muddy she'll love it! My friend bought her little one a waterproof all in one so she could keep crawling all winter.

it depends on the playground, in some I did and some I wouldn't, if its the kind of playground that people use in the evenings and might have fag butts and worse in it then NO! if its a nice one or just one with nature dirt not grotty human dirt then yes!

Sounds like you're doing just fine. If you were sat on a bench with your mates leaving her to crawl off, then id be worried, but you are doing what all parents should do, letting their LO explore (supervised) and get some fresh air whilst having fun. I did the same and used to 'walk' my DD through the long grass too (often with all-in-one far-too-big rain suit on because the grass was soaking or it was raining) when she was about the same age, which was lots of fun (shes 12m now). I know more other mums now and go to groups/houses a lot more -you've reminded me to get outside with DD again!

I did it for the same reason! I really don't see the problem..

Yep I let my DD crawl around the playground, we go after school with DS and she would not be happy strapped in the pram watching all the fun. She is 10 months too. Other free places for a good crawl are the library children's corner (she also likes biographies) for standing up and pulling books of shelves, and some museums have good children's areas.

Oh let them crawl around. I grew up crawling around a farmyard. My DD used to crawl around our workshop. What's a bit of muck? I find it so depressing seeing kiddies being told off by parents at the playground when they sit on.a wet swing or get mud on their tights.

People can be a bit stupid.
Ignore them.
Its fine.

DD is older and walks around now instead of crawling, but her main fascination with the playground still is seeing what she can find on the floor! In fact, whenever I've been to playgrounds with other babies her age (16mo) they all get bored of the equipment after about 10 mins and start to see what else they can find.

You should ask the other mums who complain if they have any other ideas and at what age the playground becomes safe.

Dirt is good! I've let both of mine crawl around the playground. They were both early crawlers and walkers so there was no way they were going to just sit in their pram. But, (touch wood) DS1 is nearly three and has hardly been sick at all. I'm sure this is in part because he was allowed to get himself mucky.

I agree about being a bit choosy though. There is a playground at our local shopping centre which is to grim even for me!

It's fine IMO just please don't put her in the path of the swings! Sorry - I had a thread back along

With autumn coming, you could get a padded waterproof suit and can forget about knees and arms and just need to watch hands and mouth.

I think its good that kids dont fuss about dirty clothes but learn to wash hands before eating

With autumn coming, you could get a padded waterproof suit and can forget about knees and arms and just need to watch hands and mouth.

I think its good that kids dont fuss about dirty clothes but learn to wash hands before eating

Yes, I'd do the same - didn't with my PFB but I definitely would with my second. OTOH I had some odd looks for letting him crawl around hospital waiting rooms / corridors - but waiting hours for an appointment with a pre-walking baby is impossible if you don't let them move around a bit.

DS is 2.8 years old and still chews bridges (I have to remove lichen from his tongue - yuk!), building site fences and anything else his mouth comes across when we're out. Today he was chewing his hands (which he does a lot) immediately after putting them down at the edge of a lake where there was duck/goose/swan poo.

We have a great massive wipe clean playmat which wasn't expensive - and we use this when we go out with our LO-lots of room to move and cleaner than the floor!

We live in a flat which we bought specifically cos it's near a nice playground/park.

Since we moved DS has been there most days, first crawling now walking (but still trying to put things in his mouth like you said!)

I think it's fine. He loves it and uses up loads of energy.

I was going to suggest all-in-one rainsuit like a PP said. We've just bought one although DS is toddling now, but if he'd been crawling in the autumn/Spring time then I would have bought one then too.

I personally wouldn't in case there was broken glass or cigarettes etc on the floor, but I wouldn't judge anyone that allowed their child to at all.

This has reminded me to brush off ds's rain suit so dd can crawl outside. She loves it! Our playground is pretty ok as no dogs allowed.

Everyone should unclench a little. Soft play centres and play groups are the work of the devil.

Thank you everyone, waterproof all in one ordered :)

Of course it's fine! I have three FC, two of whom crawled their way around playgrounds and dd2 who bottom shuffles. I put her in clean clothes in the morning and in waterproof suit when it's wet. She is happy as larry as long as she's allowed to go down and mooch around. Cotton wool suits are far more dangerous than any of the things people like to imagine babies will catch in the great outdoors. I watch her like a hawk though-she's fourteen months and everything (except most food obviously!) goes into her mouth.

I have no FC - but three dc