Do you let your DC climb up slides in the park?

[rosie79]

My ds who's 3 has always been really into climbing (like most kids this age!) and for as long as he has been able to has climbed up slides in parks as well as sliding down them. He always waits his turn if it's busy and doesn't climb up if someone is about to slide down. I have always let him do this as I know that he knows his own limits and has yet to have any accidents, he is careful. Our parks are rarely very busy either. However, I have often heard other mums say to their kids as they try to climb up the slide "no dear, go up the normal way" or the "proper way" or similar words to this effect, or worse "you'll get the slide dirty" !! So their shoes doen't make it dirty if they slide down?! .
It doesn't bother me what other parents let and don't let their kids do, that's their choice, but to imply that my child is doing something wrong or abnormal and give me funny looks or say stuff extra loud so I hear them, that's annoying!! surely in playgrounds children should be able to use the equipment however they choose to, exploring and being adventurous? Isn't this what childhood is all about? With a bit of adult supervision it isn't dangerous. Am I on my own in feeling like this?

I don't let mine climb up the slide asnd it makes me cross when other people let their children because a. if the slide gets muddy then everyone gets unnecessarily dirty b. and more importantly, climbing up in rubber soled shoes takes the polish provided by bottoms off the slide so that it doesn't actually work properly - slides need to be shiny and fast, not sticky from shoes and slow.

I don't let mine climb up the slide asnd it makes me cross when other people let their children because a. if the slide gets muddy then everyone gets unnecessarily dirty b. and more importantly, climbing up in rubber soled shoes takes the polish provided by bottoms off the slide so that it doesn't actually work properly - slides need to be shiny and fast, not sticky from shoes and slow.

No, cos your not meant to sit on tables and its not a playground. Wow, in reality, I don't give a stuff - doesn't bother me if you don't let yours and I let mine. I don't think its about social interaction - its about play. Mine know how to take turns as well I think.

Incidentally, the dses are perfectly able (at the ages of 5 and 2) to realise that they can climb it at home or when there's no-one else in the playground, but they can't if there's others using the slide - they don't get confused in anyway (and if they forget a quick reminder and they go the "proper" way).

See, they can be anarchists AND polite at the same time!

See, i think that must be where our opinions differ, I think it's about both.

And the fact that it knackers them out in the process is a bonus

Play is social interaction though, isn't it?

I'm not a particularly heavy-handed parent, I do sit on the bench instead of following them around choreographing their every move - but I don't think it does them any harm to learn that there are some very basic rules and ettiquette involved in playing around other people or in a public environment. I don't think I'd be doing them any favours by saying "Oh, bugger it, do as you please" either. They'll have to learn sooner or later that life doesn't work like that.

Our local playground is in the centre of london and huge (coram's fields) so loads of kids are playing without parental supervision and this is what I'm aspiring to!
There are loads who climb up the slides with or without their parents so there is just no point getting cross about it. It's much more important that they learn how to do it safely than sit sadly at the top because they are the only ones banned from doing it.
Anyway, I still want to know how anyone knows which is the 'correct' way to play on a slide!

Gawd, I don't let them do what they please - just don't think that climbing the slide when they can do it safely and it isn't bothering anyone else is evil incarnate...!

I'm not a lax parent, honest. I'm a fairly strict parent. But I do think kids learn at play far better when adults don't dictate the "correct" way every toy and piece of equipment "should" be used!

hurrah GA - I don't make them colour inside the lines either!

I know am hippy lazy arse - I know if you met me you would HATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE me. I am the worst liberal pinko ponko your worst nightmares ever met.

I know its about social interaction as well btw, but its also about play.

Groan, am losing will to live. Can't believe am discussing this. Anyway Fred dies tongith on Corrie doesn't he???

Funny thing is, I am a pretty lax parent - I am always getting into scraps on here with Victorian child-beating types . I just have a particular thing about this.

thanks for sharing that ng you have spoilt my evenings viewing. btw i used to go to a park with human poo on the slide. i'd love to see how everyone would react to that.

Well SEA you must have been living in a bloody cave for the last 3 weeks girl -

As long as whoever it was pooed on the way down and not on the way up, then I can't see the problem with that, southeastastra

southeast: now I would be bothered by that

Greeny: hehe... everyone needs something to get worked up about. I feel I need to learn to ease up on the boys a bit more sometimes, so I'm finding it quite ironic that I'm in the "lax" crowd tonight

Well maybe they should just be allowed to bash each other whenever they feel like it then. Seriously, don't tell me children playing with no adult interaction/control are always lovely little angels with a strong sense of fairness & decency. That is such a copout for people who cannot be bothered to get off the park bench and make sure their kid isn't being a bully.

LOL at this thread.

I knew that allowing your children to climb up slides would spark bitter controversy.

I would like you, niceglasses!

"Well maybe they should just be allowed to bash each other whenever they feel like it then."

Indeed. Mumsnet finds another bitter dividing line:

Children climbing slides; yay or nay?

Sorrell you say "If you have a polite and/or easily intimidated child they find the boys (usually boys IME) climbing up the slide quite intimidating so wait forever at the top for them to finish their fun, or if they aren't easily intimidated they slide down and bump into them"

Ok, parental guidance needed if a bottleneck is forming, but sliding down and bumping into child at the bottom can FUN - not always a bad thing to avoid at all costs - IME.

(Hate to think what some of you would make of my 7 year old son's favourite playground game - 'army boys versus baddy girls'

Lots of screaming, chasing, running around and waving of pretend weapons. The girls seem to enjoy it as much as the boys, or if they don't like the idea, just ignore the game - my son doens't try and force anyone to play it and the girls seem very capable of holding their own.

TM, snap, re you sons fave game. Mine does the same. Playing war with the kissy girls, is how he puts it

They learn so young

MB

I've got a nine year old who goes to the park on his own (!), with his wooden sword and he has battles with the girls. I don't hover around him ordering him how to play.

But I take ds2, preschool, during the day when the older children aren't there and it's just kids of his own age so he learns how to play with them. Parks are a great way for them to understand about taking turns. ANd it's a PITA when someone is letting their child have free rein of everything and not take turns etc.

THere's a huge diference between offering a bit of guidance about social niceties and dictating how they play.

I don't think it really matters unless other children using slide, then I think they should use it the way it was meant to be used. This was my approach until ds1 started school this year and gets written down in the "behaviour" book for "rough" play on the play equipment eg climbing up slide.