Playground mishap

[Winterflower84]

Here to release my anger...
Busy playground, DD, 3, approaches the roundabout where children from one family are seated and their father is about to push. They welcome DD, and before I know it, the father starts to push with such force that terrified, I lose my ability to scream STOP and only catch DD's face who starts crying and screaming mummy. The father stops, I hug DD, take her away, kiss her, try to calm her down. The father approaches to say sorry. All I say is 'it's OK, she's just scared.' So much regret now that I didn't say 'Where is your judgement, where is your common sense , you idiot? If your children are used to your crazy actions on a roundabout, a random little girl may not!' I wish he read it at least here. Sorry, that episode does not let me sleep. Needed to write this down.

Ah, just reread. Be glad you acted appropriately.

🤦‍♀️

You massively overreacted- she'll be fine. You asked him to stop and he did and said sorry. What else did you expect?

Oh dear, how are you feeling now op? It does sound like you got into a bit of a tizzy there. Easily done when our kids are little. I echo what the other posters said. The man has done nothing wrong. He sounds friendly and nice, just with kids who like to be pushed a bit faster than yours. Your dd may have been more upset by your panic than by the round about. That said, I can understand this intense anxiety that we get about our children, especially when we feel out of control. It's a killer isn't it? Deep breath, read pp answers as they will give you some perspective here. And take her back on the roundabout ASAP so she doesn't get scared of it.

I said in my post that I was so shocked that I didn't even utter a word; yet some of you suggest my DD was terrified because of my screaming. This person stopped the roundabout after DD started crying loudly and calling mummy.
Some of you suggest I am being ridiculous as he probably pushed the roundabout "a bit hard". Over the last three years we have been going to playgrounds almost every weekend. I have never ever seen a parent push a roundabout that hard. One may usually see secondary school children do so and start screaming half way through. To me it was utterly crazy.
No, I don't need a help and I don't suffer from anxiety. I am considerate towards others' children and I expect the same towards mine. Fine, if you don't.

This sounds like something my husband would do....he doesn't know his own strength, and DS has been flung, knocked and spun around too fast a few too many times now that he is 4...DH has also done the same to our nephew/niece and children's friends with various results 😒

Man's a menace! But like this guy he would have stopped immediately when he realised it was "too fast" and apologised.

I don't know this man, but I'd like to think he meant no malice, just being a over active Dad.

But would it have been considerate to his children who clearly love the speed to sit on a sedately moving roundabout until your child (who got on after they did) got off?
Were the children older? I never felt it was fair to let my small kids join older children on a roundabout without loudly saying to them "wait your turn, the older children will go too fast for you". Often this prompted older children to be v sweet and let my children on whilst pushing ridiculously slowly and would have reminded people not to go crazy with a little one on

There is only so fast you can push a roundabout, trust me I have been to many many parks over the years and most children do like to go fast on them because it is exciting the same as going really high on a swing!

If your daughter is scared of the speed perhaps it would be best to steer her away from roundabout until there is nobody else and you can push and control the speed even if others then get on.

It happens and it's horrible but you can't always prevent your child from things they find scary, it's your job to help to deal with it and they will be braver and more confident for it. That man made an error in judgement and he probably feels awful about it.

You’re being very precious, stop feeding your child’s fears. “It’s ok darling, you’re fine let’s play over here.” That’s all that’s needed, he said sorry move on!

Presumably his kids were used to that speed and happy so he may not have realised how it might affect your dd. He stopped it and apologised, what more could/should he have done? She had a bit of a shock , was not hurt and will be well over it as long as you do not impart your fright to her. Not worth loss of sleep over.

I am considerate towards others' children and I expect the same towards mine

He was considerate. As soon as he realised your daughter (who got on after his children) didn’t like to go as fast as they did, he stopped and he apologised.
I have been to many many playgrounds in my time and have never seen one go so fast that it would be shocking.

It happens. Next time just get your daughter to wait. And really, the old ‘worse things happen at sea’ approach is useful for building resilience, if parents can’t swiftly move on, dc can become over-cautious and anxious.

Don't worry, OP. These things happen, the man misjudged the situation and apologised, try to put it behind you and move on.