Would you think I'm unfriendly...

[pipnchops]

Or a helicopter parent... Just met up with a few mums at the park, most of whom i hadn't met before. They all seemed really nice and my 4yo DD is starting school with their children soon. 4yo ran off and was happy to play but not really interested in playing with the other children, even though she knows some of them from preschool. I also took my 2yo. The mums were all sat on picnic blankets. I said hi and exchanged pleasantries with one of the mums i know a bit better and she invited me to sit with them and it's not that i didn't want to but my 2yo is very clingy and although doesn't need much help she won't just run off and play by herself, she wants me by her side and I do have to help her a bit on some of the bigger things. So i said I'd love to sit down and i would if i got the chance. But i didn't. Then after about 20 mins my DC got bored and wanted to go home so I went over and said bye and left. They were all having a lovely chat and I left thinking they'll probably think I'm really unfriendly. Some of them had smaller children than my 2yo who were just running around, falling off things and the mums were just so chilled about it. As much as i want to sit and get to know the mums, i can't switch off from my DC like that. Do i need to chill out a bit or is this OK and will they understand why i couldn't sit and chat?

I doubt they've given it a 2nd thought.
They were welcome enough to invite you to join them when you were there. You couldn't. The moment passed. End of.

Agree with this ^

I think you’re overthinking it too. In terms of helicopter parenting it’s hard to say - some two year olds need more help than others on play equipment. If she is quite clingy though it might have been good to sit down and see if after a while she might have found the confidence to play on her own after watching the other children. Nothing wrong with wanting to interact with your DC in the park though rather than sit and natter with people you don’t really know. I don’t think there was a wrong option here.

Was this a get together specifically arranged to get to know one another before the children start school together?

If so I'd have sat with then with the 2 year old on my lap - obviously don't know whether that was an option with your specific 2 year old.

If you were just taking your 2 to the park you'd prioritise helping your toddler if necessary, but if the reason for being there was to get to know the parents your eldest will be in a class with for the next 7 years it doesn't matter whether your clingy toddler spends the time on your lap instead of being coached/ coaxed to play.

Thanks for your replies, i am such an over thinker 🙄 I had a little word with myself after posting this along the lines of "they probably didn't think anything of it!" It wasn't really about getting to know other parents it was more a casual "a few of us are taking our DC to the park later if you want to join". I think maybe i could have sat there with my 2yo on my lap for a bit but from experience I know that she would be wiggling and whinging to go and play and pulling me to stand up and go with her so I wouldn't have been able to sit down for long. But maybe next time I'll at least try!

I do wonder if I'm a bit OTT though because even if by miracle my two year old did go off and play on her own I wouldn't be able to focus on a conversation because I'd be too worried watching her to see if she was OK. Lots of the other little kids were falling off things and the mums didn't seem to notice and the kids just picked themselves up and carried on. One fell quite badly off something and cried, the mum did get up and go to him but was very annoyed at having to do so and quickly rejoined the group after checking he was OK. I wish i could relax a bit as i feel quite alone at times like I'm doing it wrong but also can't help who I am