Do some parents really avoid parks and playgrounds with young children?

[MintyElephant]

Just a curious on this - I was at a family gathering on my husbands side. One of his cousins has 2 young children (we have 2 also) we were at a restaurant that had a play area outside and my children were on it, one of hers was on the climbing frame, we were chatting for a bit then she said ‘god I hate climbing frames, I hate parks, I never take my boys, they would just get dirty and climb like this, I’m going to get him off in a bit’
I didn’t have time to answer her or react as she then just changed the subject and started talking about something else.

I have never met a parent who’s said they ‘don’t like parks’ and don’t take their children to them.

We are playground lovers, as are our children, always at our local one.

just curious, any other parents who also don’t like them and so simply don’t take their children? What is it you don’t like? I honestly think she is being a bit selfish just because she doesn’t like them doesn’t mean her sons wouldn’t. What child doesn’t love a playground?

Their not play parks anymore just work out stuff a swing and a climbing frame.
Play parks back in the day were lethal but god they was fun.
Now there just bloody boring, if there is a good one its always full, with pushy kids parents that wont parent etc.

The no smoking part makes me laugh no smoking on the play park stand outside the gate to smoke, the smoke is still going to blow in the play area.

I really dont blame parents for not liking the parks.

They’re not for you though.

I don’t mind a park trip but i will avoid soft play if i can. I’ve taken DC to them, I will attend parties at them, but DC is still of an age where I have to clamber around inside too to follow and ensure safety and it’s an exhausting and sweaty time 😂

When my dd was very little, she loved the park. We went regularly. She needed running off every day. After a considerable amount of time, I’d had enough and used to tell her the park was tired and needed a nap, then hope to get out without more people coming along, that spoiled it.

I hate them but I still go- when I have to

I used to hate playgrounds and soft play when my two were young because they used to cling to me and refuse to play without me! It was so frustrating. I wanted to be like my friends whose kids ran off and played without looking back.

I've taken loads of school children to parks over the years (e.g. before getting on the coach at the end of a school trip) and can think of one child out of a couple of hundred who didn't like it. The vast majority of others absolutely love it, even when older primary age. I think nearly all children enjoy a new park with friends. The same old park by yourself can get dull. I'm sure a lot of parents who say their children don't like parks actually just don't like parks very much themselves, which most adults don't.

We were real parkies. We used to go twice a day sometomes when the dc were tinies. We were in London though and had three excellent ones within spit and Richmond Park for a wet picnic and deer watching with binoculars from the car on bad weather days. Our children needed fresh air and exercise to sleep though. I had some of the loveliest mum chats ever in the park.

My Godchildren however, didn't go. They couldn't go in the paddling pool without getting their feet dirty . I thought it rather sad.

I found them boring as well. The kids weren’t desperate to go either.

We had a park opposite my kids primary school so it was pretty much a daily thing. Kids could run around wildly and let off steam after a day at school, play football etc, mums could meet up for a chat. Everyone brought after school snacks and drinks, it was fun and a good way to kill some time in the dreaded hours between school and bedtime. Kids need to play and get some fresh air after a day at school! Obviously when they were older, they had after school clubs and activities but when they were little it was a blessing!

Going to the park with just my kids equals boredom. With a pile of friends, preferably with no actual slides/swings etc just trees and hills to play in and make dens are aome of the best days ever.

I take mine but of course I don't like them because I'm not a child and the ''mummy look at meee'', ''mummy push meeeee'' is mind numbing.

It's probably my least favourite activity to do with them.

most parents dont go for themselves,
it’s for the children wtf 🤣

Oh gosh I’m in the minority, we love a park.
granted, me not so much, but the kids love them.
we’re at atleast one daily, most we’ve done is 4 😂😂😂

Kids need playgrounds to develop strength, coordination, proprioception; learn to take risks and test themselves. And, fgs, to socialize and have fun. They develop their imaginations and independence. They gall down, get dirty and learn to recover and deal with it all.

The only thing I ever try and limit or avoid, though, is the sandbox. It's the public toilet for every straying cat and wild animal. 🤢🙅‍♀️

I regarded the village park where we lived when DS was a baby till he turned seven with total horror, but we still went all the time. He loved it, even if I thought it was pure hell.

I genuinely enjoy taking my dcs to parks and playgrounds but I know quite a few parents who rarely take their dcs. Often ft working parents who don't spend much daylight hours with dcs during the week, and at weekends tend to do paid activities and classes because that's the only time to fit them in, and they feel a pressure to do something more special than a trip to the park.

We live in London and tend to travel all over for a good playground, sometimes more than an hour on public transport, I check out SM and I'm on the email lists for different London councils and the royal parks so I can keep up to date with ones which get refurbished. There are some really creative designs and challenging equipment and my dcs love trying out different ones. I find it quite interesting from a design point of view, I like people watching, and DH and I interact with the dcs a lot with imaginative play and I never find it boring. We don't feel the need to meet up with other dcs there to enjoy ourselves, it is usually me and the dcs or with DH as well if he's not working. I guess it would be boring just to always go to the same playground all the time and it was just a set of traditional equipment just plonked in a concrete square and the same locals using it.

I have wondered how the people with the pristine-outfitted kids do it, this must be it. I’d experience so much stress if I tried to keep my kids clean.

I can’t stand playgrounds, I usually take my kids when it’s raining or late, can’t stand being in a busy playground full of kids.

I spent hours and hours in the playground when my kids were small. I can’t say I liked it but they loved playing with other kids, we would go at the same time every day so they would meet the same kids and have an absolute ball.

It’s also really good for their motor skill development.

I hate them and when my daughter was younger I told her it was on fire and we couldn’t go. I found it boring and annoying being round other kids who didn’t know how to share or take turns.

They are very boring but my DS loved them so I took him very regularly. Most days in fact.

That is absolutely unhinged 🤣

I like them, preferably with friends so that I get some peace and there is far less “mummeeeee look at meeee” happening, but I am lucky to have three decent ones within a short walk and several more a short bus ride away. Like a PP I have a mental list of “good” playgrounds and keep an eye out for decent ones when I’m out and about.

I also love soft play

I am fine with playgrounds/parks but I will try and avoid soft play if I humanely can!

We live near the peaks so actually prefer to walk in the countryside, usually make it an exciting challenge to 'climb the mountain'

What about when your kids went through the cycling, skateboarding and then canoeing stages. I mean you might have a big garden but still they need space at the very least.