Kid in the park - wwyhd?

[r3dh3d]

Bit of a random one this...

So I took DD2 (the bolshy NT one) to the park today. She's fairly independent for 3, so was fooling around on the swings when a boy of about 8 came up to me, and asked me if I knew how to make daisy chains. Nice kid. Clear from the start he had some sort of learning disability; took some persuading that DD2 was not really pushing an invisible friend on the swing. But had a good conversation with me about daisies and daisy chains and the pair of us sat quite happily in the park, him picking daisies for me and me making him a daisy chain to his total wonderment. . I was looking round for parents or carers but didn't see anyone. He told me his name and where he lived and that he attended the local MLD school. Then I got distracted looking for DD2 who had gone off in a sulk because I was playing with someone else. When I looked back, he was leaving the park, carrying his new daisy chain with exaggerated care.

Now, wwyhd? I'm not sure what a reasonable age is for going to the park on your own for NT kids - I guess he would probably have been old enough. But he was very trusting and literal minded, and I'm pretty certain he wouldn't have been out alone if he was mine. On the other hand, I may just be being overprotective because DD1 is so very vulnerable; and maybe his parents were hovering just out of sight, trying to give him some independence. And the park is located that you can get to it from about 30% of the village without crossing a main road.

Should I have raced after him and followed him home (bearing in mind there's a dog and a bicycle to manage as well as DD2 so we would have been less than stealthy)?

oh gawd a difficult one - as you would strongly hope that if his family allow him to go to the park by himself that they do so with a realistic view of his capabilities. I probably would have ended up doing the same as you (ie. being caught on the hop and so just leaving it). I suppose with hindsight, a bit of gentle questioning as to whether he lived nearby/his mum was nearby would have been appropriate - but it's terribly easy to say that isn't it!

I agree difficult! Nt kids of 8+ do go to the park alone ( I often find I am the only parent still in the park once the little ones are having tea) but most of ds (age 9) MLD classmates would need at least a watchful eye. Ds has changed out of all proportion in the last year and I now can envision a day when perhaps he could be given the freedom to go the the park ( we live throwing distance away I can see the play area from the window) in the near future so perhaps this lad was at that stage. Ds would have no fears at enlisting the help of another person to make daisy chains too!

Today another mother I do not know chatted to my son in the museum shop whilst I caught up (bit slow as unwell at present and dh is away). I was very greatful that this mum recognised his need (and my absence) and included ds with her sons discussion in the shop.