good playground parents

[siercia]

So, Widget and I went out to the playground this morning. While we were there, a bunch of different kids and their parents cycled through. Widget was very into imitating one of the kids, and he was playing a game of racing down the slides. All well and good.

Widget wanted to play, his parents were enthusiastic, so was the kid (he was a little bigger than Widget, so could have been anywhere from her age to 3 1/2-4). He was already sitting on one of the slides, and Widget was heading for the one right next to it. She couldn't have been more than a foot from the slide, when he decided that he wanted that slide instead, and jumped right in front of her.

She jumped back, startled and a little scared. I was surprised, and not quite sure what to say (not really comfortable speaking discipline to other's kids unless they're endangering Widget), and calming Widget down. I was surprised and impressed that the little boy's dad swooped in immediately, plucked the boy off the slide, while explaining that taking the slide like that was VERY naughty, and that if he couldn't play nicely with the other kids, then he couldn't use the slides at all. When the little boy wouldn't apologize after a minute or two, mom and dad packed him into the car and left.

Whoa. I was pleased though. He hadn't done anything dangerous or anythin like that, but it was a decidely unfriendly move. It was good to see some other parents believe in teacing their kids to play noce with others.

Comments

[bookwitch.livejournal.com]

Very impressive.
Sometimes you see examples of good parenting that help you to think the world isn't quite so hopeless.

[siercia]

YEah. I strive for it, but I know even I do meet my own standards some days. It's nice to see parents who are working on it though.

[bookwitch.livejournal.com]

I think we all have days. Some days I do something and think, 'oh my god, no one should ever leave me alone with a child!'

I still remember the first time I got her out of her swing and banged her head. I was bawling more than she did. In fact, by the time I had called my husband at work, she had stopped crying. Hubby tried to calm me down, then called his mother and said, 'the baby is fine, but please go check on her mother.'

[metalliman502.livejournal.com]

It's nice to see that their are some parents left that aren't affraid to disipline thier children. Part of the problem with kids today is that they have no respect and that's becaue their parents are too afraid that DCF will come knocking if they disipline their children in any way shape or form. it's pretty sad if you ask me.

[siercia]

Trust me kiddo, it's easier said than done sometimes. You'll understand whn you get here.

[girlinthemoon.livejournal.com]

Good on them! Kids need to have those clear limits and consequences.

[siercia]

Yeah, at first I thought leaving was an awfully strong pnalty to pay for a minor thing, then realized on reflection that they were *leaving* because kiddo had refused to apologize, not because he had swiped the side. Wholly appropriate.

And the parents were mortified that he had done it, too.

[ignu2k.livejournal.com]

yay for those parents!! i hate when i have to discipline other people's kids because they aren't paying attention.

[siercia]

Ugh, so do I. Especially since you never know when someone's going to go all psycho on you for doing it. I generally try to only do it when they're endangering the kids around them.

Of course, then there's the flip side of not wanting Widget to think it's okay for thm to do things like that to her - or figuring out how to teach her to not sweat the small stuff (like which slide she goes down, but to stand up for herself when it DOES matter). All this complicated crud, just for going to the playground