As a mom of three young kids in this era of hyper parenting, I've recognized two categories of parents at public playgrounds/play places.1) There are the parents who believe that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should ANYONE, ANYWHERE dare to EVER, E-V-E-R go up a slide, slides are ONLY for going DOWN on.
2) Then there's everyone else, who fit somewhere on a sliding scale of reasonability.
Our rules on this matter are that we only allow slide-going-upping if no one else is on it, waiting to go down. We understand that slide-going-downers have priority. It's happened in a few instances where my children are happily climbing UP a slide, as that first category of parents loudly proclaim to their children, with voices aimed in our direction, that slides are ONLY FOR GOING DOWN ON. Then they have given us the hairy eyeballs; for not following their rules, and for demonstrating to their over-controlled children that SOMETIMES their parent's rules are not absolutes.
Thankfully it seems that in most places we frequent, we encounter the second category of parents, and it's simply a matter of finding our mutually reasonable solution if we need to step in and help the kids to play safely and kindly.
I was inspired to write this by Dani's "Parents That I Can't Stand Series". Hers is a hoot because I figure most of us fit in there somewhere, I found myself in there as the Burnout Mom. Don't go in there if you're feeling easily offended, but otherwise, she has 6 KIDS and a great sense of snarky humor.
Any of you get the hairy eyeball at the playgrounds for anything like this? Or, are you a firm believer that no one should ever EVER go UP a slide?
