makeshift pulpit

One of my pet peeves is the negligent mothers/parents who take their kids to the park and spend the whole time either talking on the cell phone or engrossed in conversation with another parent, while their kid is on the other side of the park…which means that other parent is also not paying attention to their kid.  Today I almost gave my kid whiplash stopping the swing because a little girl ran in front of it.  Now I have two kids…very active, crazy boys, and I have had other parents help protect my kids and I have helped with others when it has become necessary…but it becomes annoying when I have to save their kid because they just don’t want to get off the phone (and their butt) more than to yell, “watch out or you’re gonna get kicked” after the fact.

I think it is important to remember the purpose of the park…which I realize varies by the stage your child is in.  When they are toddlers it is a place for them to be able to play with other kids, to learn how to socialize…from you.  You need to be the one telling them it’s not ok to throw sand or to take a toy away, not some other big person, and if possible you need to catch things before some other kid is crying.  The park is a place for you to show your toddlers how to have fun, to learn new physical skills and be brave.  They are very much in the stage of copying, and so you may need to go down the slide, or up the rock wall…show them!  When they are going up that ladder or down that slide for the first little while, they need your encouragement and praise…which is hard to do when you aren’t paying attention.  I of all people know that you need a break, you need to be able to socialize, but I think that that is better done in a controlled, familiar environment like your or your friends home.

Of course everything changes when your child gets older and has already learned that you don’t kick and throw sand etc.  Not only do you not need to be a foot away at all times, you would get tired and they would get annoyed.  Even so, with the amount of sickos out there able to abduct children, I will always be watching mine.