Is it too much to expect parents to continue to parent while at the playground?

I know it is a nice break to be able to socialize while your children run around and act like little terrors, but it sure takes away from the fun my son and I are trying to have in the meantime.





And, is it asking too much that you don't leave your kid's sippy cups and snacks sitting right next to the sand box?Is it too much to expect parents to continue to parent while at the playground?
People like that bother me a lot, because it seems to be so common in my neighborhood. I'm a paranoid person so if I see a child unattended with their parents standing halfway across the park, I keep an eye on them. If I see children misbehaving to the point they could hurt someone, I will keep an eye on them. I wind up playing with 15 kids instead of just my 3. I feel like I spend so much time keeping an eye on other peoples kids that I don't have as much fun with MY kids.





I know that part of this is MY character flaw, but part of the problem is theirs. If people are taking their kids out, they need to remember they're still parents no matter how many of their friends are around.





I think it is irresponsible to think the park is a place to just set your kids free and ignore them.Is it too much to expect parents to continue to parent while at the playground?
How about letting your child go and play with the other kids while you supervise? I've always treated playground time as a time for the kids to socialize with other kids, and not a time where it's Mommy playtime. We have a yard for that. Its a big world, and parents have to learn to let their kids go in small steps. The playground is the first step for many.
We had an experience like this this weekend. A boy slapped my son on the face for no reason and then pushed my nephew down off the slide. This kid was a terror! And his parents were NO WHERE TO be found.. So if they aren't going to get on to him, I will and I did! It wasn't the fact that he was a brat, bc I know a lot of kids are, including mine sometimes, but I was really ticked that his parents were no where around to get on to him. So I took it upon myself to do so.
Apparently you ran into my sons. I believe kids need to figure out how to interact with other kids, on their terms. They need to be evenly matched of course, but unless the boys are horrendous they are on their own.





Of course, we don't take snacks anywhere they can walk around with, it stays where I am and they sit with food.
Guess you had a bad experience today. I agree that parents need to keep an eye out for their children no matter where they are... and yeah, the sippy cup and snack should be no where near the sand box... yuck.
LOL no it is not to much to ask I guess people really do need to keep a good eye on their kids.





BTW I love the pic of your shelties I have a shetland sheep dog
';it sure takes away from the fun my son and I are trying to have';





So does being wound so tightly, I imagine.
Amen!





For many parents that seems to be true. Personally, I don't get how so many moms are able to just plop down with a book while they let their small children play. I know that older children aren't in as much danger, but toddlers need that supervision to stay safe.





Last time we were at the park I watched a mom who was there with her 5 year old (she proudly told me she was 5!), her 2 year old (I heard her say to her friends), and her new baby. Her 5 year old kept showing off for me because, well, I was actually watching everyone play and she wanted someone to acknowledge that she existed, and her 2 year old boy kept pushing the other little kids, throwing mulch at them, took a baby's hat, lost his shoe and couldn't find it because no one was watching where he lost it, pushed some more little kids down etc. Her baby was hungry and was fed while Mom sat next to the car seat and held the bottle; Baby didn't even get to be held.





I also watched a little girl who couldn't be older than 2 1/2 keep running into the trees away from the playground. Mom, with no other kids to occupy her attention, just sat on the bench talking to her friend and would threaten ';Do you want to go home? Play or we're going home';. Aside from the fact that she said this a good 6 or 7 times but never did anything, all her little girl wanted was someone to give her attention.





I don't understand the lack of parenting that happens when kids go to the park. I do get that it's a nice chance to step back and let kids play with each other with minimal intervention, and my 2 year old loves making sure I'm settled where I can watch him and talk to him, and then telling me ';Stay here. Go play me'; while he runs off to play with the kids his age. But, that doesn't give me permission to just tune out and not pay attention to what he's doing and tracking where he's going and make sure he's happy and safe.