I have been really enjoying spending time with Iyla in the garden this week, the weather has been amazing and she is at an age where she can roam around while I just sit and watch.
The same however, cannot be said for the park.
I hate the park and here is why.
1. It is full of other people.
People who yell at their kids, people who have badly behaved kids and people who have kids that bring their exciting toys to the park to tempt the ones who didn’t.
2. Footballs
As soon as we have a nice day in this country people all crowd into their local parks, including teenagers who think it’s a good idea to kick a ball around a few metres away from where toddlers are playing. I have a fear of balls flying at me after secondary school when it was too dangerous to go into the playground for fear of a ball flying at your head. Ducking and screaming when you have a load of kids watching you is even more embarrassing than when the ball whacked you in the head in front of the boy you fancied when you were 13.
3. The Equipment.
Parks are actually pretty dangerous, every one I go into seems to have a climbing frame that allows toddlers to climb up only to find a gap in the bars risking them falling to the ground. Then there is the risk of them running in front of swings, falling over on the roundabout and trying to climb the steps to a slide that is far too high. Not to mention trying to escape, why don’t the gates have locks on or at least a door that is too heavy for kids to open?!
4. No Chance To Sit Down
Because of the risks mentioned above you have to follow your toddler round and keep an eye on them at ALL times meaning that you can’t just sit down and enjoy the sun.
5. Condoms and Glass
Unfortunately parks are also where the teenagers of today like to hang out after dark, I can’t really comment on this too much as it’s where I spent most of my weekends when I was young but I really wish they would clean up after themselves. I have found smashed glass and a CONDOM in my local park. I have no idea if it had actually been used or not but I had to use a carrier bag to dispose of it which is quite frankly revolting. Yesterday I also found a piece of chewing gum that had been unwrapped and left there as a choking hazard for children.
Luckily this wasn't a condom
Of course I still take her because she loves it and seeing her this happy is worth it – only until I can afford to buy play equipment for my own garden though!
F loves our local park, although I sigh every time we go because I know it means 45 minutes of me pushing her on the swing, which can get a little trying after a while. Plus tantrums when it’s nice to go home. I do think, though, that we’re lucky to have parks on our doorsteps. Lots of places don’t have anything and that would certainly make my child a disappointed one! x
Mother’s Always Right recently posted..One more week without answers
Urgh, I absolutely hate our local park. There isn’t terribly much to do for toddlers and babies but the thing that really stops me from going there is people getting drunk right by the play ground. Get a room. I don’t want drunk heads stumbling around my baby, yelling and swearing. It’s absolutely disgusting and it really spoils it for me. Luckily, we have a big garden, so Amy can crawl around to her heart’s content.
Carolin recently posted..Amy is enjoying the sun before bedtime
Yeah there were quite a few drunk people drinking Special Brew near the park I was in yesterday, one of them had a dog that wasn’t on it’s lead and someone ended up saying something to him which kicked of a bit. That is another reason to add to the list! x
Mum2BabyInsomniac recently posted..Why I Hate The Park
I agree with you about the park in terms of some of it! And yes you have to follow them everywhere! The only problem is our lovely little garden gets absolutely zero sun. So I need to go to the park to catch some rays! That one of Iyla on the swing is cute, I took a similar one of Mads yesterday.
x
Katie recently posted..Little Dish and The Big Toddle.
I was at the park with my 2 year old during half term (yes I should know better). He fell underneath a climbing frame and was crying so a leant through it to pick him up, only to be pulled back by a boy of 9 or 10 so he could climb up the stairs. I picked up the rather surprised 10 year old and put him back on the floor and told him off proper finger wagging style. I can’t believe that some people teach their children so little respect for adults that they think that is it acceptable behaviour to drag me away from my crying toddler so that they can climb a climbing frame 2 seconds earlier than if they had waited.
knittymummy recently posted..One Line a Day
That is shocking. I think they need to make some little parks for toddlers because when you have the bigger ones in with the little ones they always get a bit rough and try to push past them x
Mum2BabyInsomniac recently posted..Why I Hate The Park
Such a cute photo of her at the end coming at you on the swing! I so agree with you on the other kids at the park. It cracks me RIGHT up when I am telling Burton not to walk up the slide, for example, and then other children do exactly that making him want to do the same! Grrrrr but apart from that our park is a nice one and both boys enjoy going. X
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She Looks so tall on the swing. I completely agree about parks… We don’t tend to go to the big parks anymore because of the amount of people mainly. We’re lucky we have a teeny tiny mini park in front of our house with a big field so I let z run around there. We’ll have to find a bigger park for him soon though and probably be faced with the same crappy problems again, bleurgh.
Notmyyearoff recently posted..The Friendevous
I agree about bringing outside toys such as bikes, scooters- WHATEVER!!! Please keep them home! Not only do I have to drag my kids away from other kids toys, I have to worry about them being run down by a bike.
Also- HATE the philthy sandbox!!!
I know exactly how you feel about the parks Jess. To buy it all for your own garden is expensive! I have bought Amelia a trampoline, swing, and a wooden table/bench. Just these few things were over £300. They obviously don’t think of us hard working mums when putting price tags on things. x
I know! I can’t believe how much they charge, we wanted to get one of those Little Tike toddler slides but they are so expensive. It’s ridiculous! x
Mum2BabyInsomniac recently posted..Why I Hate The Park
Oh yes, I HATE when other kids have brought their amazing 2ft replica CAT Digger to the sandpit but won’t share. My son will NOT be distracted by anything else and it always ends in tears. We actually think about whether a park has a sandpit or not before we go now. How sad are we!
Haha so true! I was at the park with Iyla and her cousin (who is a boy) last week and this little boy turned up being pushed in one of those big blue cars! He left it parked in the middle of the park to tempt all the boys who started having tantrums, we had to leave! x
Mum2BabyInsomniac recently posted..Why I Hate The Park
I guess we are quite lucky where we live because when we go to the park we are usually the only ones there, and we have the run of the place! The only downside is we have to go past it to get to the shop, so if I just want to nip out quickly to get some milk and we don’t have time to stop and play, K can get rather upset!
Also why are toddlers immediately drawn to the most inappropriate piece of play equipment? There is a small slide and baby swings at one end of the park but K is much more interested in the big slide and proper swings. Aargh! I swear it takes a year off my life every time we go!
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