Slide "Etiquette"

[Lyss]

At the park this morning (hurray for sunshine! happyface) I was witness to a heated "discussion" between a mom and a daycare center teacher about kids going up the slide.

It was just me and my kids (15mo, 15mo, 3) and a mother and her DS (I'd say he was probably 4-5yrs) for 30mins until a daycare center nearby walked down with a group of kids (I got to 28 before I lost count ) in the 3-4 age group.

The mom was letting her DS climb up the slide he whole time we were there but I wasn't really paying attention to it because there are 4 slides and the one he was on my DCKs don't use (it's the "big kid" side of the playground). Plus he's not my DCK so I don't care :: Anyway the center kids swarmed when he was mid climb and when one of the teacher hit the playground (the kids ran ahead) she immediately lit into the mother about the boy climbing up the slide. It wasn't about him running into anyone as he finished climbing to the top then played at the top with some of the center kids, but the fact that she was letting him do it in the first place.

The whole situation was a bit much so I packed my crew and we headed home, as did the mother after a few choice words for the teacher but it got me thinking about slide safety/etiquette.

Do you let kids go up the slide?

[Willow]

I don't make it a point to nit pick other parents but:

1. I don't let my kids or any kids in my care go up the slide (for safety and liability reasons respectively)
and
2. if there were other random kids going up the slide and it was interfering with the safety of my kids or any kids in my care trying to go down I'd probably say something to whoever was supervising (although not in a light mom up sort of way but a hey, do you care to divert disaster here by having him/her stop at least while my crew is trying to use the slide appropriately )


That scenario is exactly why I don't go to public playgrounds or dog parks. Crazies and bossies seem to flock to 'em

[Evansmom]

I do let kids go up the slide when there is only a small group (2-3) kids in the playground.

I do not let kids go up the slide when there is a bigger group. All of the kids I have worked with in the past understand this and it's never been a problem.

[CedarCreek]

I never let them go up the slide. I feel like if I let them do it once, they will never get why I say not to next time when someone is coming down. I just say "the slide is for going down" and direct them to the ladder.

[youretooloud]

I do as long as nobody is trying to use it to go down. Going down is the right of way, going up is if it's empty.

We have slides inside the house, and some outside, they can do whatever they want on any of them, as long as they look first.

In a larger group like a daycare, I would make a "slide are for going down only" rule, because the chances of all the kids paying attention are really slim.

I imagine that when my kids go to preschool, they have to learn a whole new set of rules, but I've never had any complaints about our slide rules.

[MarinaVanessa]

Nope, not me. It peeves me to see kids climbing up the slide at the park and my kids or DCK's can't go down because of it.

I am constantly redirecting and reminding the kids (even kids that I am not responsible for) "Up the stairs and down the slide"

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I don't make it a point to nit pick other parents but:

1. I don't let my kids or any kids in my care go up the slide (for safety and liability reasons respectively)
and
2. if there were other random kids going up the slide and it was interfering with the safety of my kids or any kids in my care trying to go down I'd probably say something to whoever was supervising (although not in a light mom up sort of way but a hey, do you care to divert disaster here by having him/her stop at least while my crew is trying to use the slide appropriately )


That scenario is exactly why I don't go to public playgrounds or dog parks. Crazies and bossies seem to flock to 'em

I feel ALMOST the same way. My DCK's will actually say, "Ms. ___, he/she is going UP the slide!" and I will say, "Oh, that doesn't sound like it's a good choice..." and they will say, "No! That is not a good choice!" The parent always hears us. :: I prefer NOT to socialize with strange adults I don't know, and as soon as I utter one word to them they think we are friends. I have a job to do. I am not your friend, stranger. We actually try to avoid parks with anyone at them and will avoid one if we notice people there before us. We go to the parks once in the morning and once in the afternoon for recess.

[mema]

Up ladders, down slides. I don't care what others are doing, but if they have a kid climbing up and I have one waiting to go down, I'll usually tell mine good job for waiting patiently to go DOWN the slide. The parent usually then says jr, get off and go up the stairs. There was a time last summer when I had a couple boys that wouldn't wait and would just plow over whoever was coming up. No matter how many times you told them they had to wait and not plow people over. I always got the, "well, it's my turn and my slide and I can run over whoever I want." I hear they aren't doing to hot in Kindergarten this year.

[Lyss]

I let my kids go up the little slides at my house, as I only have a small group and they are the small slides, but really my DCKs aren't that interested in it.

That scenario is exactly why I don't go to public playgrounds or dog parks. Crazies and bossies seem to flock to 'em

I hear ya! Two weeks ago I got chastised by a mom at the park because DCG was started coughing and I apparently "brought a sick child to a public area and let her expose a bunch of innocent children to a virus!" Yeah, Asthma is totally contagious. I said nothing but handed DCG her inhaler and some water after this lady finished wagging her finger at me. Her response was "oh, well I'm just protective." and walked off

[daycarediva]

I don't make it a point to nit pick other parents but:

1. I don't let my kids or any kids in my care go up the slide (for safety and liability reasons respectively)
and
2. if there were other random kids going up the slide and it was interfering with the safety of my kids or any kids in my care trying to go down I'd probably say something to whoever was supervising (although not in a light mom up sort of way but a hey, do you care to divert disaster here by having him/her stop at least while my crew is trying to use the slide appropriately )


That scenario is exactly why I don't go to public playgrounds or dog parks. Crazies and bossies seem to flock to 'em

I NEVER let my own kids or dck's go up the slide. It isn't intended to be used that way.

[Crystal]

Yes. I let them go up the slide. If they were there first they can continue going up the slide for as long as they wish.

[Angelsj]

Ok, I will be the weirdo. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I do teach the kids to be respectful of taking turns, so if it is becoming annoying, I will talk to them about being fair, but I have kids running up the slide (taking turns) and going down the rock wall or across the monkey bars, as often as they are doing the opposite round.

Oh, and I agree on the avoiding parks. Nodding "hi" does not make me your lifelong friend. Please let me do my job!

[grandmom]

I get the taking-turn-issue here, but really, what is the liability issue? I'm asking because I don't know. I've always let children go up the slide.

Someone posted that's not want it's intended for. Books were intended to be read. But we use them to make fences for the animals, to pile up to see how high they go, to make a train track. Using things as something else is a great skill to me. Am I missing something?

[sharlan]

If it is only my kids and they are not interfering with the other kids trying to slide down, then yes I allow them to do it.

IF there are other kids there, then of course, I am not going to allow my kids to climb up the slides and get hit in the face with another child coming down.

I try not to parent other people's kids but if it is endangering the welfare or safety of mine, I will POLITELY speak to the child.

I enjoy going to the park and I also enjoy some idle chit chat with another adult while watching the kids play and interact.

[MarinaVanessa]

I get the taking-turn-issue here, but really, what is the liability issue? I'm asking because I don't know. I've always let children go up the slide.

Someone posted that's not want it's intended for. Books were intended to be read. But we use them to make fences for the animals, to pile up to see how high they go, to make a train track. Using things as something else is a great skill to me. Am I missing something?

I was at the park once and there was a little boy there that was climbing up the slide and slipped and hit his face. He got a really bad bloody nose and cut his lip and his mom had to take him to the hospital. I saw the little boy again at the park with stitches in his lip ... climbing up the slide .

He was with his mom but had he been one of my DCK's I would have had to call licensing and make a report etc. If the DCP's didn't have insurance then I could be held liable to pay the medical expenses and possibly be questioned by licensing for "lack of adequate supervision" or something like that. It's just not a position that I would like to put myself in with my business. Just my preference ... use toys and equipment like it was made to be used.