Disappointment
Yesterday was an absolutely perfect day outside. It was close to 70 degrees, the sun was shining, and Gardner was up earlier than usual from his nap. "Let's go to the park!" I said. He knew what that meant, and he raced to the door, jacket on, to go. Five minutes and a short car ride later, we had reached the park/pond/playground near our house. I let him get out of his stroller, and he raced towards the swings, then changed his mind and darted towards the slide. I parked the stroller by a fence and stuck with him the whole time, as usual.
It was just a matter of time before my perfect vision of our day was shattered. Older kids were taking over the toddler playground, hogging the slides and running chaotically to and fro. Gardner looked lost amid all of the craziness. There were bullies immediately evident among them; I heard other children lamenting to their mothers that someone had called them an "idiot," and tears and tantrums were everywhere. It was....surreal.
Gardner laughed at times, then looked puzzled at times. I stood there, not knowing what to do. I finally ushered him away from a small argument between two boys, leading him towards the covered slide. Once I got him close to the top, I raced around to catch him. He never showed up....I peeked around to see a few older children rushing past him, causing him to scurry in fear. I was infuriated. Where were these kids' mothers?
I found my answer. Three of them sat nonchalantly a few feet away on a bench, talking and barely noticing the events around them, what their children were doing. I was not the only mother who was perterbed by this; another mom near me gathered up her son and infant daughter and left after only ten minutes of playtime.
I finally used juice to beckon Gardner back into his stoller. I buckled him back in and set out for my aerobic walk around the track. Gardner was just fine with the transition; maybe he wasn't having as much fun as I thought he was. I seethed the whole time I walked, wondering if I was the problem or if the other kids and parents were the problem.
I had a hard time believing that the safest playground I knew of was filled with kids using bad language, displaying poor social skills, and exhibiting the purest forms of spoiled tantrums known to man. Certainly I didn't have to expose Gardner to all of this just to allow him a place to play that was more than the Little Tykes playhouse and tree swing we have here at home.
My question is....am I being overprotective, or am I just a concerned mother? I don't believe in shielding my children from the world entirely, but I don't believe in unnecessarily exposing them to things prematurely OR indiscrimately, either.
This is really the first time I've ever had to deal with this, seeing as he's not in daycare. The other playtimes and playgroups I have sent him to are hand-picked by me, including church. I felt a total loss of control on that playground yesterday, and my first instinct was to flee.
Anyone? Moms (or Dads), I'd appreciate your thoughts.
It was just a matter of time before my perfect vision of our day was shattered. Older kids were taking over the toddler playground, hogging the slides and running chaotically to and fro. Gardner looked lost amid all of the craziness. There were bullies immediately evident among them; I heard other children lamenting to their mothers that someone had called them an "idiot," and tears and tantrums were everywhere. It was....surreal.
Gardner laughed at times, then looked puzzled at times. I stood there, not knowing what to do. I finally ushered him away from a small argument between two boys, leading him towards the covered slide. Once I got him close to the top, I raced around to catch him. He never showed up....I peeked around to see a few older children rushing past him, causing him to scurry in fear. I was infuriated. Where were these kids' mothers?
I found my answer. Three of them sat nonchalantly a few feet away on a bench, talking and barely noticing the events around them, what their children were doing. I was not the only mother who was perterbed by this; another mom near me gathered up her son and infant daughter and left after only ten minutes of playtime.
I finally used juice to beckon Gardner back into his stoller. I buckled him back in and set out for my aerobic walk around the track. Gardner was just fine with the transition; maybe he wasn't having as much fun as I thought he was. I seethed the whole time I walked, wondering if I was the problem or if the other kids and parents were the problem.
I had a hard time believing that the safest playground I knew of was filled with kids using bad language, displaying poor social skills, and exhibiting the purest forms of spoiled tantrums known to man. Certainly I didn't have to expose Gardner to all of this just to allow him a place to play that was more than the Little Tykes playhouse and tree swing we have here at home.
My question is....am I being overprotective, or am I just a concerned mother? I don't believe in shielding my children from the world entirely, but I don't believe in unnecessarily exposing them to things prematurely OR indiscrimately, either.
This is really the first time I've ever had to deal with this, seeing as he's not in daycare. The other playtimes and playgroups I have sent him to are hand-picked by me, including church. I felt a total loss of control on that playground yesterday, and my first instinct was to flee.
Anyone? Moms (or Dads), I'd appreciate your thoughts.
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