Interactions with other kids on the playground--question

So we pick my oldest up from Karate aftercare every day. H&J love to come in because there is a small little tikes climber in there and they love to play on it. There are also potties which they love to use (they are in that phase). One of the issues I am having is that H&J make a beeline to the play area while I go through the motions of checking my oldest out and asking them to get him. Normally there is nobody else there but sometimes there are other kids of varying ages there who are also playing. So here is what will happen. One of my twins will climb up the climber and sit at the top of the slide. Invariably, another kid will decide at that time to climb up the slide or lay on the bottom of the slide or something like that. H&J have the habit of not caring that there is someone there and will slide down. Yesterday, it was an 18 month laying across the slide. His mom was sitting nearby and giving Henry dirty looks for wanting to slide down the slide. My husband who was with us, kept going over and trying to get Henry to say "excuse me" but Henry just turned 3 so all he knows is that he wants to go down the slide. So I have 2 questions. First, does anyone have any techniques to help teach them to indicate to the other kid they are going to slide down or even wait for the slide to clear before they slide? For some reason, we didn't have this issue with DS #1. Second, since this happens a LOT at this place, should I say anything to the other kids? Most other playgrounds we have been to, the other parents always remind their kids it is up the ladder and down the slide. I realize common sense should reign but it doesn't seem to do that.

 

I usually don't make comments to the other kids, it just really pisses me off, lol. You could be totally passive aggressive though and make a comment to your kids like 'I'm sorry, you have to wait until the baby moves from the slide to go down because it's not safe. That's why you always go up the ladder and down the slide, not the other way around'. I don't know if I'd be able to do it though, lol.

 

I agree with Fran27. Regardless of whether someone else is not using the play equipment appropriately, I always remind my kids of the rules. You cannot control other kids' behavior (or their parents'), but you can make certain that your children know the rules and the rule is they must wait until the slide is clear before they slide. Usually, if you say it loudly, the other parent will take the hint and remove their child. If they need another reminder, I usually smile kindly at the child and look over at the parent.

We have the battle of my kids wanting to climb up the slide and I am constantly reminding them of "up the ladder, down the slide."

 

Oh mine have their fair share of doing it, it's just with this being a 2 step ladder, they follow the rules for some reason on this climber (it is very small).

 

I'm "that" mom at the playground. Unless there's the possibility of serious injury I let them sort it out amongst themselves. I probably get glared at a lot...

 

I remind my kids of the rules and tell them to say excuse me and if the parent does not move the other child I will say something to the parent if I know who it is. If I don't know who the parent is I redirect my child stating that why don't they do XYZ while waiting their turn.

I do not want my child getting yelled out by a parent (this has happened) when they haven't paid attention to their own kid and my kid runs them over because they get tired of waiting.

I am all about kids sorting it out but if the child is under 2 even 2 1/2 I don't think they understand safety or rules so it is necessary for the parents to interfer to keep the child safe and to help teach rules and social skills.

 

I start with the passive-aggressive loud reminder of the rules to my child "Wait x. You can't slide down until there's a space at the bottom. You have to wait for that little boy/girl to move." Usually either the child will move at that point or the parent will come and move them, if not I will say something like "Wait. s/he hasn't moved yet. Say 'excuse me please'." If that still doesn't result in either the child moving or the parent coming to move them then I will talk to the other child directly and say "Excuse me sweetie, x is waiting to slide down. Mind out the way because we don't want a crash."

 

This is what I do--- kind of a leveled-type interaction.

Also-- when a YOUNG child (think under2) I always remind my kids " Sweetie, He/She is just a baby/toddler. They are still learning the rules to play on the ________." That also reminds them that they are 'big ' kids and to place some emphasis to be careful around younger kiddos.

Failing that -- I try to redirect as well for a moment. Most young children will move as well after a few moment since their attention span would be shorter than a 3 yr olds!

Most 3 year olds can wait a few moments and/or ask another child politely to move. If the child doesnt move and it goes on longer than a few moments and was a reoccuring problem at the same location, I would make sure I had a stash of 'fun' toys for redirection if needed.


Last resort--- ask the management about playground 'rules' and if they could post them for all the families to enjoy.

 

I would say very loudly that he has to wait because of the baby being on the slide. Your child needs to be remind of safe and apparently so does the mother of the child.

 

I would tell my kids to wait until the child moved. It is my pet peeve at any playground when kids walk up the slide, hang out at the bottom, etc. My kids get yelled at (by me) for doing that. I won't go over and tell other kids to move or not to do that. But I usually find, that when I am telling my kids to slide right, the parents of the offenders start telling their kids not to do that.