Playground Etiquette - Kent,WA

No matter the age of the kid or adult, we have the right to speak up if we feel like our child is unsafe. Especially when in a public space that is supposed to be shared. I also believe there are ways to redirect older kids without escalating the issue. I'm not always good at it but I've been getting better and I'm really noticing the change. Last week there were big kids hanging out in the climbing structure and my daughter was fascinated by them. We actually went over and I told them that she had been watching them and wanted to do what they were doing. they started asking about her and we got into a conversation. Soon they were helping her. I think every kid needs reminded of how they are affecting the space of others around them. But I also think we can do this with compassion.

Mom of 6 here. My phylosophy is that if there is no adult to be found......I have every right to say something to the children who are causing a fuss. I do it very kindly, as if maybe they have NEVER been taught this concept before. You are not being unreasonable to talk to these kids and explain "I know you would never intentionally hurt them, however someone will get hurt. Could you please....." This may be difficult, but most of the time it does work. Most kids just aren't thinking about the other kids. If my child was at the park acting up, I'd hope mom to mom someone would gently direct them. For those moms who have a problem with that, maybe that is why the kids have no respect to begin with. I say MAYBE because that's not always the case. I have actually talked to kids whose parent IS there also and my phylosophy is that you wouldn't want your child to act that way and won't mind me saying something. OR...if you aren't parenting them, I will have to say something myself......if it affects me and the safety of the other kids. Fastest way to find out who their parent is........tell the child what to do. LOL

This has worked for me in multiple situations when I had to speak with kids about their actions and their parents weren't around. First of all, don't be mad (hold it in check) when you approach them. Keep your attitude matter of fact and talk to them as if they can help solve the problem. Introduce yourself too. Make the encounter more personal. Let them know what they're doing wrong, reminding them that they're bigger and can be scary to the littler ones. Ask them how they would feel if they were in the smaller kids place? Help them remember how it may have been for them when they were younger. Ask them if they could help keep the younger kids safe and how they could do that.

Assuming they are on board, praise them and thank them for their understanding and concern. Kids love to be part of the solution and if they're approached with respect and given a chance to apologize and connect with you and/or your children, it becomes a lasting solution and can spread to other children too.

This has help me and my husband keep the kids in our neighborhood friendly and respectful of our property and our children when they were growing up. It really does work. You only have to get through to one of them to start the process. Of course, if the kids just blow you off, don't give up. Try it again and contact the parents if you have to. Good luck and stand your ground, not only for your kids, but for those that are causing the problems. They need help from someone as they may not have gotten it from their own parents.

You have every right to say something to the kids. I bet you if you looked into the "park" rules you would find that kids would have to be supervised. They arent really there to play like your little one. They are there to do exactly what they did drive you away. Parks are ment for kids and family to go and bond..not to let big kids run a muck around them. i bet if you had say call the police and let them know that there were kids there bullying they would come and take them home or call there parents not saying that this time called for those sorts of measures but you get what i am saying. I remember one time last summer i had my then two year old at a park and these four older high school kids were sitting on the toddler slide "hanging out" one was smoking. I had asked them to not smoke around the kids and they looked at me like i was a deaf idiot. Then i asked them to move so my son could use the slide they plan out told me that they were there first and when their ride showed up they would move. Now i have a temper when it comes to younger kids because i think that they all need their butts kicked. i got in the ones face and told him if he wasnt going to move i would have the cops come move him for me. they moved and continued to make fun of me but i really dont care. I may be teaching my kids the wrong thing to do but i also dont believe other children should keep them from being little kids. So i went and wrote a novel. sorry. I just think as a mom you have every right to stick up for your kids when they are playing big kids have no patience for lil ones and so it is our job to make sure they are given every chance they want to have fun.

It is never rude to ask other children to be a bit more careful when there are littler children around. I've even asked children to watch their language around my children, especially when they were younger. I would say 95% of the time the children were very understanding and accomidating. Even though the others are 8 and 10, they are still kids and only think about what they want to do.

I would more than ASK them to be careful. You can demand it and if the kids are rude to you, speak up and ask in general if there are any adults in charge of these bratty kids. Then make your displeasure known. The problem is unsocialized kids in that age group let to run wild like animals without regard to others' rights. ALL kids have the right to use the park safely and certain areas are actually reserved for little kids (think baby swings). I had similar problems when the YMCA camps and other daycare/camp groups would simply unleash about 50 kids of that age group on parks made for half that many kids and the adults would treat it as a break. I complained to the staff members and actually took the name of the organization down and contacted them and the local paper about the problem of these rude, unruly groups hijacking the parks from everyone else, especially families with young children. We were also forced to leave and find another park for the safety of our own small children. You wouldn't believe the spitting, swearing, fighting, standing on the baby swings and other abominable behavior of these kids because the adults simply tolerated it and the kids knew they were just being "dumped" in a daycare for the summer so their parents could work. It has gotten so bad that the Renton River Days committee and the Parks department here have forbidden groups of daycare kids to come as a pack to Kids Day at Renton River days as they just about drove the pre-school booths out and the guys running the inflatables were overrun with badly behaved older kids so they threatened not to come back if the situation wasn't remedied. This is a huge social problem, kids left to basically run out of control because no responsible adult is ready or willing to control and guide them.

H.