I just got back from the park with my daughter and I have a request for all adults: please, please, please stay OFF the play-structure. The play-structure is meant for the children only. It is NOT OK for you to hog up the whole structure, as toddlers are tripping over themselves as they try to squeeze by you. Please do not tell me that you need to go on the structure with your child to keep her safe. Don’t you want your child to learn how to climb, walk, and slide without your assistance? Next time you go to the park, see for yourself- the children with moms who hover over them refuse to do anything by themselves. They are constantly reaching out for help and seem to be frightened to try the simplest thing alone. The children whose parents are able to take a step back can navigate the play structure and the park with confidence.

I believe the whole point of parenthood is to raise children who are secure and independent. If your child is about to do something that isn’t safe, why not redirect him to a more appropriate area, rather than give him a false sense of security by walking him up the stairs or taking him down the slide? I swear, one day a parent is going to get trapped in a play-structure, or worse yet, it will crack under their adult weight. I have seen more than one mom almost get jammed while going down the slide. While I would really appreciate the comic relief if this ever actually happened, I don’t want to have to call the fire department to report an accident.  Also, it is getting increasingly difficult for me to not laugh my ass off in these situations.

So please, get the hell off the play-structure, go relax on a bench, and allow your child to discover, walk, and explore without you breathing down their neck. Guess what, if they trip or stumble, they will get back up and try again. It is often the very process of falling which teaches balance. It is much more fulfilling for a child to strive to accomplish something by themselves, rather than have you do it for them. I know it is tough as a mom to watch your child struggle, but we must constantly remind ourselves that the most profound growth occurs when we attempt to accomplish something on our own. I appreciate that we need to keep our children safe, but when it comes to helping your child, less is definitely more.

Please refer to Park Angst & Survival for more tips.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 at 7:16 pm and is filed under 1. Angst Mom Essays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.