Playground Politics

There are those who like uppers and those who like downers. As a family, we've chosen to allow the uppers. The thing is, I am not opposed to those who choose downers. I am fairly similar with my political views. I can see why others believe the way they do even if I don't agree. No need for an ugly debate when there is an understanding of both sides.

Kelven and I were face-to-face with the upper/downer debate this evening. Unfortunately, we were blind-sided by another passive-aggressive parent (with the first child I would have been a little insecure about my belief in uppers, but confidence kicks in with child number two).

This debate is about more then just the act of upping vs. downing. Those who allow the "ups" do have a valid viewpoint just as those who allow only the "downs" do, too. Heck, a dear friend of mine only allows the downs (you'll know who you are).

Parker recently experienced the joy of a slide. His eyes and grin get huge as he speeds down! He also impressively climbs the slide like a champ. Take the boy's shoes off and those big toes will bend to a perfect degree and he becomes a human koala.

Tonight we took the kids to a nearby park with five different slides. The park was empty until another dad and his two and five year-olds showed up. His two year-old son came over to Parker at the bottom of the slide and kept yelling, " NO!" at him. Finally the dad came over and told his son to stop yelling at Parker. Then the dad turned to his son and said, "Let his parents do their job. You are right, we only go down slides." Side note - this exact situation happened last week too!

And thus, the debate begins.

Uppers - Kelven and I allow our kids to climb up slides. It's a challenging climb that gives kids a sense of power and confidence. Do you remember how it felt to climb a slide? I do. Seems way quicker and way more fun than the stairs. Yes, it challenges the (unwritten) rules. I am pro rules. Big time. Allowing our kids to climb up slides comes with our own set of boundaries. To climb a slide it must be unoccupied and the tie always goes to the slider. No questions asked. The slide is there to be slid down just like the monkey bars are intended for arms. Yet, if there is no line at the monkey bars, is it not acceptable to swing those legs up and hang upside down? Life is about challenging the limits. Yet, challenging the limits requires a conscious responsibility for safety and others. I am all for teaching kids to be courteous and fair.

Kelven's input - The more you can put the decision in the hand of the kid, the better. If they are just following rules to follow rules, they don't even think about it. But if kids are allowed to use their own judgement they're using their own minds to think about what is right and wrong. Example, Jada is about to climb the slide and sees a kid at the top. She'll stop because she saw the danger of a collision and also knows how to be responsible in the playground. This is a critical thinking moment.

Back to Tami - Here's the kicker for me. If you don't want your kids to climb slides it is totally okay with me, but teach your kids that different families have different rules. That'll solve a lot of your "but he's doing it!" debates.