Dirty Little Secret

or maybe people could at least expect their children to behave appropriately to other children. Today we visited a playground in Ridgewood, N.J. It’s the one at Vet’s field on Maple Avenue, for anyone local. And I am pissed. Maybe it’s my years of teaching, my classes in developmental psychology or the fact that I realize that other children use the playground (and they have feelings too!) but I can’t believe the way some people let their children behave.

I can’t decide whether these parents are merely clueless about their children’s behavior (they do seem to spend a lot of time ignoring them) or whether they just don’t care about how their children behave towards others. Either way, here are a few suggestions (please feel free to pass this on to any parents you know).

PLAYGROUND ETIQUETTE 101

For Children:
1. Dirt and bark should stay on the ground.
2. The proper response for knocking over another child is, “I’m sorry.”
3. Pushing smaller children out of the way does not make it your turn.
4. If another adult asks you to stop doing something, you should stop doing it.

For Parents:
1. When your child hurts another child, both of you need to apologize. Or at least care.
2. It is not okay for your child to throw dirt and bark on the slides or on the other children.
3. Your child needs to learn what turns are. It is your responsibility to make sure that s/he takes them.
4. Other parents should not have to ask your child to stop hitting/pushing/throwing, that’s your job.
5. Your adult conversation, no matter how desperately you need to have one, should not take precedence over parenting your child.

Can you imagine what these children will be like as teenagers? Hmmmmm. . . rude bullies maybe? The kind that push violent loners over the edge?

parenting
children’s behavior