I actually have very few mommy friends. I wonder if it's my parenting style?
Parenting styles always clash at the playground. It's fun to watch.
One day, I actually witnessed a mother yelling at her daughter for getting up on a swing by herself. "That's much too dangerous! You should wait for me to help you!" she yelled.
Right next to her, on the next swing, was another, smaller little girl, riding the swing very high with no hands, yelling to her father across the playground, "Look at me, Daddy! No hands!"
"That's great!" said Daddy. "That must be hard to do!"
I think the "safety first" lady's head almost exploded at that point.
I was just pushing Z. the whole time, on another swing. "Wee...wee...wee..." said Z.
My husband broke his hip on a swing when he was little, which he always tells Z. about when she's swinging, but still lets her do whatever she wants, within reason.
It's interesting how, in America, so many people are absolutely obsessed with safety in small ways, like the swing, but in big ways, like making sure our planet is still inhabitable when our children our fifty? No so much. I mean, people are better now than they used to be. Our consciousness is much higher. Cars are getting more efficient and all that. But, on the other end, the little kids' safety items border on the bizarre:
Knee pads? For a baby to crawl with? When did babies become old people?
I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I could go on and on. The things you see, out there in these here United States. It blows my mind!
(I'm so happy when people put a "baby on board" sign on their cars, because you know I'm completely reckless and out to kill until I see one of these- and then I instantly calm down and drive safely.)
That lady who yelled at her kid about the swing being too dangerous...that kid's going to grow up being afraid of everything! Kids are a lot more durable than most people realize.
ReplyDeleteKnee pads for babies? What? Are they laying tile floors? Puh-leeze.
Clearly the baby is just getting ready to breakdance.
ReplyDeleteBreakdancing! LOL.
ReplyDeleteI think that kid actually will grow up to be just fine- the one who got yelled at for getting on a swing. She was really blowing off her mother- really well for a four year old. I have this view of children: that sometimes, people become something in spite of their parents, rather than because of them, and this girl was headed toward the "in spite of" category.
The baby does like like he's about to launch into one of those knee spins followed by a spinning headstand.
ReplyDeleteI met a dad recently whose daughter threw her binky on the ground, where it got visibly dirty, and he just picked it up, wiped it on his jeans, and gave it back to her. I thought he seemed like a good dad.
I have done that binky thing. Ten second rule! Eating dirt is supposed to keep them from getting allergies. That's my excuse, anyway!
ReplyDeletesoooo with you on the eat dirt thing!!! and some of them LIKE dirt so you know, what are you going to do? and then there are the ones who not only pet the dog but sort of mouth the dog and eat dog fir, which probably is a choking hazard and I should probably be reported to child services for not kicking hte dog outside but then I'd have to choose my kid or my dog and lets not even go there. People might be shocked.
ReplyDeleteI find the whole "baby on board" thing funny because in drivers ed my instructor gave us this huge lecture on stuff in the car. How depending on the accident and the force of the accident boxes of kleenex flying through the air at 60 mph times the force of the collission have done serious damage and thin frisbee shaped items can cut quite far into a person at that rate - so that nice little sign is a knife waiting for wind in my opinion. But clearly I have my priorities messed up anyway, so what do I know?
wow. I need a nap. mmm hmm I can SPELL!
ReplyDelete