Playing with my children and watching the other kids at the playground is an enlightening experience that I cherish. Nothing replaces the time with my children, especially when they are having fun at the playground!
Unfortunately, my kids are not perfect (not their Mother’s opinion) and sometimes have issues being patient, waiting their turn and overall be polite while playing with other kids. I did some research on playground etiquette and here are 2 scenarios that you may find at the playground and how I try to address them.
The line at the swing: my kids don’t like to wait; they want to swing now or when they are on the swing, don’t want to stop.
Option 1: If my little bundle of joy is on the swing, I may say “OK, 5 more minutes and we will go play on the slide” (or any other piece they like). This gives them a sense of closure and euphoria for the next play opportunity.
Option 2: If he is waiting to get on the swing, I may say “Let’s only wait a few more minutes and then we will go to the slide”, again, a sense of closure and new opportunity.
Not your toy: kids will play with anything, especially if another kid is having fun with it. A toy truck in the sandbox is an excellent toy and often times when abandoned for a brief second, another child will assume possession, even if the toy belongs to the first kid.
Sharing is one of the hardest lessons to learn for kids (adults too…right Jon). If the truck belongs to my son, I may say “Why don’t you play together, get the sand shovel and play like you are building something”. This (hopefully) has two benefits: 1) my son learns to share; 2) my son develops his social skills.
These are just 2 common things I see and use to guide my children to learning to share and work with others; I welcome your comments and suggestions on playground etiquette.
#PlaygroundEtiquette
Safety Starts w/ Stability!
Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes