There was a very dark and boring period of time before spring when I couldn’t wait for playground weather. We’d been cooped up so long, confined to indoor playdates and play spaces for too long. We all wait for this every year, right? (And surely our kids do, too.)
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- Dream playground?
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- Like this guy, I might run away….
Last year our summer playground events were so easy peasy. I put Puff either in her carrier or stroller while watching and sometimes helping Squish. She was content in either location and usually napped for at least some portion of our outing.
The swings were simple, as I only had one child to push (although lifting a 35-lb 3yo into/out of a swing while a 10-lb baby is strapped to your chest is hard!) at the time.
I had only one moving human to follow.
Squish basically ran the show with no objections from anyone else.
I was pretty much old hand at getting just one kid cleaned up from the sandbox and mulch.
Yet this year … oh boy, I can’t wait for playground season to be over! I seriously underestimated how hard it would be to keep tabs on two young kids at a time around a crowded park. Holy cow, yo! My kids almost never want to be in the same location at the same time – unless it’s covering themselves (not literally) with sand from the sandbox. They both need and loudly demand my help in lifting, moving, pushing, and generally helping them navigate the playground – Puff because she’s still so little and short, and Squish because she’s a wimp when it comes to doing things on her own.
Basically, mothering at a playground is now the hardest thing I do, and I try to avoid it as much as I can. Is that sad? You can say yes … I kind of agree.
But boy, I am so sick of giving one kid the shaft (“Mom! Help me climb this ladder/rock wall/thingie! Help!”) while I have two hands on her sister as I help her climb something that’s obviously too big for her. It sucks. It just sucks not being in two places at once. Or having an older child who refuses to do things totally on her own.
One good thing about Squish being in preschool is that I can now take her little sister to the playground solo – and it’s easy again!
I remember when playgrounds were easy and fun … and I can’t wait until they are again – with two kids in tow!
Do you feel this way? Or do you kids play completely on their own while you relax on the park bench? (If so, I’m insanely jealous right now.)
Tbh we are LOVING playgrounds this year. But I only have one child who is not able to legally vote. So it’s exhausting but very easy to keep tabs on this little runner. And playgrounds are FREE which is awesome. In your case I would definitely only go to ones with fences. I don’t even like unfenced playgrounds with my solo 2-year-old.
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That is definitely easier. Sigh, I sometimes miss the solo kid days….
The problem isn’t the fences, as neither of my kids are runners, but they do tend to gravitate toward the cliff parts of playgrounds. Or one wants to swing while the other wants help doing monkey bars…
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I will say that when I had only 1 kid, I could push her on the swing for hours while I thought my own (not always pleasant, but still my own) thoughts. But other than pushing swings, I was pretty hands-off at the playground. I rarely participated or helped. “If you can do it, you can do it; if you can’t, you can’t,” is what I always told them.
I think it’s healthy for them to get outside and play! I used to get bored silly, but I’m still glad I gave them that opportunity.
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That is such a healthy way to do playgrounds! I wish I’d started doing that from the start. Now it’s too late to go back, since Squish demands me help. She’s always been very needy and a fraidy cat at the park anyway…
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Haha! We love playgrounds but I dont go without backup (aka Mr. Coppertop)! Theres no way I can keep close enough tabs on three littles…
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Good idea! I can’t imagine with three little kids … it would be danger zone, really.
Sometimes when I go with friends who have kids in the same ages as mine, we tend to split up and one watches the tiny kids and one watches the 4 year olds. That’s nice, but then us moms can’t chat….
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So the reason you hate the play ground now is because you want to have a perfect experience for both girls, making memories and such! Not saying to let down your standards, just realize what is happening and why. They have a great experience every time anyhow, it’s truly amazing!
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That’s very true!
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It really is a pain in the ass. The park we goes to has a side for BG’s age and a side for LM’s age. It’s impossible to supervise them both, so they have to take turns playing, which makes me an asshole mom.
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That’s EXACTLY what we have around here! Stupid “Game Time” brand playgrounds. I hate that. When Squish tries to play on the big kid area, it’s just way to high for her, so I have to help her do everything. I hate it…
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