[mamallama]

Do you let your kids climb up the slide, or do you direct them to the steps?

I let my kids climb up the slide most of the time. If the playground is too crowded, if there's a baby or a very big kid in the group, if we're there with a friend who has different family rules, or if the slide is the old narrow style with steep sides & climbing it would be unsafe, I explain why we can't climb the slide *right now*

My kids don't try to climb up the slide after I ask them to stop. If the playground becomes less crowded, or if the baby leaves, they'll ask me if it's ok to climb up again.

I think climbing up the slide is important. I think it's good for coordination and muscular development, as well as problem solving skills. It brings up some conflict sometimes with other kids, but learning how to work out conflict is an important task for children.

 

[eclipse]

you know, i always told ds not to, because my mom always told me not to. she was a preschool treacher, so they had to have very strict safety rules on play equipment for liability reasons. then i kinda realized it was silly if i was there watcing and there weren't a lot of other kids, so i've tried to relax on it a bit now.

 

[Breathless Wonder]

I also allow my kids to climb up the slide, as long as we have the playground to ourselves.

If there are other kids around though, I don't.

 

[Kabes]

I can't stand it when kids at the playground are climbing up the slide. I just feel like the ladder is to go up; the slide is to go down. It seems like more and more often when my kids want to go down there is a kid coming up. My kids end up having to wait and often the other kid makes it to the top and climbs over my kid. I feel like there are plenty of other things for kids to climb up at most playgrounds - different kinds of ladders, climbing walls, climbing nets etc-. Why do they need to go up something that is meant for going down? IRKED- but I'll get over it.

 

[PikkuMyy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breathless Wonder I also allow my kids to climb up the slide, as long as we have the playground to ourselves. If there are other kids around though, I don't.

Same here (when babysitting).

 

[mamaduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breathless Wonder I also allow my kids to climb up the slide, as long as we have the playground to ourselves. If there are other kids around though, I don't.

Same here.

 

[Rainbow]

I do unless there are other children attempting to use the slide. I like them to use things for all kinds of purposes- not just the "right" way all the time. Of course if there are other children they can't because someone else is waiting to go down.

Kabes- if another child is trying to go up and over my DD I will ask them to wait until after my DD goes down. Just say "oh, somebody is waiting to go, can you wait to climb the slide until she/he goes down?" I've only had a few times where the child didn't listen- and I think my DD has gotten better at using her words to express herself to other children at the park because of it. I've never gotten a dirty look or anything for asking such thigns from other people's children.

 

[BusyMommy]

I don't just b/c I don't want to confuse them. They can't do it in preschool or when the playground is busy. We have tons of other playground equipment that's expressly built for climbing and they love those.

But...I also don't let them throw rocks on the slide or slide down face first. (I've seen lots of kids try that here in the winter and scrape their faces on the ice.) And, I know lots of other moms allow these.

Kind of nice for them to learn now that we all have different rules and we have to think for ourselves.

 

[Piglet68]

I have no problem with climbing up the slide, so long as there isn't someone wanting to go down...

I wouldn't let them throw rocks down the slide, simply b/c that makes it pretty dirty and someone (me) is going to have to clean them off.

I have no problem with going "face down", though obviously I would be there "spotting".

 

[savannah smiles]

Like some of the other moms here, I let my dd climb up if there's noone waiting to go down. I used to love doing it as a kid so I have no problem letting my dd do it.

 

[Breathless Wonder]

Well, I see no problem with allowing children to "throw" things down the slide, as it's a great way to experiment with various scientific principals. i wouldn't, however, let my child experiment in this way when other kids wanted to use the equipment. And we would clean up after ourselves.

 

[jeca]

I don't have a problem with it as long as they are not stopping other kids from sliding down.

 

[SabrinaJL]

I allow it as long as there aren't other kids there. I've seen too many times on the curvy slides where someone was climbing up while someone else was going down and BAM. And I do let them use the slide for other things. The other day they were having a ball driving a remote control car down it.

 

[lab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kabes I can't stand it when kids at the playground are climbing up the slide. I just feel like the ladder is to go up; the slide is to go down.

That is my pet peeve! I never allowed (and still don't) my kids to go up the slide. Just like I don't allow them to go up the down escalator.

My 8 year old would love nothing more than to run up the down escalator. I don't let her. That's not what it was intended for. Same thing with the slide. Plus, it is a crazy mess when there are kids doing that.

Thankfully though, you up ladies seem to be watching your cherubs and making sure they don't get hurt - or hurt other kids by being in the way......

JMHO!

 

[boysrus]

I neverlet them climb up the slide until I sat in on my sons occupational therapy appt and saw his ot was using it as an exercise!! So, now we do. It builds muscles and helps them with balance and coordination/
I also let them throw things down the slide. We have a park we go to by ourselves and we do "cannonballs" with the basketball. They have done tonnka trucks, too,b ut I watch and make sure no one is on the bottom. My oldest likes to put bark or rocks on the bottom of the slide. I let him. If someone wants to slide down, he sweeps it away and we clean it up before we go

 

[napless]

I let mine go up the slide, and send things down the slide, as long as they aren't interfering with anyone else's enjoyment.

I think that we all (kids and adults) are pretty over-regulated in our society. Playgrounds are for playing, and kids are the ones who do the playing and should be deciding how to play, IMO. When I was a kid we could go to the park by ourselves, and we did lots of things like going up the slides etc. Even though my kids won't get the chance to go to the park by themselves until they are MUCH older than I was, I still want them to direct their own play and not be told that "slides are for going up". Who says slides are for going up anyway? A slide is just a slide!

An escalator is designed to transport people efficiently from one floor to the other. A slide is designed for having fun on. (I'm not trying to be argumentative or nasty, lab - that's just how I see the difference.)

 

[lab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by napless (I'm not trying to be argumentative or nasty, lab - that's just how I see the difference.)

None taken!

We are all different

That's the beauty of parenting!

 

[Emzachsmama]

I always tell my kids no climbing up the slide. My theory is that the steps are for going up and the slide is for going down. Is just something I feel is important to me. I also don't let my kids throw/slide things down.

 

[mocha09]

Quote:

Originally Posted by napless I let mine go up the slide, and send things down the slide, as long as they aren't interfering with anyone else's enjoyment. I think that we all (kids and adults) are pretty over-regulated in our society. Playgrounds are for playing, and kids are the ones who do the playing and should be deciding how to play, ... I ... want them to direct their own play and not be told that "slides are for going up". Who says slides are for going up anyway? A slide is just a slide!

Yep. That's how I feel too.

 

[joesmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamallama Do you let your kids climb up the slide...

yes, i do... & if the playground is not busy i climb up right behind him!

he has a lot more fun at the playground when i am PLAYING with him than when i used to follow him saying, that isn't safe, don't do that, play over here.

i think it is totally fine as long as he is being courteous. of course if he is halfway UP the slide & someone wants to go down, i let joe finish his climb.