Hellobee Boards Topic: Do you play with your LO at the park?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Do you play with your LO at the park? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 21:44:37 +0000 yellowbird on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147541 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:41:17 +0000 yellowbird 2147541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I do because there is usually no one else there! If there are other kids I try to hang back, but Lo is really bossy and kind of mean so I have to remind her to be nice and share! sarac on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147537 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:38:01 +0000 sarac 2147537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @ILoveLettie: I agree totally. I also really feel for children who's parents don't set an example of active, joyful play. Too often I go to the park with my kid, and I see parents who are clearly struggling with their weight or fitness - and they've brought their children to the park, so they're obviously trying to do better, which is amazing. But if you don't set that example of truly enjoying movement and play, it can be really hard for your children to actually enjoy it themselves. I don't honestly think it has much to do with independent play, personally. I'm about the opposite of a helicopter parent, and independent play is huge in our house. But I will always engage on the playground as much as I can, because I want to demonstrate that moving is fun and I love to do it. ILoveLettie on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147511 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:12:59 +0000 ILoveLettie 2147511@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @blackbird: I can totally see your point. I think if parents are getting in the way of other and even their own kids playing it's no good. They should be more mindful of their kids cues! blackbird on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147495 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:01:18 +0000 blackbird 2147495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @ILoveLettie: I think not letting them independently play can also fall under this category. Some parents literally cannot let their children do things for themselves. And i think sometimes, they are so fearful of missing out that they involve themselves in everything. I'm also thinking of a very specific incident where the dads were inhibiting other children from playing because they were so insisting on interjecting themselves and clogging up the lines (the park was packed that day), and telling their kid to "come on" and do stuff when the kid was trying to go down the slides and do his own thing and play with other children. As another parent, I was annoyed that my and other children couldn't enjoy the playground because some men in their 40's decided they needed to be on it, too. petunia354 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147494 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:00:45 +0000 petunia354 2147494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I usually do because it's generally just the 2 of us there. He still wants my help sometimes too. I try not to hover and just offer my presence. I WOH and take him to the park for special time together so I enjoy running around with him and having that interaction and I know he loves it too. Foodnerd81 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147467 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 09:42:53 +0000 Foodnerd81 2147467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @ILoveLettie: I hope it doesn't sound like I'm against the moms that run around- it's more than I do not have the energy. If I find t is the mom and not babysitter, I'm just plain impressed! ILoveLettie on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147460 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 09:37:21 +0000 ILoveLettie 2147460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @sarac: I totally agree! I think helicoptering is questioning your kid's decisions/constantly tellig them to be careful/doing things for them. But I think playing with them is important and doesn't have to be helicopter-y as long as you still let them adventure and take the lead! I think some parents (not the posters here, but people I've met in my real life!) miss out on having fun with their kids because they're SO nervous about being "helicopter parents". ILoveLettie on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147457 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 09:34:14 +0000 ILoveLettie 2147457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Foodnerd81: I play with my kid, so I wonder if parents think I'm a babysitter, haha. I wouldn't be surprised--I get told I'm younger than I am A LOT (even mistaken for 14/15...but shouldn't I be in school then :P). I love running around on the playground with my kid right now because she's only 15 months so she needs help getting from place to place and down the slide, etc. And I like taking advantage of playing with her while she still wants me around: I will also encourage her to interact with other kids. :) autumn865 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147453 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 09:29:37 +0000 autumn865 2147453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I hang back and let her play (DD is 2.5 so able to maneuver the equipment). I want her to seek out and have peer interactions on her own without me hovering over her. nana87 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147396 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 08:47:03 +0000 nana87 2147396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ She's only 12 months but thinks she can climb on way more than she can, so I do stay close to keep her from hurting herself hotchildinthecity on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147354 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 08:31:23 +0000 hotchildinthecity 2147354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I mostly just stand back, but I do chase him around/play tag just because it's good exercise for me. And he likes me to stand at the bottom of the slide to "catch" him. Alivoo01 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147292 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 07:59:20 +0000 Alivoo01 2147292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I keep a close eye/stand near him now that he's older and can climb on things. He's also still a lil daredevil hence the close supervision. However, at the indoor playground, I just sit back and watch. It's more toddler friendly than outdoor playgrounds are. Mamaof2 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147271 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 07:32:08 +0000 Mamaof2 2147271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Not usually - they run off and play by themselves kiddosc on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147269 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 07:28:58 +0000 kiddosc 2147269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes, we're usually the only ones there, so there are no other kids to play with. hilsy85 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147236 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 06:56:50 +0000 hilsy85 2147236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Usually he only asks me to play if we don't meet any of his friends at the park, and even then it's mostly running around while he runs on the play structure and I try to surprise him. I will totally do the slide with him though--I do try to stay off the structure if it is crowded with lots of kids though. BananaPancakes on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147227 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 06:47:52 +0000 BananaPancakes 2147227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I play unless he finds children to play with. And even then he still typically wants me to join. I just follow his lead. If he wants me to play, I do, and if he seems to be having a good time by himself, I back off. I like playing, though. travelgirl1 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147216 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 06:42:08 +0000 travelgirl1 2147216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I tend to stand back, but I have to help her get onto the swing and push her. Sometimes she asks me to do things with her, then I will, but in general I trust her judgement on equipment, and I prefer to see her interacting with the other kids than relying on me. DH really throws himself into it when he's there though. looch on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147190 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 06:13:23 +0000 looch 2147190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It depends, my son is pretty good about inserting himself into a group and playing with other kids, but sometimes, we do go to a playground and there's no one else there, so I do play around with him. Sometimes, he calls me over to show me something, sometimes he needs some help. I wouldn't call that helicoptery but if someone else thinks that is, well, that's their problem, isn't it? We recently were at a huge structure at the beach and wow, there was no space for parents, very cleverly designed, you had to be a kid to get into those spaces. PurplePeony on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147125 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 01:01:17 +0000 PurplePeony 2147125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I do, but she's only 16 months old. I try to give her some space when she's on the ground running around, but I don't trust her on the play structures or around the areas where bigger kids play...she's in that scary phase of being totally fearless but clueless about how to navigate potential dangers. lamariniere on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147112 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 00:04:05 +0000 lamariniere 2147112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I used to hover over DS on the playground equipment since our old playground had very high toys, like slides that were 7-8 feet off the ground. Our new playground has lower equipment and DS runs around doing whatever, but I look after DD since she just learned to climb on the equipment. Eta: DS broke his leg on playground equipment when he was at daycare, so I have an extra level of paranoia about playground equipment. mrskc on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147096 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 23:35:09 +0000 mrskc 2147096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I mostly sit back and watch now. I still hover a little to make sure he doesn't need help getting up or down something. And I will play with him on the structures if he asks me to. sarac on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2147082 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 23:17:45 +0000 sarac 2147082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I do as much as my energy level allows. My husband does frequently, because he's way more energetic than I am at baseline. It's great, we love to play. I always feel bad for the children begging their parents to come play. It's not about being a helicopter parent at all - it's just fun. Freckles on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146691 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:25:15 +0000 Freckles 2146691@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No, but I will spot her when she is climbing up structures meant for older kids. Anagram on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146679 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:19:40 +0000 Anagram 2146679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My LO is just 21 months old, so I have to go with her because there are a lot of random drop offs and parts that are too hard for her to do alone, and sometimes older kids who run past, pushing her over. I think I could let her go totally alone if all the kids were close to her age.....but our closest park has two, separate fenced in play structures and lots of kids that should be on the structure for older kids come over and run through the younger kids' one, pushing and shoving everyone in their path. I'm sure their parents or nannies are there with a younger LO, but it annoys me. deerylou on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146676 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:18:19 +0000 deerylou 2146676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I play when she asks (which is admittedly frequent, unless we're meeting up with a playgroup), and stay close to keep her safe. She's still a few months shy of two, and there are certain areas on some structures that she could fall through, so I shadow, a bit. Girlfriend doesn't pay super close attention, and is usually carrying a stuffed animal. D'oh. The overly enthusiastic parents tend to get in the way, but I do end up feeling bad when I see a little tot, eyes glazed over and eating sand while his parent checks Instagram on their phone. birdofafeather on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146650 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:10:13 +0000 birdofafeather 2146650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ i mostly stay out of the way, but assist when she wants/needs help getting up/down. ETA: i also push her on the swing, but sometimes she shoes me away once i get her going! ha. Applesandbananas on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146637 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:02:05 +0000 Applesandbananas 2146637@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I play with LO. He's only 2 and the drop offs scare me. He still uses a baby swing too, so he can't get up there solo. There's not much parental supervision at the parks we go to and I've seen older kids try to shove him out of their way or down the slide, so I stay close for that reason too. And LO thinks it's hilarious when I go down the slide :) lawbee11 on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146636 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:02:02 +0000 lawbee11 2146636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ There are three different structures at our park. I'm way too big to climb on the one that LO plays on! It's meant for toddlers so I would look like a giant. I mostly watch her or she likes when I catch her when she goes down the slide. twodoghouse on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146635 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:01:00 +0000 twodoghouse 2146635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I just try to keep them from eating too much grass/sticks/leaves. They're too young to play much at the park yet, other than wandering around or going on the swings. Mrs. Champagne on "Do you play with your LO at the park?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-play-with-your-lo-at-the-park#post-2146631 Thu, 16 Apr 2015 18:59:51 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2146631@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Foodnerd81: lol my friend reallllly plays with her boys (chasing, games, etc) and people have asked her what camp she works at! DS is only just 1 so I lift him on to the slide and swings and am right there with him. Not so much playing, more keeping him from falling!