Childhood With All The Fun Removed
Free Range Kids' Lenore Skenazy posted a copy of playground rules sent in by a reader:
*ADULT SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES.
*No bicycles, roller skates and skateboards in play area.*Inspect play area before starting to lay and remove litter.
CAUTION!
*Pushing and running may cause injury.*Throwing sand or other objects may cause injury.
*Metal pieces may be hot if exposed to the sun.
SWINGS
*Hold on with both hands.*No standing on swings.
*Stop swinging before getting off.
*Never swing or twist an empty swing.
*Stand clear of moving swing to avoid injury.
*One person per swing.
SLIDES
*Slide feet first only.*No running or walking up slide.
*Exit promptly to avoid collisions.
I'm relieved to say I broke pretty much every one of these. Well, except this one:
*Inspect play area before starting to lay and remove litter.
Well, I did remove a cigarette from the sand in sixth grade and try to smoke it. Yick.
However, because I am not a hen, I did not "start to lay."
And there was no "adult supervision" after you were, oh, 7, I'm guessing -- if I remember correctly.
Perhaps the worrywarts should spend more worrying about their grammar, which would allow them less time to remain in a high panic about how dangerous childhood is.
The reality: Most of us make it through.
Stop swinging before getting off? I probably broke that one a dozen times a day, or more. One of my favorite games was to get the swing going as high as I could, then launch myself off at the peak. Good times.
Rex Little at July 28, 2014 11:21 PM
Me too, Rex. I did fall a few times when I was first trying to master my launch, resulting in a broken tailbone. Oh well, at 6 it's not something that slowed down your play anyway.
BunnyGirl at July 29, 2014 1:04 AM
Nothing about how the playground is known to the state of California to cause cancer?
Cousin Dave at July 29, 2014 6:49 AM
I think these are less intended as warnings and more about warding off lawsuits.
V-Man at July 29, 2014 11:02 AM
The state of California is known to cause regulation.
Amy Alkon at July 29, 2014 1:32 PM
Yeah, I think I did just about everything on that list. In grade school, we'd often have huge acorn wars. Those things hurt if you get hit with the pointy end.
Farmer Joe at July 29, 2014 1:35 PM
Eh, most of the list seems pretty reasonable to me. There are only a few (running, stopping on the swing, walking up the slide) I wouldn't enforce with my own kids.
I certainly hope kids don't need to throw sand to have fun.
kf at July 29, 2014 2:40 PM
Well, I did remove a cigarette from the sand in sixth grade and try to smoke it. Yick.
When you do it when you're thirty, that's how you tell you're an addict. Although in my case the cigarette was in a gutter.
Plus I really have smoked pipe tobacco rolled in toilet paper, in a "all shops are closed" crisis.
Ltw at July 29, 2014 2:42 PM
I must admit I prefer to inspect the play area before starting to lay, but if she's in a hurry I'll skip it!
Ltw at July 29, 2014 2:43 PM
I had the same thought you did about "starting to lay," but if you click on the photo of the sign itself, you'll see it says "play." "Lay" is Lenore's typo ... a fact that makes the whole sign only infinitesimally less ridiculous.
JD at July 29, 2014 4:23 PM
Regarding Amy's memory that "there was no 'adult supervision' after you were, oh, 7, I'm guessing"...
http://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-lucie-county/port-st-lucie/port-st-lucie-mom-arrested-after-allowing-her-7-year-old-son-to-go-to-a-nearby-park-alone
flbeachmom at July 29, 2014 7:25 PM
I know it's a repost but frankly, if you haven't seen the dangers of the playground slide, it's worthwhile to view a graphic example of how quickly things can go wrong.
Experienced and Safe Approach A vs Recipe for Disaster Approach B.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at July 30, 2014 12:30 PM
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