Playground etiquette

[nino]

Wondering how parents deal with other kids acting aggressively (yelling, pushing, hitting, etc) towards your kids (or if you see it happening to any kid) on the playground?
Thanks!

[southside852]

i think it depends on what age and the environment. i hate to discipline other people's children as i believe it's not my responsibility, but it IS my responsibility to make sure my child can play safely inside/outside. For now, my son is just over 2 years old so if a child is not sharing and i usually encourage both my child and the other to share. If they are more agressive, I usually move my child away from them. If the child is much older than my son and doing something that's dangerous (like throwing a ball at my son, pushing etc...) and he's at an age where he should know better, than I definitely say something to the child. if the child does not listen and continues with the behavior, then I ask the child to point out their nanny or parent and I speak to them directly.

[geomum]

Agree with everything said above, however I do politely tell the other child to mind his/ her manners if the helper/ parent is passively watching.

[Shenzhennifer]

From my experience here, the local mothers often overlook their kid`s behaviour. Fathers are better, and from what I have seen, the helper is thebest one for that.
I will say something to the other kid, if he is putting my own in harm`s way. Or I will motion wildly at the person looking after him. If it`s the mother, her eyes are usually glazed over.

[AmyH]

I do tend to intervene if I feel that my child is being bullied but he is at the age now where I can explain to him that he needs to be more assertive and stick up for himself (in a non violent way obviously).

I was in the play area last week with him and he and a few other children were playing nicely. A group of boys came in (aged between 10 and 13). They started to throw the toys at eachother and then at the younger children. My son was playing on the other side of the play room so was not in harms way but I still asked the boys to stop. They then proceeded to lock a small child in to the toilet and turn the light off (this small child was about 3 and was crying and screaming). The older children were just laughing and I was so angry. I had to ask them three times (the third time I shouted) before they let him out. I checked that the little boy was ok (his parents were not present, just his older brother, who incidentally was one of the ones locking him in the room). I then went to the management of the club house and spoke to the staff and the older boys were removed room the play area.

I then spent about a half an hour explaining to my son that you have to help other children if they are being bullied. It is not just enough to stand around and do nothing. He said he did not know how to help because the boys were so much bigger than him (he is 5). I explained that if he feels that he cannot help, he needs to find an adult and they will help him.

I take bullying very seriously and would never condone my child being bullied and I also ensure that he is not a bully himself. He is fully aware that he has to share, take turns and now help other children if needed.

Sorry for the long winded reply but this subjet really gets me.

[dimsum mum]

We were at Hong Kong Park a couple of months ago and my two sons were just sitting down on the little airplane and preparing for a flight "To Canada". A little boy crawled up over the top of the "plane" and tried to sit down next to my son.
Given the limited leg room, it was quite crowded, but I encouraged my son to share.
Then the little boy bit my son.
My son started crying and my husband and I
rushed to him. There was loose skin but no blood. My older son shouted, "where's the parent?"
We looked around for the little boy, and he had run to a lady who was talking on her mobile phone.
My son was still crying, and we approached her.
SHe held her hand over the phone and looked at us. Simply we explained what had
happened, and she said, "sorry" and went back to her conversation.
My older son said, "Isn't the boy going to be disciplined?" and I said, "I don't think so, different families have different rules. In our family, he would have been."

I didn't discipline the child, because the parent was right there. (talking on her phone).

GRR!