Category Archives: The Playground
Disciplining Other People’s Children
Sunday’s New York Times “Social Q’s” highlights the entire point of sharing our stories here on Mommy Manners: parents are at a loss for what to do when it comes to handling sticky situations with other parents. There is not only the “what should I do?” moment while you’re in the thick of an awkward [...]
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Why Moms Compete?
A friend’s child is already reading chapter books and yours can barely recognize the letters in their name. Instead of celebrating the other child’s achievement, you fret that your child is falling behind or worry that it is a reflection of your parenting. It’s so tempting to attribute early successes – walking, talking, reading and [...]
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Stop me Before I Discipline Another Person’s Child
I overstepped my boundaries yesterday and reprimanded another child. We were at kindergarten pick up and I was trying to keep tabs on my daughter, her friend and her younger brother on the vast playground. My daughter and her friend seemed perfectly content on the monkey bars so I was focusing my concentration on her [...]
This Mother Wants You to Stop Throwing Sand
On a recent trip to the playground, two kids were throwing sand down two side by side metal slides because the dust made them slide down faster. Their younger sibling was standing at the bottom of the slides throwing sand on the slide and everything else her path. My timid daughter wanted to use the [...]
Also posted in Passive Aggressive Parenting 2 Comments
Disciplining Other People’s Children?
The New York Times Motherlode ran an interesting article about a common conflict on the playground. A two year old boy started kicking a three year old boy, presumably because he wanted to engage in him in play. The three year old used his words and asked him to stop as did the three year old’s [...]
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Bad Mother:You let your child climb trees at the park
We were at the park today enjoying the sunshine and my 3 year old decided to climb a tree. Soon his 5 year old sister and their friends joined them and were laughing with glee. I stood close enough by to help if anyone needed it but let them have their fun. Two other children [...]
Your kid is making me nervous
I was at the park with my then 2 year old. He is an active kid and was in seventh heaven running through is usual obstacle course – the monkey bars from which he would intentionally drop to the ground several feet away, climbing up the upward spiral poll, then navigating across the bridge of [...]
Can my kid please have a turn on the swings?
Parenting is a constant exercise in patience. That said, nothing makes me more impatient than politely waiting for a turn with the swings on the playground. And waiting. And waiting. And 30 minutes later, still waiting. I honestly try to distract my little guy to other toys, to play iSpy, to sing a song, [...]
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Stop disciplining my child
The only thing worse than a stranger who doesn’t discipline their own child, is when they discipline yours. Elizabeth had just come back from a business trip and was feeling guilty for not spending time with her children. It was raining, so she decided to take her 14 month old son and 3-1/2 old daughter [...]
Allowing our kids to feel disappointed