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 ran over and started to climb as well, until their mother appeared, glaring at me, and snapping at her children, “The Brown family does not climb trees!” Her kids really wanted to climb, so she had to repeat herself a few times, finally resorting to counting. As she dragged her little ones away kicking and crying, she shot me a look to kill.
I have seen that look before, but it is usually reserved for parents allowing really bad behavior – you know when the kid is melting down in the store or running around and screaming in a restaurant – not for climbing a tree in the park.
Instead of getting offended, I got curious. What crime had I committed by letting my kids climb trees in the park? I loved climbing trees as a kid. It was such fun. Had it somehow become a crime in the last 30 years? Was the other mother worried that it was unsafe? That somehow trees near a playground were not meant for climbing? Or was it just that she didn’t want her kids climbing for whatever reason and the fact that I was allowing my kids to climb made it harder for her to enforce her rules with her kids?
Has something like this ever happened to you? I would love your thoughts and feedback, especially if it has become a crime to climb trees in public parks.
One Comment
It is okay to climb trees at the park. Other parents are required to make their own rules about that and it isn’t your responsibility to adhere to rules you don’t believe in.