LilSugar

Lil Community: Who's to Blame?

Lil Community — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:00:58 PDT

Is all fair in love and on the playground? This post was submitted by an Anonymous reader in the A Place to Vent group.

Yesterday, I received a call from another mom that I had recently met on the playground. Our pre-school-aged kids found each other through a pick-up game of baseball over the Summer and had been playing together almost every day. According to the mom, yesterday's game was no different than previous ones. My son's yellow wiffle ball bat was used by all of the kids as they took their turns at bat, and the mothers and caretakers took turns serving as pitchers. As the game wound down, an older child picked up the bat and whacked her son on the forehead (I'm still not sure if it was an accident or on purpose), resulting in gushing blood and ultimately five stitches to the head. She obviously was very upset (as we all would be if we had just taken our child to the hospital), but she also insinuated that I was to blame for this because it was our bat that was used and that my son's nanny should have been "paying more attention so this wouldn't have happened."

I checked our bat, it was fine. No cuts in the plastic, no jagged edges, etc. I spoke to my son and his nanny and learned that he was "in the outfield" when the incident occurred and by the time they realized what had happened, the boy's mother had already scooped him up and run out of the park. Am I at fault here?

Let it all out in our anonymous A Place to Vent group over in the LilSugar Community.

Do You & Your Tot Apologize to Keep Peace at the Playground?

LilSugar — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:00:29 PDT

No mom wants her child to be considered the "punk" of the playground, but does that pressure lead to a lot of unnecessary apologies? So many personalities and parenting styles converge in the sandbox that there's bound to be someone who shakes things up. To keep the calm between adults and children, do you ever (or ask your tot to) say sorry for something when it's not really warranted?

Missing Bitty Baby Signs Posted at Park For Safe Toy Return

LilSugar — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:00:00 PDT

Every child loses a toy now and then - a shovel in the sandbox or a jump rope on the jungle gym, but sometimes searching the playground and turning the house upside down doesn't unearth the object. For one little girl, misplacing her beloved and pricey baby doll meant taking action! She and her parents printed and posted missing person flyers all around the park where the plastic babe was last seen.

A $20 reward was even offered for the safe return of the Bitty Baby Apple. At $45 per doll plus the cost of clothing, the tot's mom and pop probably figured this method of recovery was worth a try. To what length have you gone to find your kid's toy?

No Entourage, Do Only Children Get Bullied More?

LilSugar — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:42:25 PDT

When your wee one hits the playground, who has his back? A mother of one recently told me that her sweet 13-month-old daughter has been bullied at the park, even by kindergartners. Thinking back, I remembered my girl being knocked out of the slide line and having sand thrown in her eyes on a couple of occasions. Then my son was born and things changed because when my daughter sat in the sandbox, she had a sidekick. No one messes with my littlest guy since he's got an entourage in his two older siblings. Do bullies spare brothers and sisters and target only children?

Source: Flickr User Ken Wilcox

Do You Primp For the Playground?

LilSugar — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:30:25 PST

Glamorous Gwen Stefani took her kiddos to the park for some swing and slide time yesterday. The hands-on mom carted Kingston's bike and lil Zuma on her hip like any other mama of two would do. She also sported her signature rocking red lips and perfectly blown out blond 'do, probably because the shutterbugs are always snapping pics.

Fifty-six percent of LilSugar mamas admitted to dolling up in case they run into a handsome daddy, but we're curious if you also take time getting ready for the great outdoors?

Moms Are Big Bullies on the Playground

LilSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:00:42 PDT

There seems to be one in every mommy crowd. The playground patrol who feels it is within her right to monitor the actions of children, parents and caregivers. This mama's lil ones have never had a non-organic treat or been placed in front of the boob tube. Deborah Copaken Kogan, a New York City mother of three and former war photographer, takes on these Type A mums in her new tome Hell Is Other Parents. The collection of essays will sound familiar to any mom who has come face-to-face with nanny poaching rivals and sanctimommies who feel it necessary to give you unsolicited advice on your own parenting issues.

Playground Patrol: When Is a Child Too Old For the Park?

LilSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:00:52 PDT

Parents want to keep their tweens off the streets, but is there a time when they should stop taking them to the playground? Yesterday, we went to a neighborhood park. The structures at the location are intended for young children. At 5 and 2-years-old, my daughter and son can tackle any obstacle offered from climbing the curved bars to walking up its steepest slide.

The place was empty until a dad arrived with his sons, ages 10 and 12. The younger one started plowing through the sand where my son was playing and had my lil guy laughing and introducing himself. A minute later, the tween shouted at my son. When I asked what the problem was, he said, "Is this your kid? I don't want him talking - it bothers me." I encouraged my child to head toward the bridge where he encountered the 12-year-old boy and said, "Hi, friend." before my tot bounced across it. The kid hollered after him, "Did you call me friend, I'm NOT your friend!" While throwing sand or running in front of moving swings is one thing, a friendly soon-to-be preschooler is another. I wasn't about to tell my son that he can't be kind to children on the playground so we left. But, the situation got me thinking - is there a point when kids outgrow the park?

Playground Patrol: Make Kids Run Laps For a Movie Treat?

LilSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:00:43 PST

There's some interesting stuff that happens in the sandbox. The other day while at the playground with my kids, I heard a mother tell her children (ages 6 - 10) to get off the swings and run laps or they would be late for the movie they were set to see. As they ran, she told them to go faster or they wouldn't get a treat at the theater.

The tall and lanky youngsters, who looked none too thrilled to have to exercise for popcorn, finished their workout and exited. Parents worry about their kids staying physically fit, but is forcing your children to burn calories in order to consume an unhealthy snack a lil extreme - especially if you aren't kicking your heels up beside them? What's your opinion?

Source

Lil Tip: Work Out at the Park by Pushing Swings

LilSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:00:09 PST

Keep your arms and kids in motion at the playground! The other day my daughter and a friend wanted to fly like fairies in the baby swings and needed someone to help them get air. Using my left arm to push my daughter and my right to push her friend, I got a rhythm going until about 20 minutes later when they finally tired of the activity. When we were leaving I noticed my arms were a bit sore and asked our in-house fitness guru, FitSugar about recommending it as a tip for moms who find themselves hanging out in the sandbox. She said it's a great exercise and to do squats if you want to add a lil more to your workout.

Source

Do You Keep Your Kids in Sight While at the Park?

LilSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:00:13 PST

My jaw dropped the other day when I heard one mother tell another that she lost track of the woman's son (a kindergartner) earlier in the day (while he was in her care) at the packed park. She found him after a few minutes, but then the two laughed about it as they ate lunch while their tots played clear across the park and out of sight.
Do you keep your eyes on your kids at all times in crowded places?

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