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[gennidad]

The bad part is that it only seem this way when there are not a lot of people there.  We went to the park on one day where it seemed everyone was there (about 40 or 50 kids vs the normal 6.)  That day was a blast.  It was one of the reasons we started going so often.  There were older kids playing on the equipment with the younger but they would take the younger ones with them down the high slides or let them slide between two older kids.  They all played really well together but when it was school time and just the kids that were too young for school were there the attitude of the people at the park changed. 

[rowan1]

 To be more specific, all the kids were on the merry-go-round (the playground kind).  All of them.  I went over to check on my youngest.  Almost everyone was piled on, some of the older kids were spinning it, all the older kids watched the younger (Sit down so you don't fall off, stop the ride so this other kid can get on, stop the ride so someone can get off, here's your shoe that fell off), and everyone was having a blast.  It hit me like a ton of bricks how awesome and unusual that is these days.

I had the same experience at our neighborhood park - it was great watching the big kids take care of the little kids.  Even cooler was the day my son realized he was a big kid and needed to look out for a little kid.

[ms_turtle]

This afternoon's event is still bothering me. My kids and I were waiting at the speech clinic for my son's appointment. There were 3 boys in the hallway where we were sitting. They were brothers with the oldest at 9, the next around 6 or 7, and baby brother at around 18 months. There was a woman prattling on with a staff member nearby. The two older boys were physically abusing the baby. I kid you not, the baby was on his hands and knees trying to stand up and then the oldest stomped his foot on his baby brother's back. The little one was crying and screaming so hard that at one point no sound was coming out of his mouth. Where is mom?

The oldest knew I saw him, and I was about to go pick that baby up and protect him. Then the oldest dragged the baby to the prattling woman. She just grabs the baby and prattles on, "oh, they're just real rough with him."

The worst thing I've ever witnessed, however, was seeing and hearing a woman ooze venom while she told her 2.5 year old daughter, "Listen you little terror, you should have been a boy."

[gennimom]

That youngest brother is going to grow up to do something bad to big brother.

That woman needs a clue.

[language_geek1066]

This afternoon's event is still bothering me. My kids and I were waiting at the speech clinic for my son's appointment. There were 3 boys in the hallway where we were sitting. They were brothers with the oldest at 9, the next around 6 or 7, and baby brother at around 18 months. There was a woman prattling on with a staff member nearby. The two older boys were physically abusing the baby. I kid you not, the baby was on his hands and knees trying to stand up and then the oldest stomped his foot on his baby brother's back. The little one was crying and screaming so hard that at one point no sound was coming out of his mouth. Where is mom?

The oldest knew I saw him, and I was about to go pick that baby up and protect him. Then the oldest dragged the baby to the prattling woman. She just grabs the baby and prattles on, "oh, they're just real rough with him."

The worst thing I've ever witnessed, however, was seeing and hearing a woman ooze venom while she told her 2.5 year old daughter, "Listen you little terror, you should have been a boy."

Did you report the boys and their mom, who is clearly evil? If they allow you to see this in person, what do you think they are doing to that child in private?

I'd call Social Services in a New York minute, and document the call.

[slac_vap]

 To be more specific, all the kids were on the merry-go-round (the playground kind).  All of them.  I went over to check on my youngest.  Almost everyone was piled on, some of the older kids were spinning it, all the older kids watched the younger (Sit down so you don't fall off, stop the ride so this other kid can get on, stop the ride so someone can get off, here's your shoe that fell off), and everyone was having a blast.  It hit me like a ton of bricks how awesome and unusual that is these days.

I had the same experience at our neighborhood park - it was great watching the big kids take care of the little kids.  Even cooler was the day my son realized he was a big kid and needed to look out for a little kid.

Similar experience here.  I took my two-year-old son to the park, and he was having fun going down a tall slide.  There were several older boys playing tag on the same structure, and though they were playfully rough with each other, they were very careful around my son.  When he climbed the steps, they would stop their play to let him past, and one of the boys even caught my son at the bottom of the slide once when he thought my son might be sliding a bit too fast.  It's interesting to me that it seems like boys in the 7- to 11-year-old age range in particularly seem to be so nurturing to toddlers.  I don't typically see the same sorts of behaviors in girls in that same age range.