Hovering over child at playground?

Question

My child turned two last month. I'm trying not to hover over her at the park but I also don't want her to get hurt. I feel at this age there are still so many tall things at most parks that she could fall off of.

Anyway today I went to a playdate at a local park. I didn't want to be "overprotective" so I let my child play, with me looking at her every five seconds. I wasn't right next to her like I usually am because I was talking to other moms. Now I'm feeling guilty that I wasn't close enough to her. I can't stand feeling guilty but it's just that today I let her do something that I've never really let her do before.

How do you act with your child at a park at the age of two? I mean do you stand right there or do you just watch them?

Answer 1

A 2 year old still needs you close and watching.  Your instincts are right.

Answer 2

oh cmon!

dont be such a baby!

do u want her to be scared, shy and not outgoing when shes older or have scrapped her knee at the play ground at the age of 2.

im not saying let her run wild, just dont eb so smothering

Answer 3

i agree with the other moms. but also if you want to break away then let her play but also be a little bit more behind her then normal so she can roam more freely.

honestly my son is turning 4 this december, and I STILL sumtimes be over protective, but i have distanced myself from himand let him do his own thing, i just keep very very close eye on him and if i see him about to do sumthin to hurt him i run over and tell him no, that he willhurt himself.

but over time when they get older you have to just let them go, and they will learn on their own what right to do

Answer 4

My twins will be turning two in a couple months....I hover to the extreme. I went on a playdate also the other day and my friend just let her 2 year old run and play and just kept an eye on him and she was trying to talk to me while I chased mine around.  I hover more than most because mine go in opposite directions and do NOT listen well. I figure better safe than sorry!

Answer 5

I'm not a parent, but I am a long-term "summer babysitter" for a 2 year old (actually she just turned 3).

When we go to a park, I let her play wherever she wants, on whatever she wants. I just sort of follow her. If she toddles over to the playground/slides, I go over there, and stand close enough to be there if an accident happens.. but far enough away so she has space to play freely. If she decides to play in the sand, I go in that direction.

There's usually benches at each area of the park, so I sit at one if she seems occupied with something for a while.

She usually wants me close by so she has an "audience" to watch her "tricks" anyway. She also enjoys having a cheerleader for her as she slides down the "big girl slide" =)

I agree with you though! There are soo many things that kids can fall off of, or in, or over at the park (that are high up too).. you don't really notice these things until you take a 2 year old there=) I wouldn't worry, or feel guilty. I'm sure you're a great mom! No one can prevent accidents from happeneing to a 2 year old, so let her have fun-as long as you are close enough to help her out when she needs it=)

Answer 6

depends what kind of parent you are when I was a nanny I would take the kids I watched to the park alot (2,3 and 5) I saw a lot of moms go and talk with other moms while their kids ran off and did their things, others were totally focused on their kids

Its not bad to let your little girl go off and do her own thing. She will be fine :) but its not bad to be over her too

Answer 7

I have twin boys and one in particular when he was about your daughter's age was very adventurous. At his age he couldn't reasonably assess risk and would do things like swing out over the ground and just drop 2-3 metres unless I was there to catch him. In that case it would have been foolhardy for me to sit back and let him do his own thing. My other son was (and is) very cautious. He would ask for help to climb, jump or slide. In his case I actually had to stand back so he would try to do anything by himself.

So it truly depends on what your daughter likes to do and how many risks she takes. If she is cautious then you can probably step back now and then. BUT if she is a daredevil then you need to be right there.

Personally I am relaxed with my boys when they play at the playground or play gym, but my eyes rarely leave them. I let them explore and do their own thing. But I want to make sure they are safe.

The hardest part of parenting is finding the right balance :-)

Hugs,

mum2MH

Answer 8

your not hovering! at 2 your child still relies on you for protection..

you sound like your doing a great job! well done:)

and dont worry about what other people say... if your dont protect your baby.. who will!!

:)

Answer 9

Ask yourself THIS Question: Do You want your Daughter to be Dependant ON You?- Or Independent OF You ??? And REMEMBER- your Answer, is choosing for HER!  (The MORE "Space" there is between trees, the better they grow...)

Answer 10

At age 2, I was by my child's side every step of the way. Keep hovering, you're doing great!

Answer 11

At that age I would be standing with her.  It is worth it to be "over protective" because there are alot of things she could fall off

Answer 12

I take my kids (4, 6, and 9) to the park all the time. Just the other day there was another mother there with her (looked to be about 4 year old) little girl. I swear the mother called out "Brandy! BRANDY!" every 5 minutes. The girl would stick her head out and say "What!?!?!" and then her mother would say nothing, nevermind. Basically just to see where she was. It was a LITTLE extreme. This poor kid couldn't ever really get involved in her playtime!

Now your baby is two so its a little different I'm sure.

I just always make sure I'm always within sight and sound. I can spot them, and hear them if they're in trouble. But I don't follow them around or hover directly over them.

Make sure they know where you are. But don't be afraid to let her test her limits and explore her world. I'm sure you fell plenty as a child and you're still here on God's green earth :D

Answer 13

With my boys, I let them run wild, and watch from a distance. They've always been rough and tumble, so I expect bumps and bruises at the end of the day. My daughter's only 15 mos. so I watch her much more closely.

Answer 14

I'm so overprotective & so is my husband & not about them getting hurt but about someone hurting them-we don't go to the park if theirs a lot of people there- my kids are so spoiled b/c we have a park in our back yard!