Lessons Learned at the Park

Dotty is my only child. For that reason (and probably many more) I am OVERPROTECTIVE. This I know.

I watch my child like a hawk (99% of the time). I really do so when we are out in public places.

Yesterday I took Dotty to a local park. It was about 3:30 so there were lots of kids of all ages at the park. Many parents just sat in the shade and watched as their kids ran, played, slid down slides, climbed all over the jungle gym maze of hang bars, ladders, ropes, bridges, etc.

This park playground is surrounded by sand so many kids built castles, dug holes, buried toys, trucks, and their mother's keys or cell phones.

Dotty is a lot like me and Tony. She is shy and reserved at first but once you get to know her she will get in the mix of things.

Also, Dotty being an only child she likes to play with me...and only me. All the other kids soon made "friends" with each other and they ran, yelled, jumped, fell, and basically did what any kid between 3 and 8 years of age do.

I was amazed watching the other children. How they talked to each other. What they said and how they said it. Now when I hear Dotty say the words..."stupid, idiot, creep, ugly, or poopy head"...or claim to..."kill me or hate me"...or stick her tongue out at me or try to hit me...I may have some idea where she gets these ideas.

Those children were animals!

I also saw a mother of 3 (who was not American or at least was not speaking English to the person she spent the vast majority of the time on her cell phone with) use some unique parenting tactics.

Her oldest son (who was probably around 7 or 8) at one point had his shorts and his underwear off to inspect the sand that must have gotten into some cracks that he did not appreciate.

Her middle child (a boy around 5ish) hit at least two other children that I saw.

Her youngest child (a girl about 2) climbed all over the playground equipment...some of it gets very tall...over six feet...and many places have openings in the bars for kids to climb on hang bars or slide down poles.

All this being said the mother was oblivious to all her children and was clearly more interested in her phone conversation and the snack she was eating. She did make her older son put his clothes back on when he walked in front of her naked from the waist down. She never noticed the other boy or the little girl (who by the grace of God) never fell the entire 30 minutes she was on the playground equipment.

I know kids are tough. I know they have to learn things on their own. I know all of this and more. However, as I sat in the sand playing with Dotty getting almost as dirty as she was I thought to myself...Dotty may not slide down too many slides without knowing I am at least at the end to catch her if I need to...she might always look around to see where I am when she crosses the bridge (I am right behind her)...and she may always prefer to play with her Mom.

But I also know that some day she will be too old to want to slide down slides...she will cross a bridge, a street, a stage at graduation and she won't need to see if I am there because she will know she can do it herself...and she won't prefer to play with me always.

So until those days come...you will find me in the sand with Dotty and not with the other moms. Those moms may have funny stories, good ideas, and lots of great gossip...but they are not Dotty...they are not my baby girl...they are not the reason I came to the park in the first place.