Swing danger

[ebhappydc]

I was outside in my backyard just before quiet time today with the dc group. The oldest child was swinging quite eagerly...I stand close so as to keep the younger ones from passing in front, but a little one got behind him and basically got body-checked... i decided to take down the 3 swings i have and will replace them with trapeze bars, or climbing ropes... do you guys have swings up? any other ideas how to fill that space?.... my oldest dck is 4 and quite big for his age... he's bawling though that i took them down....

[torontokids]

Personally, I think that's an extreme reaction. Kids get hurt and although we don't want it happening on our watch, it happens. I would keep them up and just do as you were doing to keep them from going in front. If we make things "too safe" the kids will be playing with nothing.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I took down the swings that came with mine and put up a baby swing and a tire swing ( it's a little tykes and it's a plastic square). I've had kids get hit before but it's usually not hard enough to seriously hurt them. I try to teach them that when kids are swinging they have to stay away from the front and back....of course some don't listen and have had to learn the hard way!

Just this year I got smart...I lowered the swings close to the ground. The kids can now get on the swings themselves( my back loves this!lol) and they are low enough that if a child gets in the way the damage is minimal and more to the body instead of head.

[cfred]

I don't think it's an extreme reaction at all. Swings aren't put on school or daycare playgrounds any more for this very reason. They are, in fact, quite dangerous and in ECE, they were considered a huge liability risk. I took them down at my old daycare location as well, after a 3 year old got kicked in the face. That parent was cool and understanding....lot s aren't. Best to be rid of them.

[daycaremum]

It's not true where I live that schools and daycares can't have swings. However, there are rules about how close they can be to other things such as climbers and fences. They also have to have so much open space around them.

[bright sparks]

I don't think it's an extreme reaction at all. Swings aren't put on school or daycare playgrounds any more for this very reason. They are, in fact, quite dangerous and in ECE, they were considered a huge liability risk. I took them down at my old daycare location as well, after a 3 year old got kicked in the face. That parent was cool and understanding....lot s aren't. Best to be rid of them.

My kids have been through 4 schools so far, between relocating, then damm small towns with very few home schools beyond grade 6, French immersion transfer and then the whole reconstruction of the French and English school designations meaning another move, and every one of them has swings on them. Most school playgrounds are also public parks so I'm not sure where you have seen schools with no swings unless it is the catholic board but I know in Niagara and Halton Region most public school playgrounds have swings. Next they will want to take monkey bars out......I know numerous kids who have fallen off those and broken their arm but no serious injuries from swings.....painful no doubt but no visits to the emergency room that's for sure. If we take things away we may be preventing them from being hurt that way but not teaching them how to be safe as a result.

[FSD]

I HATE swings during daycare time!! LOL Between the two older ones constantly asking me to push me push me and the little ones who haven't quite gotten the whole "I'm gonna get it in the head if I walk in front of them swinging", it's enough to drive me batty! I usually take them down during daycare hours for my piece of mind and put them back up for my own girls. I don't replace them with anything....there's tons of other stuff for the kiddos to play with.

[playfelt]

In previous houses we have done the safety margin by filling an area with mulch and you had to stay out of the mulched area if a swing was in motion and in another house the yard setup allowed us to put a short fence around across the area so you had to enter through the equivalent of a gate to get to the big kid area. Could also do the opposite and make a little kids only play area depending on which group you have is the largest or which age group your own kids fall into.

We have a swingset but it has the bench in the middle and two swings on side that are the rubber so even when you get hit it isnt' the same as getting clobbered by a wooden board as with wooden swings.

[mickyc]

My kids love the swings!! I just teach the older kids to watch for the little ones. If the little ones are close by they must stop. I teach the little ones to stay away. Some kids need to learn the hard way and get bulldozed over.

I understand we want our kids to be safe but I think that is being excessive. Kids need to learn danger and if we bubble wrap everything they do they won't learn.

[Polkaroo]

I agree, kids must be kids. Yes we must make sure they are safe but these things happen. It's part of learning. As long as it's not life threatening, they will be ok. I LOVED the swings growing up and my kids also love it.