Being in the playground with other children provides your child with a fantastic opportunity to learn to socialize. Parents should take their children to playgrounds as a lot of activity occurs among children in parks. A playground teaches your child to follow the rules of play, interact appropriately, wait for turns, find amicable solutions to problems, build an emotional connection with others, and express feelings.
A child learns best from another child, especially young children. Whether your child is school-going or a pre-schooler, going to a park is always a great idea. However, playground problems are also a thing and should be dealt with as soon as they come up. This blog post will share with you the five most common playground problems among kids and how parents can solve them.
- 1- The Child Always has their Parents Hovering Around.
- Solution to the Problem.
- 2- Being Bullied by Another Child.
- Solution to the Problem.
- 3- The Child Doesn’t Know How to Use the Playground Equipment.
- Solution to the Problem.
- 4- Difficulty Accepting Loss or Gloating About Winning a Game.
- Solution to the Problem.
- 5- The Child Acts Mean to Other Children.
- Solution to the Problem.
- Concluding the Discussion.
1- The Child Always has their Parents Hovering Around
Many parents think their young child needs keen supervision at all times. And what they do is they would start hovering around their child and follow the child everywhere. The intention behind doing so can be making sure that their child is using playing equipment properly, being friendly with other children, having fun, and is safe. However, this kind of supervision is not good for the child and can create problems.
Seeing a parent being all over turns off a child’s ability to interact freely with other children. When a parent is close by all the time, a child may feel shy about making new friends. Also, children feel cautious about trying new things when their parents are always following them. Such ‘helicopter’ parenting shatters a child’s confidence to have new experiences on their own.
Solution to the Problem
It would be best if you try to be the place of return in case your child feels troubled. You should act as a secure base of return by sitting in one spot where you can observe your child from a distance. Doing so teaches your child that they are safe to do their thing within your eyesight. Also, your child will learn to manage behavior and solve minor issues independently before your intervention.
2- Being Bullied by Another Child
Like adults, not all children are the same. Every child has different abilities to think, mingle, react, and learn. And these differences can make a child the focus of bullying by another child or a group of children. There’s a difference between teasing and bullying. Your child should be able to understand that difference.
Verbal examples of bullying include racist remarks, insulting, name-calling, and abusive language. Different types of social bullying are intimidation, encouraging other children to socially exclude a child from the group, etc. Whereas, physical bullying can be hitting, kicking, tripping, pinching, and pushing.
Solution to the Problem
Most importantly, you must have a conversation with your child before even bullying happens to them. Your child should know what bullying is like and how they should react when being bullied. Also, you should be proactive in listening if your child has anything to say. Tell your child they can talk to you if they feel bullied. Also, tell them that they can simply walk away if they feel unsafe.
3- The Child Doesn’t Know How to Use the Playground Equipment
Maybe some new type of equipment has recently been installed in the playground, and your child is unfamiliar with it. It can also be that your child hasn’t had enough experience playing in a garden. Also, your child may be dangerously using a particular playground equipment. In any such situation, your kid can end up hurting themself.
But, that does not mean you continuously tell your kid to be careful all the while. Like adults, kids also learn through experiences, and it is better that you encourage them to learn to play and give them some space.
Solution to the Problem
As a parent, you should be able to let your child go with the flow sometimes. This means that sometimes minimum parental intervention helps your child to learn better. It helps if you prefer talking to your child about how they should use a particular equipment and keep an eye on them as they use it.
Being overly cautious will lead your child to be unconfident and unable to play independently. So, be relaxed and let your child do things on their own with a bit of guidance. This will enhance your child’s self-learning and independence.
4- Difficulty Accepting Loss or Gloating About Winning a Game
If your child finds it difficult to control their emotions or easily follow their impulses, this can be a problem. They may make other children feel bad about losing, or they may get super upset about losing a game. Such children do not understand that winning and losing are part of the game. And it’s not a good thing to get upset, try to insist that others are cheaters, or gloat about one’s victory.
Solution to the Problem
Tell your child that making other children feel bad about losing is not good. Point out that children will not want to play with your child if they gloat about winning. Tell your child that playground games are meant for just fun like all games, and there’s nothing to be so upset about losing.
5- The Child Acts Mean to Other Children
On the playground, it's all about cooperation. The kids have to wait for their turn, share, and communicate with everyone around. Children with differences in thinking patterns and learning, can find it hard to behave and participate properly. And this affects a child to act in a manner that others don’t like.
Your child may start to act mean to others and manifest this behavior verbally or physically. An example of this is not letting other children take their turn and asking for more. Such behavior can quickly turn into bullying behavior. Also, your child may be unable to understand social cues or find it hard to process information.
Solution to the Problem
The best thing you can do is mimic the correct behavior in front of your child. Practice things and verbal language your child should know, such as ‘it’s my turn’, ‘your turn’, or ‘let me play’. Tell your child that they should not be shy to ask a peer if they do not understand the rules of a game.
Also, remind them that if they don’t let others take turns, other children will not want to play with them. Show your child how to understand critical social cues so they can have a good time with other children.
Concluding the Discussion
Taking your child to the playground is always a great idea. This helps your kiddo have a good time filled with fun and activity. However, if a playground problem arises, your child should have the freedom to try and solve the issue by themselves. It is better to train your child for various problematic scenarios and be close enough to intervene if they genuinely need your help.