Playground Etiquette.

Wednesday morning Kevin let me sleep in until 9:30. Whoo hoo! I love that man!

Anyhoo, I had planned on taking Kaiden to Toddler Town that morning and it opened at 10, so I got Jordan up and we got our butts moving.

Toddler Town is basically free play for toddlers (5 and under) at the local rec center. It's a $1, so I figured we should give it a try. Umm..yeah, it wasn't what I expected at all.

When we got there, it was a gym basically filled with some toys, screaming toddlers and parents that weren't paying attention to them. Chaos. Like his mama, Kaiden is not a fan of it. Don't get me wrong, Kaiden is a wild child, but Kevin and I both agree that teaching him manners and to be kind at a very young age is a must. Yes, he is under two and yes, he has very good manners. I wouldn't have it any other way either.

It seems though, that many other parents don't take this same approach. And maybe I'm naive because Kaiden has yet to hit the terrible two's or three's or whatever, but dang, these kids were obnoxious. Pushing, knocking over toys other kids built, and having no regard for kids that were smaller than them. Is this normal?? I had to save some 18 month girl from getting plummeted at the slide and her mama was no where in site. Uggh! Maybe I'm too over protective. Maybe it would have been good for that little girl to get knocked down by some 5 year olds. Would have taught her not to get in front of that slide again, huh? Maybe. But I just couldn't sit there and watch it.

I noticed that Kaiden was the only kid that wanted to hold my hand while checking out the digs and walking from zone to zone. Does that mean that he is unsociable or too attached to me? Or was it simply because he was in a new place and the kids were crazy? I just don't know. I try to encourage him to do it on his own and he just always seems to prefer my comforting hand. Is that so wrong? If it's not, then why do I feel so guilty about it? I really just shouldn't.

I know in my heart that I'd rather have a kid that is smart, sensitive, kind and unique than a kid that fits into the "norm" and is a fricken brat. I guess I just need to continue to remind myself of that because at the end of the day, I know he's happy, well-adjusted and loved beyond belief. He makes me so proud to be his mama. Like when he was sitting playing with the big blocks and another kid came over and knocked down another kids build and made that kid cry. Kaiden was concerned. You should have seen his little face, just feeling bad for that crying kid, while the brat that knocked it down didn't have a care in the world about it. Yeah, I'd rather have a son that cares. One that says thank you, please and bless you. One that lays a gentle hand on his doggies and rubs them sweetly while no one is looking. One that hates to see his mama upset and runs to her whenever he feels that she is not okay. One that will step back to let another kid go first instead of pushing them out of his way. I love my kid. He has such a bright bright soul.

And although many parents were staring at me while I played with my child and they sat and gossiped away with their other mommy friends, at least I was trying to get the most out of the experience. I don't do these things with my kid to get a break. I do it to see him have fun and be apart of his life. But maybe that's because I'm not a stay at home mama either. Whatever it may be, I'm trying my best. I have yet to find my "niche" in the mommy world, but I'd rather be playing with blocks than talking about breast milk anyway. ;-)

*The picture above is a wreath Kaiden made at Toddler Town (I helped with the glue, of course). Isn't it precious? I can't wait to include it in our Christmas decorations for years to come!