[blparent] playgrounds and climbing structures

Wed Sep 19 17:57:49 UTC 2012

I am not sure how safe it is for the kids to have an adult climbing
around on those things with a cane.This is just an opinion and not
saying anyone is wrong for doing this.  Also I would say that a
structure with a lot of drop offs is not the safest for a child just
learning to walk.  
On Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:31:51 -0400
"Melissa Ann Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us> wrote:

> Ah, playgrounds... Tons of fun, but also challenges for sure. Here are a few
> things I've found helpful when climbing around on playgrounds with my kids.
> First of all, as you've all ready said, a bell on my kids--usually on their
> shoes--for me is a must. This is especially true as they get older and can
> do some independent climbing/playing. I also usually used a backpack harness
> to keep track of my kids on climbing structures. This gives them some
> freedom to move/climb ahead of me, but I still have a hold of them. Of
> course, wearing a harness presents its own challenges. Sometimes I was
> afraid that my child was going to get tangled up in the leash. In those
> instances, I would remove the leash for a short period of time and just made
> sure I stayed close. Also, I always have my cane with me while I climb. I
> use a folding cane--actually a telescoping one--so I can easily collapse it
> when necessary. When it is collapsed, I usually stick it in my belt, or in
> the waisteband of my pants. It is a little clumsy at first, but I found
> having it was much more preferable to not having it and really wanting it in
> order to explore what was ahead. Of course it is not useful on ladders, but
> it is tremendously useful when on a flat surface with steps--which seem to
> be more common on climbing structures these days. Also, while holding the
> leash of a harness, I had the freedom to walk more beside my kids and I
> could use the cane a bit in front of them to at least scope out the area a
> bit. I don't move the cane back and forth in a normal arc in those
> instances, but I can use it to explore at least a little on each side, and
> to detect drop offs, which were my biggest concern when my kids were early
> walkers. I hope I'm explaining that clearly enough--please let me know if
> you want more clarification.
> 	I am usually the only mom on the structure. This never bothers me
> either because I want to know my kids are safe. It is a little annoying at
> times though because I feel as if I really don't get to meet and talk with
> other parents who are all seeming to have a grand old time together while
> their children play. 
> I hope some of my experiences help. The important thing is that you are out
> with your son and the two of you are making new discoveries together.
> Melissa
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Ronit Ovadia Mazzoni
> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 5:13 PM
> To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: [blparent] playgrounds and climbing structures
> 
> Hi everyone,
> I know this topic has been discussed before here but I wanted to share my
> experience with a playground that I had last week to see if any of you had
> any suggestions for me.
>  
> Last week I took my 17-month-old son to a playground that had a toddler
> climing structure. It was quite large and had several slides and bridges
> attached to it. I went with a few other moms so I wasn't there alone but
> when my son wanted to climb on the structure, I wanted to follow him. I
> climbed up after him and kept a hand on him all the time. HE's a new walker
> and I was afraid he wouldn't know better if he got too close to an edge
> where he could fall off. I had never been to this park before and wasn't
> familiar with the structure. I asked the moms to describe to me what was
> ahead of me if I turned a certain direction on the structure since I
> couldn't easily bring my cane up there. My son was frustrated that I had a
> hand onhim the whole time but I was afraid to let him go too far ahead of me
> without knowing what was in front of us. It was ok but I felt very
> uncomfortable with having to ask for so much help and also I was the only
> mom up there on the structure. I"m not as bothered  by this, but I'm
> wondering if there is an easier way to do this. I know if I got familiar
> with a place, it would probably be easier, but it wasn't possible with this
> situation. I had a bell on my son but now that he's walking, I'm more
> nervous. Also since I couldn't have my cane with me, I felt more nervous and
> less able to explore quickly.
>  
> Thanks for any advice you can give.
> Ronit
>  
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