WTF?
I'm not usually one to use Internet acronyms. But, that was my reaction today at the playground.
No, I wasn't there on my own. I took my five year-old.
When we arrived to the small neighborhood playground there was a mother and her two very small children in the under three section and two teenagers on a bench in the corner whose sense of the seasons was skewed.
They thought it was Spring.
My daughter ignored them all to attack the massive all-in-one climbing latticework/slide that every playground now has. I wandered all around the huge structure keeping her in site. Yes, I am that careful.
The mother and children leave and a father arrives with his three year son rushing ahead. The two children immediately approach each other to see who was who. A pecking order was established: the boy: I am very fast and no, I don't want any part of structured play. My daughter asked for her camera to prove she was disinterested in him.
After she made her point, she resumed moving from section to section at almost his speed. Within a few minutes they had mutually decided through some hidden child sign language they should climb sections or slide always within 5 feet of each other.
The father and I spoke. (I must interject that other fathers are much more willing to respond to my greetings than mothers. I understand why. And it wish it weren't so.) We're both relatively new to town. We discussed the problems of getting to know the neighborhood. He explained he was a fifth grade teacher. I listed my resume in short.
I saw two cars pull into the playground parking. A woman and a six or seven year-old boy in one car. A man in the other. They seemed to know each other. The boy ran into the playground toward my daughter and her new friend. They were just out of earshot. The boy said something and both my daughter and the three year-old came running over to us.
She quickly informed me the new boy had told them he was going to kill them.
I heard the three year old say almost the same thing to his father.
The new boy was coming under the structure toward us. I asked him why he said that and he replied he was just making a joke.
I said, "That's not something funny. It isn't something to say to anyone." I think I said that. In my mind I was thinking, "What the fuck???"
From behind me the other father said something to the effect of, "That's not how we play together....." I lost the rest, but it sounded exactly what a well-educated and patient teacher would say.
I have to admit that my Protective Dad had taken over. I was looking at the new child as someone I didn't want my daughter around. I looked to the man and woman -- now sitting at a table discussing something quietly. I considered, and decided against, saying anything to them.
I didn't know if I wanted my daughter to stay. Luckily, my decision was made for me. I realized it was time to pick up my wife from work. I told the three-year old's father it was nice to meet him and goodbye. To reach our car I walked by the man and woman. I simply said "Hello."
I buckled her in, and as I left, it looked like the teacher was also getting ready to leave. I wonder how long the six year-old had to play alone.
