Do the Rules Apply to You?

We are rule-followers. I generally don't ask others to follow the rules, though. The snake thing impacts others, though, so I would have said something in that situation.

With regard to rules, if they're safety-related, then I do follow them. For instance, if bikes aren't allowed because kids on tricycles/big wheels could be hurt, then I certainly wouldn't allow my kids to ride their bikes there. However, if it's a rule created totally arbitrarily, I might not follow it. For instance, our ballet studio requires that we order ballet leotards through them only, and the leotards are $40 each (which is an outrageous price, especially when you need 5+ of them). I went and spoke with the director about it and asked why I couldn't just get a leotard of the same style and color at Discount Dance for $10 each, and she finally agreed that the rule was totally arbitrary. See - stupid rule that was pointless to follow. For what it's worth, I absolutely don't agree that kids should be taught to follow rules simply because they're rules. It's not that rules don't apply to us, but over the history of human beings, there have been some pretty dumb rules that lots of people have blindly followed, to the detriment of society. We *should* question rules in a respectful and socially responsible way. If they are good rules, they'll stand the test of time. And if not, well then, we shouldn't be following them.

In terms of snakes - OMG! A BUCKET OF SNAKES?! What in the world?? I'd have called the police, or animal control, or somebody. Where does somebody get a bucket of snakes, and WHY would they release them on a playground? I would have flipped out about that, for sure.

Snakes bite, poisonous or not. I would have called the police if kids started doing that at the park. Call me a meannie - I don't care. The police would have called their parents and they would have gotten in trouble.

Snakes? Wow. Where the heck did they get them?

I don't think people purposely break the rules so much as when they don't exactly make sense no one knows they are rules.

I mean I would never expect a playground to be only big wheels. I have four kids, none of them ever owned a big wheel. Why would you have a park that is limited to one object that not many people own, ya know. So I would probably be there ignoring the rules because I just didn't know they were there.

I wouldn't be bringing a bucket of snakes, that is just plain weird. :(

We follow rules of where we are at. If we don't agree with the rules, we leave. But while we are at someone else's establishment we follow the rules and teach my children to follow them as well. If there are children misbehaving, I speak up. I point out those children and remind my own that THAT is not the way to act. I will tell children to go see their mother or father before I do. Very rarely do I come across a parent who argues with me about their child's behavior, and when they do I will argue tooth and nail for the safety of my children and the others and point out the rules and that they apply to everyone. I tell them, "If you don't like the rules you can leave. That's what I do when I don't like the rules." And no, you're not too tough. I would have jumped up in a heart beat and snapped at those children to get out and get out NOW and take the snakes with them! I'm sure their parents had no idea what they were doing and wouldn't have approved. We can't assume that misbehaved children are due to uncaring parents, cuz when they're on their own they will test the waters and do what they want until people tell them they can't.

I have to play second mommy to 3 girls every morning at the bus stop, twin first graders and a third grader. The older sister is worse than the younger ones. They hit, call names, play in the street and I can't afford to have my own kids following behind them so I have to step up and tell them to behave since their father is off working and their mother is home sleeping. They apparently get themselves ready for school. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

If the park is not for bikes, then it's not for bikes and probably for good reason. I also don't like climbing where you're told not to climb. For example, you can break branches on trees (or get hurt). I was once reprimanded by a cop for sitting on a high wall at a rest stop (in my late teens). Another time I fell over a fence and ripped up my back. It's never gone well for me to skirt those kinds of rules.

Some rules, like waiting for someone to get off a slide, are both being nice and for safety. I got ticked off at some kids who were at an orchard and were coming down a long slide and ramming into people. My DD was barely 3 at the time and had she not been in my lap, they would have slammed into her. They hurt ME. No obvious parents were around so I yelled at them.

I think your DH was right to tell the big kids to leave with their snakes. That's not a "rule" per se, but come on. That was not being nice. I wouldn't have thought to call animal control, but that's a good idea.

I've found that often the same people who want to skirt rules (like no sitting on the wall) are also the people who give me grief when something happens to their kid. The rules don't apply to THEM...til something happens to them and it becomes your fault. Their kid trips and your kid can't stop and the other kid gets a Big Wheel to the head....so you take your chances.

NO....That was a 911 and you and your man only needed to make the call......the one's who stood by should never think of themselves as onboard parents.....just because they make more $$ or live in an upscale neighborhood. The teens with the snakes....unless their parents reel them in, are in for it...their kids are juviniles in traning for felons.

Don't back down again.

We always follow posted rules, and I want others to do the same. If I don't like the rules, we don't stay---it's simple enough. I wouldn't mind tweens playing at a park. Releasing snakes (I don't care what kind)? I'd have lost my mind on them.

I teach my child that two wrongs don't make a right and that the rules are meant to be followed.

As for the snakes, I would have probably called the police. I too am deathly afraid of snakes!

Great question! Generally speaking I am all about following the rules. I think I have always been like that. However, there are times that I think of "rules" as "guidelines" and have definitely not followed them. For instance, i have been at play areas where certain sections are for age 3 and under. When my oldest was 4 and the baby was 1, I let both of them play in that area. My oldest was (is) a mild mannered kid and not rambunctious at all. I knew that she didn't pose a threat to any younger kids who might be there.

Snakes? That is incredibly bizarre and i have no idea how i would have responded. I'm guessing i would have left too, but that definitely isn't okay around a bunch of kids.

We follow most rules. Like no diving into the pools and no bikes where no bike signs are posted. BUT I did not follow the rule "no boys in the girls locker room" posted at the base pool. My son was 5 to maybe 8, I was not taking chances with his safety, he stayed with me.

I would have called police on the tweens/teens. That is not acceptable.

I would have booked it before being able to explain to anyone why if there were snakes around PERIOD! Plus, my man is kinda non confrontational and would have laughed about it and not really cared - he just thinks I am a big wuss on the snake front. But, I follow the park rules and talk LOWDLY about how good of a job we are doing FOLLOWING THE RULES of the park - We only use our Big Wheels here and we do NOT sit on the buildings etc. But that is just part of my personality in general. Oh and if snakes were not my ONE thing I would have said something to the kids myself. I can not stand parents smoking at the park - even when I was a smoker I knew where/when it was appropriate to smoke.

i do my best to follow the rules of the parks we go to. when i take my daughter to the park we have a talk on the way. i tell her what is and isnt ok to do. as for the bikes in the big wheel area i think is ok schooters and skates too. they cant expect every parent to only have a big wheel. as long as they are being cautious its fine.
the kids with the snakes what in the world were they thinking! i would have backed your husband because that isnt ok. the other parents should have stood with him.