The School Playground And Me

A little while after my five year old twin girls started school I wrote a post called the a lone dad on the mum playground. There is no doubt at that time that I felt quite isolated on the school playground.

I’m happy to say that I don’t feel like that anymore, although at times, I don’t always feel part of the crowd, not that that’s vitally important to me, but it is nice to have some conversation with other parents and for me that includes a conversation with other mum’s and dads. I also feel that it is a great example to my five year old twin girls about being friendly and socialable so that they learn simple social interaction in their peer group.

The interesting thing for me is that this is the second time that I have done the school playground dropping off at school and pick-up at school. My three older children was the first time and actually it’s not that much different. Just different people and I think playground politics have not really changed over the years.

There is still the same cliques of parents and mum only groups, but of course they are different faces, but that is the only difference. Of course there are more dads on the playground, but blokes being blokes don’t tend to gather in a circle and chat. They tend to place themselves strategically at regular intervals around the playground. So if you did want a chat, a megaphone would be useful. On the mornings I take the girls I do tend to wait in line because I’m in a rush to get to work so chatting really is not on my mind. I possibly think this may appear unfriendly, but it’s not, it’s simply because I have to be somewhere, and my day is shorter than normal, so I need to fit in as much as possible in the day.

On pick-up from school it’s slightly different because I’m usually about 15 minutes early so I have more time to talk. Again I find there are the usual cliques, but I generally have a laugh and a conversation, but this is usually the same people.  Sometimes though it’s nice to chat about yours or their daily lives.

I have often wondered though if we are more friendly with certain parents, does this make our own children talk about and are more friendly with their children, and I wonder if we wrongly don’t speak to certain parents because our children tell us those children are occasionally naughty. Strange I know, but is it true? I will leave that to you to work out.

Over the last nine months something very strange for me has happened as far as the school playground is concerned. I’m now aware that people know that I blog and in fact some people have actually come up to me and said I read your post today and it was good. Now that’s a really weird feeling. Omg! I’m a celebrity in my own backyard, haha! Not really, I’m only joking!

My conclusion about the school playground is it’s not really changed that much in the last 16 years that I have been standing on one. Although I don’t feel as uncomfortable now as I did last September. Thankfully, I definitely feel more a part of the school playground, and it’s a nice feeling.

Would love to know your thoughts.