WWYD? Safety issue at sprayground.UPDATE

[Leanbh]

Originally Posted by photomikey I don't understand who could be at fault: nothing happened. I would have probably grouched at the person who let the kid out of the gate, but in the end, my kid, my job to keep an eye on them. And it seems like you did that. Anyone who yells at an employee (what sounds like a teenage girl, in this case) and brings them to tears should be ashamed of themselves, particularly in a case where... nothing happened.

Well, nothing happened because OP, the mom, was watching and I'm sure high tailed it over to fetch her dd. I'm 100% sure that if it happened to be another kid who's mom was not watching constantly, then that child COULD have easily run out to the parking lot, street.

The problem too is that typically a teenager doesn't know a lot about kids, what age the kid is, might be daydreaming and bored and just let kids out without thinking of the consequences. HOWEVER, accepting a job like that, esp around water is a HUGE responsiblilty. I know all the lifeguards at our pool are very aware of the young kids, no kids are allowed to run or they will get the whistles blown at them. No goofing off allowed. They are constantly watching and calling on any misbehaviour, slightly dangerous situations like unattended kids in water. Our spray area is also one gate in, but no other gate, with a lifeguard at the entrance that checks kids height and swim diapers.

So, I think reducing to tears is not ok, but it is a very responsible job and if you can't do it right then go get a job in dairy queen or a dept store IMO........

[Leanbh]

Originally Posted by shortcake2386 you're right nothing happened...this time. what about next time? when the kid goes into the busy parking lot instead yes i raised a stink but if it prevents someone from actually getting hurt, its worth it.

Exactly! I for one would be grateful for you "raising a stink" if it prevented my kid from the same thing happening. I'm sure they would pass that on to staff to be more vigilant. Hate to say it but sometimes you have to throw in the whole.....if he got knocked down, car backed over and YOUR staff let a 3 year old out.....and let them think about the "consequences" about how that would turn out business wise.

[photomikey]

Originally Posted by shortcake2386 you're right nothing happened...this time. what about next time? when the kid goes into the busy parking lot instead yes i raised a stink but if it prevents someone from actually getting hurt, its worth it.

I didn't realize they let the 3 year old out into a parking lot. From the OP, it sounded like they let him out into a playground.

[shortcake2386]

Originally Posted by photomikey I didn't realize they let the 3 year old out into a parking lot. From the OP, it sounded like they let him out into a playground.

when you go out the gate, the busy parking lot and major road are feet away the play ground is 20 feet ish in the opposite direction. so the "danger" was closer than where my child headed. thats the problem, had it been a fenced in playground i wouldnt have been worried. the worker also let her out then locked the gate and sate back down with her back to my child. she had no idea which direction my kid was headed

[katesmash]

Not exactly the same, but at DD's gymnastics class they have a play area (big plaything with the tubes & slides and stuff, plus some smaller play slides and toys for little kids) that is "gated" with a latch on the outside so that kids inside the play area cannot let themselves out unless they can reach over the little gate (a preschooler wouldn't be able to... an older kid would, heightwise). The difficulty as a parent there is knowing whether you should open the gate for the kid that is standing there, or let the kids in/out when you are going through the gate yourself... I've had a parent let my DD IN to the play area when we were trying to leave

Not totally the same, because the kids really aren't at any risk if they get out of the player area.. they just end up in the table/chairs area for their little cafe.

[twinmomstl]

I would have thrown a fit myself, good job mama

[reithegenki]

I would have reduced her to tears and then reduced her manager to tears and THEN after that written a much more forceful letter.

"Insert joke about iPhone autocorrect here"

[mcpforever]

Originally Posted by shortcake2386 when you go out the gate, the busy parking lot and major road are feet away the play ground is 20 feet ish in the opposite direction. so the "danger" was closer than where my child headed. thats the problem, had it been a fenced in playground i wouldnt have been worried. the worker also let her out then locked the gate and sate back down with her back to my child. she had no idea which direction my kid was headed

Ok. Now I understand both sides. This teen really probably figured that mom/family/older siblings had gone on to the playground and your little girl was just going over there to join them. She wasn't letting the child into the street in her mind, she was letting her go to the playground. Heaven help that teen if she had refused and ended up with a crying preschooler "locked away" from her parents. I'm certain that there have been parents complaining that the gatekeepers refused to allow a child to the playground when they were over there waiting for them. How can this teen win?

FWIW, I have been attending a splash pad with my 3yo(next Saturday) DS2 and 4yo DD. It is "fenced" with a country style fence that my children could easily just climb through. The "gates" are nothing more than breaks in the fence that lead into the parking lot. There is also a mulched playground within the fenced in area. My kids know they are absolutely not to exit into the parking lot. They also know that they are to inform me if they want to move from the wet to the dry (or vice versa) play areas so I know where to watch for them. (Incidentally, I am watching them to make sure they follow through, but they need that responsibility placed on them as well.) I don't follow them all over the place. I hang out in my spot in the shade so they know exactly where to come find Mommy. The only way I could see them even thinking about going to the parking lot would be if they couldn't find me.

All this to say, that my child would have understood that they were not allowed to go to that unfenced play area without me. If they had chosen to, they would have had to sit next to me for the rest of the time there.

[z2akids]

I'm curious. Is the park promoting the teenager as an attendant in the manner that someplace like Chuck E Cheese has someone who makes sure kids don't leave with the wrong person? Was the employee there with a purpose of guarding the gate is what I'm wondering. I have been to splash parks who have employees in the park, but they are more of a monitor/lifeguard - making sure that the teenagers don't come into the little kid park and watching to make sure none of the kids is facedown in the water. I haven't ever been to a spray park that was guarded like a Chuck E Cheese. So, I guess my opinion would depend on job description of the person standing there.

[mysticmomma1879]

No adult (and I'm grouping teens that are employed in here) should ever let a child out of a secure area without getting some sort of visual or verbal cue from the adult. A simple "where's your grownup?" instead of an assumption that the child is going to a parent would suffice.