Hovering parenting......

Just a little observation that's getting on my nerves.

Could all the hovering mums that do not give their kids any space or freedom in the playground all take about ten steps back!

In my opinion, kids, lets say, 3 year olds, could all do with the freedom play how they like. As a mum, I don't always like what I see or hear coming out of my childs mouth, or other kids directed towards my child. But that is how life is! Children work things out for themselves if they're given half a chance. If you're always standing there censoring what comes out of your kids mouth, and shielding them from other childrens' comments and whatever, you're not doing them any favours.  I'm not saying kids should be left in a 'Lord of the flies' situation.

What I'm really mad about is the two situations I was confronted by this last week. The first one was in Ikea....In the kids section, E was playing with the toys, I was just behind a shelf looking at stuff, when I came back to see what she was doing I hear from  a mother "that's not a very nice way to play". Well, fair enough. I don't know what she was doing. I figured Else didn't   want to share what she was playing with...I don't know. So I swooped in and saw the other little girl was a about to cry, and insisted that E said she was sorry, and maybe it would be better if she just let the girl play. ALL I COULD DO! Well, the look on the other mother was absolutely icicles, I was mortified!! Nothing would have put this right. I felt like this mother was just thinking I'm a disgrace because I wasn't standing in my little girls shadow, I won't do it. She doesn't need me right behind her every second. The other time was at Ocean grove play ground, great fun but, all the mothers were hovering, I don't. I let find her own way, make her own friends and do her own imagining with out me even in earshot. I of course can see her. Again, some little incident. Taking turns or something, and mothers are looking at me to intervene. So dutifully, I do, but still it's not right. So, what do all these mothers want from me? Do I have to stand there just like they do, Is that the main part of parenting? My kids are at my side every waking hour, I figure they are entitled to want to run free, ahhhhh