We have all been to the playground once or twice and seen a kid or a parent doing something we don't like. Sure, we might want to say something about it, but if it doesn't involve hurting our kids, we might just let it go. Or maybe we won't.
A mom on TikTok ignited a debate by announcing that she allows her kids to climb up the slide at the playground and even encourages it. Surprise, surprise, but not everyone was in love with her idea. Emme Nye, 29, says that she doesn't care what other parents think about her parenting, and she's not going to make her kids stop.
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Nye knows her parenting style isn't for everyone.
The mom of two lives with her kids and husband in Idaho. She has a background in early education and believes that kids need to be kids. In her video, she says she is that "annoying mom at the park."
Emme's passionate about letting her kids climb the slide and is ready to argue if parents have something to say about it.
For Nye, it's about letting her kids be kids.
She told Today that kids need to develop physically and socially, and playgrounds are an excellent place for that.
"Climbing — or crawling — up a slide helps develop gross motor skills. They're working more muscle groups and figuring out how to use their bodies. You're not going to get that from walking up steps and holding handlebars. They're using their hands and feet at the same time, which means they're going to have cross-brain connection. These things are all so important for developing bodies and minds," she explained.
She said her kids know manners at the playground.
She told Today that her daughter, Penny, knows that kids who want to ride down the slide have the right of way and that tube slides are off limits for climbing because they can be more dangerous. But she also thinks all kids need to pay attention to what is happening around them.
"It's an open-ended play structure. I've never seen a playground sign that said. 'Children must be sitting on their bottom and facing forward while going down the slide,'" she said.
The whole slide etiquette thing triggered a debate.
It made some people big mad.
"It matters if they are getting the slide super muddy and if they are blocking others. I feel like if you want to go against the grain buy your own," one comment reads.
Others thought she wanted a fight. "I think you probably enjoy the verbal disagreements. You do you. But when your kid get hit, I don't want to hear it," someone else commented.
Plenty of people think she's being a jerk.
"Yes…YTA if the slide is busy with other kids trying to use it. this is why other generations make fun of us. What a selfish hill to die on. ," another person commented.
"rephrase this to say 'I'm that inconsiderate mom, that doesn't respect rules of safety or other children who are respectfully waiting in line to slide,'" someone else wrote.
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But she's not the only one. There are plenty of other adults who encourage climbing.
A lot of moms and dads allow their kids to climb on slides as well. The overarching theme of pro-climbers was their kids have to be courteous and safe.
"I let my boys climb up as long as there is no one else using it. Good exercise and confidence builder," one comment reads.
One mom wanted to learn more. "Ok tell me why. I don't let my kid and I really don't know why. I think it was just engrained in me from a young age. I hate it too."
And one mom made an excellent point.
"Yes! It's great for muscles development and if no one is waiting to come down then by all means, I think there's a happy medium here. I actively encourage my kids to climb up the slide, over structures, etc.
"But I also convey to them the importance of making sure other kids get a turn," she added. "It's unkind to prevent other kids from utilizing the equipment simply because they want to climb up. But climbing up is valid. It builds strength and resiliency so as like as they are being kind and not ruining other kids play they are free to do it."
