Rule #1 - Bladder Control
This is the first and foremost rule of playground etiquette. No peeing in the sandbox. No peeing in the bushes. No peeing on the Jungle Gym. If your child can't make it to the bathroom, they should be in a diaper.Rule #2 - Discipline
Raising your voice or yelling at your child while at the playground should be avoided. You can scare the other children and even scare the other parents. A mom who regularly yells at her children at the playground might just get flagged as the crazy lady and will enjoy the social stigma generally reserved for high school teenagers with extremely poor personal hygeine. If you must raise your voice to gain attention, ensure that your words are calm and controlled.Rule #3 - Pay Attention to Your Child(ren)
Time at the playground should not be spent reading books or magazines, talking on your cell phone, or being so heavily involved in conversation that you don't know exactly what your child is up to at all times. Being overly self immersed might just cause another mom to break Rule #4.Rule #4 - Don't Discipline Children Who Don't Belong to You
There are actually times when it is appropriate for this rule to be broken, but the parents of the child who is misbehaving should be given every opportunity to manage their own children. The reaction of a child to discipline by a stranger can be an unexpected one.Rule #5 - Sunscreen
Keep plenty of sunscreen handy and use hats to protect from the dangers of the sun. Children burn much more easily than adults, and are not likely to stop what they are doing if they feel a sunburn coming on. The Mom who forgets sunscreen will pay for it.Rule #6 - No Nudity
Even if there is a wading pool and you forgot your child's swimsuit. At a public playground you can't expect everybody to be comfortable with a nude child and you have to be wary of the creepies who are entirely too comfortable with your nude child. There are also the implications of rule #5 to concern yourself with. You don't want to risk sunburn to an area normally covered up by clothing.Rule #7 - Sharing Toys
People who bring toys to playgrounds inevitably get put in a position to share them. The subject of sharing can quickly become a problem, especially with toddlers who are new to the concept. If you must bring toys, bring toys that won't be a major problem if they are lost, and bring enough toys that sharing will not be a problem.Rule #8 - Stealing Toys
Make sure that you don't leave with more toys than you showed up with. Take a look at your stroller and your child(ren) before leaving the park. If you find something that doesn't belong, make an effort to find the proper owner and return it. (if you "found" a set of blue binoculars at the playground, I want them back)Rule #9 - Basic Social Skills
We all feel socially retarded at times, but the basics can make the park and the playground a much friendlier place. Make eye contact with other parents. Smile. Greet them. If you don't want to make friends, you should at least be evaluating the safety factor of the other adults that are around, and you can't do that effectively without at least a small amount of social contact.Rule #10 - Us vs.Them
Don't stigmatize your children with an us versus them mentality. The playground is for kids to have fun, not for adults to show off their social hang ups. Just like you would expect every kid in the class to be included in a game of tag, so must every adult on the playground be included in your club. Whether they are men or women, nannies or parents, of various religious or ethnic backgrounds - leave your hang ups behind. Everybody at the park is there to make a child happy. Think of that.Top 10 Rules of the Playground Feedback
