If it’s playtime, then please fence me in
APPARENTLY fenced playgrounds don’t prevent most kids from running away. Really? As the mother of a turbocharged toddler, I can say with confidence fenced playgrounds very much keep my son contained, and I often wonder why there aren’t more.
It seems logical – we fence pools and schools, but playgrounds can be left wide open, sometimes metres from busy roads or waterways.
The experts in this domain are PLAY Australia, the country’s peak advocacy organisation for outdoor playgrounds.
They advise local councils and, as I’ve learned, actively discourage them from deploying “costly” fencing.
The group argues “fencing does not prevent most children from running away if they wish to …” (agree to disagree).
It also states “it is the responsibility of parents to supervise their children in public open space.”
I agree on the second point, but I’m not after a babysitting service or a toddler jail.
I watch mine like a hawk, but with two children under two, the only playground I feel comfortable at is a fenced one.
It is too risky to allow my 21-monthold to roam free near roads when I’m handicapped to chase after him.
I’m almost always holding or wearing his baby sister in a carrier, and what if I’m feeding her?
PLAY Australia lists other reasons, including how fencing “cages” play into a contained space, and makes it hard for people in wheelchairs to reach childproof locks. Fair enough.
I guess I am on the fence because I can see both sides, but this last point is a tad judgey. “Unfortunately there are parents today who chose (sic) to engage with their mobile phones rather than supervise their young children.” Ouch.
OK, I am guilty of using my phone at times at the playground, but I’m not scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, uploading selfies, or dancing on Tiktok. I’m usually taking photos of my son doing very cute things or responding to a text message if meeting a friend.
Don’t get me wrong, I know fencing shouldn’t be an excuse for you to forget it’s your job to supervise your child, but it certainly helps when you already have your hands full.
Parks are our second home at the moment, but we tend to visit the same one too often because it’s the only one I know with a fully secure, glorious fence.
It’s tricky trying to track others down online, and even harder to find restaurants or cafes offering somewhere for kids to play.
I’m not all that keen to take the family to Mcdonald’s every day for lunch, so I went straight to Gold Coast City Council in search of more.
It turns out there are plenty of options. The media team provided a list of 91 play areas, either fenced or partially fenced, sprinkled right across the city.
So where are they hiding? Emerald Lakes, Country Paradise, Harley Park, Pizzey Park and HOTA are a few of the more obvious locations, but there are a heap of hidden gems too. Some at popular parks like Owen Park in Southport, and others that are tucked away on suburban streets, like Jade Stone Court in Carrara, or Bight Court in Mermaid Waters.
As for somewhere to have a meal while the kids blow off some steam, I know of Benowa Tavern, the Wallaby in Mudgeeraba, Lonestar Tavern at Mermaid Waters and The Shack at Nobby Beach.
If you know of more please send them my way! Because, let’s face it, we aren’t eating out any time soon unless there’s a playground.
Or it’s somewhere busy and loud enough to muffle the frustrated cries of my ants-in-his-pants toddler being held against his will in a highchair.