Bowled over by lack of caring

When my child was small, I would to take her to the new Wonderland Park in Wasilla.

She would toddle around, watching the other children as she played in the sandbox or on the little train. It was great fun. The fun turned sour, however, on many occasions when big kids — middle- and high-school age — would plow through the little ones, causing spills and tears. After seeing this happen time and time again I quit going to the park.

Even with me there with her, I feared for my child's safety. My daughter missed it, but we built a swing set and stayed home to play in our own yard.

Today (Saturday), I decided to take my now 10-year-old daughter back to Wonderland Park. I figured she was now old enough to hold her own against the rampant teenagers. I sat on a bench at the foot of the big slide and watched her climb around on the equipment, having fun.

Three preschool-age children took turns again and again on the slide. At one point two were on the top waiting for the third to get off at the bottom. Two older boys plowed through the two preschoolers at the top and barreled down the slide. They knocked the little one at the bottom of the slide over. I objected, saying to them, “It’s not OK for you big kids to bowl over the little kids.” The little one started crying and ran off while one of the older boys denied what happened. He walked off with his nose and hand in the air as if the defiant gesture would somehow cleanse him of the problem.

All through this I was wondering where the parents of all these children — of the preschoolers and of the older kids — were. I wondered if the crying child was OK, but he was gone.

After that incident, I collected my daughter and started to make ready to leave. As we were walking out I heard a woman say to one of the very same big boys, “Be careful not to bowl the little kids over.” I told her that I already saw him do that once. Her reply was defensive: “Well, that's just what you saw.”

I answered. "Yep, that's what I saw." As I walked away, she shouted at me, "Well, he's a boy, not a girl!"

This backhanded comment made me wonder if the fact that the child is a boy makes it OK for him to harm other children? I'd like to know what his gender has to do with it. Why is it OK for a boy to behave like this?

This was not an isolated incident. I watched this type of behavior at the park for three years before I decided to quit going there. Several years later I see no evidence that it has improved. Parents should supervise their children at the park. They should teach empathy to their children. The park is supposed to be fun for everyone, not just for the older kids. Big kids constantly bowl over little kids and the adults don't seem to care.

I'm through with Wonderland park.

Teresa Nunes

Meadow Lakes