Where's the Merry-Go-Round???

Do you remember the Merry-Go-Round? You know, the one at the park where you had to grab a hold of it, start running, spin it in a circle as fast as you could, hop on the metal plate with little bars, and hold on for dear life? The one where if you spun in the circle fast enough one of your friends, or you, would go spinning off if you didn't hold on tight enough? The one that made you so dizzy you thought you would barf right then and there, but, at the same time, made you giggle so hard you thought you peed yourself?

Or what Jungle gym tower made of just metal bars??? OH yeah! That one nearly killed me a few times!!! How did we survive? I remember being left to run the neighborhood for hours. Mom just had dad whistle to have us come home. It is crazy to think about doing that now.

I played on that Merry-go-round every time we went to the park. It was my favorite thing at the park.

Where is my Merry-go-Round???

OK. So I am guilty. I don't know if I would let my kids play on it! Sad huh?! I know why is it not in the playgrounds anymore. I am so afraid of them getting badly hurt and trapped underneath that thing. But--I can remember on more than on occasion that thing beating me up pretty good. So, I learned, and never did that again. But I'm noticing my protectiveness is getting in the way of them just being kids.

My mom used to have chicken pock parties. Now it is sanitize, disinfect, isolate. Her way sounds funner:)

By the way I act sometimes it is like I want the playground padded. I'm sure with all the rules I have set up for my kids I'm setting myself up for a revolt when they are teenagers. Saying "they never experienced life and we were too restricting."

I miss the merry-go-round and the metal bars of doom. I know they are way too dangerous but I wonder if I put so much padding on life and my kids that I forget to let kids just be KIDS.

(Who break their arm occasionally at the playground......)