Leaving a playground can feel like trying to extract Super Glue from clothing. But here's one thing I've tried that works. Tell your child, 'We're leaving in 10 minutes. Do you want to have one more go on the slide or the swings?' (adapt for your local slide-versus-swing politics). Giving them a choice softens the blow.
Why does this even happen? Well, it's pretty simple: playgrounds are fun, and going home is... not as fun. Kids' time perception is different from ours, especially when they're engrossed in something exciting (like figuring out how to launch off the monkey bars at full speed).
Here are three strategies to try:
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Countdown Warnings: Set a timer on your phone and show it to them. Say 'When this beeps, it's time to go.' Interestingly, this works better than you'd expect, even if, like me, you turn into The Parent Holding A Phone instead of The Parent At Their Child's Side.
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Transitional Objects: Bring a toy or something interesting to distract them on the way home. A small plastic dinosaur can do wonders — it's a mystery but grabbing a beloved object can redirect focus from the playground to the exciting car trip home (well, sort of).
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Playground Goodbye Ritual: Have a special goodbye routine. 'Wave to the swings, say bye to the slide.' It's silly but ritualistic goodbyes often make transitions easier for kids.
Here's how it played out last Tuesday evening: My daughter, Ruby, was refusing to leave the swings at 6:30 PM. I told her we'd leave in two minutes (I showed her on my digital watch, which she doesn’t really understand but finds fascinating). I then offered her a choice between carrying her bunny or her dinos. This time, thankfully, the dinos won.
But let's be honest. Sometimes, none of this works, and you're left carrying a screaming child past curious onlookers. If your child's resistance to leaving places persists, it might be worth discussing with a pediatrician. There could be underlying issues like sensory processing differences or anxiety.
Ultimately, these tricks won't solve every playground exit. But they might make it slightly less chaotic. Or at least, sometimes, anyway.