The Playground

I wear crocs. I still have some shirts from 12th grade. And friends would not say I'm known for matching. The problem is - I live in Rechavia. Our main playground is at the bottom of Abarbanel street. I see the playground as a way to get some fresh air, give Yehuda Or some much needed outdoor time, and give him the experience of getting to watch and interact with other babies and kids. So, it's not really about what I'm wearing right? Wrong. Our playground is super high-fashion. The regulars are wearing gorgeous sheitals (wigs), gold jewelry, black heels, and are delicately sipping a cup of coffee from a nearby cafe. It's quite the social scene too. There's a lot of "She said, he said" going on. I always look for the well-dressed child that belongs to the woman chatting away about her latest cleaning-lady fiasco. Usually the kid's fine. Maybe a little bored (or asleep in the swing still being vigorously pushed by an animated mother), but fine. But it has got me thinking. If the playground is The Social Hotspot of a given neighborhood, then what the heck am I doing in Rechavia?

This may sound very American (or just idealistic) of me, but I kind of want a playground where the parents are interacting with their children, and where the wardrobe isn't the main factor in determining if you can get a spot on the bench. Besides, crocs are cool! Maybe not... but my point is that as Yehuda Or continues to grow and become a more social being, I'm starting to analyze more closely the environments I expose him to. Parent-child interaction aside, let's talk about the design of the playgrounds here. Is this a municipal joke? I just don't understand what the kids are expected to DO on these "new, modern" designs. Climb over things and then maybe under things, and then jump up and down on the semi-bouncy tar material on the ground? What happened to monkey bars and climbing ropes, spinning metal steering wheels, winding slides, and swings that don't have 2 foot high limits? It seems strange to me that a country that is SO child-based hasn't figured out the engineering in a fun, safe, and practical park. So here's to a playground that has a sun canopy (not one with random holes in it that exposes my son's burn-prone skin), to a playground that has seating for parents that actually allows one to SEE their child at play, to a playground that has activities and jungle-gyms that actually look appealing, and to a playground that hasn't become a kitty litter box.

Lately I've decided to embrace my "shlumpy"-ness and just focus on Yehuda Or at the playground. That's the point right...?

Chanukah Sameach everyone!