I agree with her.

I agree completely.

There should be more like her. These handholding parents make me sick.

At the risk of taking this too literally, I think she is over thinking simple playground safety and reading far too much into fellow parents looking out for each other and their children.

Who cares!! What is this on my local patch?

Research: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/science-scope/-8216safe-playgrounds-could-be-stunting-emotional-development-studies-say/9505?tag=search-river

I agree. She gets my vote. I watch my kids at the playground from a distance (close enough to sprint if there's a real need) but far away enough so they can maneuver, be challenged, succeed - and wear themselves out!

I don't think anybody should assume that they have any business intervening in any way with somebody else's kids--especially if that intervention includes physical contact. No way! But I also agree with IDC--this is a silly non-story, apparently being exploited by Patch (all those statistics about Facebook and tweets...) to remind us about the place of Patch in the world. Right now, it seems to me The Patch is also on a sort of slide. It has such promise, and yet, it also has such murky ties to advertising, such ambiguous rules so inconsistently applied, such uncertainty as to what it really is. If my critique is a kind of lift, as I intend it, then you're welcome!

This woman's blog is a breath of fresh air and I hope most parents see things her way - though I fear they do not. Re: why this is on Patch, I appreciate my attention being drawn to things that might interest me. No, this blogger is not from my state nevermind my town but she brings up points that i think we parents can all relate to. Like any other website i visit, i am free on Patch to click on what interests me and ignore what doesn't. So are you.

I don't know about this. My children are very independent, and in my belief, they choose to be. if they want help getting up the slide, they'll ask for it. Hidden important lesson 1. Know when to ask for help. Also, as long as my child either knows they other parent or has me close enough to give the approving nod, this is a random act of kindness. Hidden important lesson 2. Helping people for no reason that benefits you is what makes you a kind person. I think this women is denying her child other experiences in order to make her achieve a goal that the child isn't all that interested in achieving, because my kids would politely say "no thank you, I can do it myself" if they where confident enough to do it.

The Precious Little Snowflake/Instant Gratification/Entitled Generation will be the downfall of America.

Already a done deal.

Leave her alone, she will be in combat soon and needs to learn these things on her own.