In our age of helicopter parenting, we now have to ensure our kids don’t fall off swings. The super swing disc looks like a great idea, but it’s not cheaper than an old tire tied to a rope to a tree branch that will snap at any moment. I mean, that was the whole point of swings, the danger! Swinging on an old rusty hole-ridden swing set with uneven legs rocking back and forth is how we tested our limits of fear.
There was always that one moment when you reached the height of the upper support bar and felt as if you were going to break free of gravity and sail into the treeline behind you. It was flying off the swing or crashing onto the gravel below. No, we didn’t have rubber mulch back then either.
I’ve let my kids fall off the swing set, walk behind them, and get clobbered by the person swinging. You know what? They never tried it that way again. They have to learn the hard way. Let them fail, just don’t laugh at them when they do. Well, don’t let them see you.
The Daily Irritant 