Is it worth voicing my concern over safety?

When I was three, I fell off the back of Granny's sofa and broke my arm. I don't think I became over-cautious as a result, though my mum was always an anxious person. My middle sister was always one for walking close to the cliff edge, causing our poor mother palpitations! Dad was much more easy-going.

My DIL wont even let her children climb on to back of sofa..so worried all the time they will fall

I never allowed my daughter to climb on to the back of the sofa either, not because I was worried she would fall but because it's furniture that I worked to pay for and not a playground!

4 and 2 though? Surely some responsibility for parents. Poor little things.

When my children were small in 1990s we put up a climbing frame in the garden. After a few sessions on it (the kids 7 and 4 loved it) the elderly neighbour came round to say she felt it was too dangerous for the children to play on and she worried every time she saw them out of her window. My husband told her to stop looking as they needed to learn how to climb and fall.... she never spoke to us again!

My DIL is a bit like this and I think I was exactly the same with my boys when I was her age. I want kids to experience things but I just don’t take the risks I used to when my grandchildren are in my care. I wasn’t allowed to do anything when I was growing up and I think I’m shy and boring because of it x

My first thought was "why would anyone want to allow their kids to play on wet equipment in the dark anyway?"
My second was to walk away, shaking my head and muttering inaudibly to myself!
The threadline on the GN email said "Should I say anything to my DiL ?" so your DS isn't a responsible adult as well then ? Or is he just exempt from your ire because as your son it couldn't possibly have been his idea ?

I think to give a child confidence you have to let them take risks...over anxious adults cause over anxious children who are far more likely to have accidents. It's hard but sometimes you have to smile with confidence when your little one is slightly out of their depth. My DIL wont even let her children climb on to back of sofa..so worried all the time they will fall. We should swap DILs

Leave them be. Bumps and bruises are a learning experience. Children need to learn by "doing". I see so many children these days who have no idea of how to look after themselves because they have never been allowed to learn in this way.

There are, obviously, situations which should not be allowed to happen - but climbing trees and sliding down banisters etc is acceptable within limits.

Four adults supervising two small children on play equipment and they both were hurt.
Ummm?

No, I wouldn't comment either but keep my concerns to myself. No-one likes to be criticised for their parenting skills. However I do feel my GC are much more restricted in what they are allowed to do than my children were. The rules have changed quite a lot and there is a lot more fear for children's welfare in this difficult world. They need to learn how to get up and carry on when they fall and graze their knees.

I think age is a contributory factor - or call it experience! I would probably have been just as worried.

However, children need to have some freedom, especially to learn how to take care of themselves. These days there is much less freedom than I had (and that wasn't always much) and certainly less than DS had - he did most of his growing up in a country environment and I still haven't heard about all the things he got up to. Mostly he went about with a group of friends who took care of each other, although that didn't stop the occasional fall or broken arm.

I agree with the others. Keep ‘Mum’.

I’ve been in situations where I have seen danger but it’s been poopooed by my daughters. When the children are with me I expect the children to respect my wishes. I’d feel so responsible if anything happened to them whilst in my care.

They have to have tumbles to teach them to take care

As long as it's not an extreme danger its best to say nothing

Keep the advice in your head.

And then say ‘I told you so’ but not out loud,

I seem to see danger far more than my DDs, but my Mum was the same, maybe it’s an age thing?