Playground Periscope

Whenever the Moose hits the playground, my blood pressure ticks up a couple of notches. Like his brothers before him (especially the eldest), the Moose loves to push the limits by climbing the highest slide or jumping headlong onto the merry-go-round. I watch like a hawk, though I try to let him have his space and let him discover what he can do (within reason), but often I find the playground more stress-inducing than stress-relieving.

I'm not the only one who feels this way. Over at Dadcentric, a recent post tackles the perils of playground watching. It is indeed a state of constant vigilance.

 My right eye is trained on my youngest, who is standing atop a 10’ slide approximately 47 degrees to my right, while my left eye is watching my eldest bounce up and down on a suspension bridge. My brain is receiving and processing simultaneous feeds from each eye regarding each boy’s current status. Any report of injury, a pained expression, or unacceptable behavior will trigger action in the rest of the body. It is a spectacular feat of dual awareness, a demonstration of two hemispheres functioning independently in order to accomplish a common goal, a state which I am able to accomplish through a combination of intense ocular control, deep breathing, and Norris-like focus. And I can maintain it for all of .37 seconds.