Swinging in the Back Garden

Jacob and Lucy have enjoyed the backyardgarden swing set quite a bit lately. They have been coming up with new games to play on the swings. Some involve us parents, others are solo efforts.

One such game is "cuddle" in which a parent or other adult/adolescent pulls them back high on the swing and says something like "I love cuddling you..." until the adult "accidentally" lets go and the child gets away. A variation on this is the "cuddle-wuddle" which is done from the front of the swing rather than from behind. Cousin Autumn invented that variant.

Another more potentially distressing game is when Jacob tries to grab the frame of the swing set in mid-swing. When he is successful, it sends him careening off in all sorts of directions. Hopefully Lucy is not swinging at the same time. So far there have been no injuries.

Jacob also discovered that he could drop off the seat of the swing and catch the ropes with his armpits. If he holds up his legs, he'll keep swinging back and forth. Lucy has figured that out and they both do it regularly.

The newest game is standing on the swing and going back and forth. I suppose that is not new in the world of swings, but it is new for them and unprompted by the example of other children (at least that I know of). They are happy to stand and even have their pictures taken.

Jacob swinging back and mugging for the camera

Lucy swinging back and Jacob still mugging for the camera

We've tried to be "cool parents" about it all, though sometimes our nerves get shot. Fortunately the ground below is wood chips and dirt so injuries won't be so bad if they do happen. At least, that's our hope.