By Mandy Fotheringham
-------
Arriving at Parloa at 9:00 a.m. on a recent spring morning, Parloa Park was deserted. The equipment glistened with condensation from the chilly night before but the sun was lovely and warm. Before long, the first mom, Christine Morris, arrived with her son, Henry. A handsome young man who loved to climb (and pose for the camera), Henry wasted no time getting up on the equipment, wet or not. This gave his mom and I a few minutes to chat.
Henry is the younger of 2 children, so Christine is no stranger to Parloa Park. When asked what she likes about coming here in particular, she made reference to the openness of the park and the fact that it was easy to keep an eye on both of her children, even when they were playing on different pieces of equipment, or with an anthill, as was the case when we finished talking and looked for Henry again.
By this time a few other moms from the Danbury MOM's Club had arrived to get together and chat while their children played. They spread a blanket under a tree while the children went clambering over the climbing equipment and swinging on the swings. By this time, Carla Crowell from Bethel had arrived with her 2 children, Sarah and Matthew, to spend some time outside before Matthew went to afternoon kindergarten. Carla liked the fact that the park was "small and compact" and also found it to be suitable for moms with more than one child. She liked that it was fenced in and made mention of the older merry-go-round, reminiscing that it reminded her of when she was growing up.
Henry is the younger of 2 children, so Christine is no stranger to Parloa Park. When asked what she likes about coming here in particular, she made reference to the openness of the park and the fact that it was easy to keep an eye on both of her children, even when they were playing on different pieces of equipment, or with an anthill, as was the case when we finished talking and looked for Henry again.
By this time a few other moms from the Danbury MOM's Club had arrived to get together and chat while their children played. They spread a blanket under a tree while the children went clambering over the climbing equipment and swinging on the swings. By this time, Carla Crowell from Bethel had arrived with her 2 children, Sarah and Matthew, to spend some time outside before Matthew went to afternoon kindergarten. Carla liked the fact that the park was "small and compact" and also found it to be suitable for moms with more than one child. She liked that it was fenced in and made mention of the older merry-go-round, reminiscing that it reminded her of when she was growing up.
Lauren Boyle moved to Bethel last summer and has three boys, ranging in age from 2 to 7. She liked that the park was open enough for her to see all her boys at once, and that it was contained both by a fence and the fact that the playground end of the park had upward sloping banks. She also loved that there were always plenty of baby swings available and that the park tended to be utilized by younger children only both in the morning and afternoon. In her experience, some of the larger parks where older children tended to come in the afternoon had led to her children, on occasion, being subjected to "rougher behavior and language".
By this time, it was late morning, the sun was stronger and the dew had dried. The MOM's club moms were either deep in conversation or pushing swings. Some dads were playing basketball with a shiny pink ball. With its soccer fields, baseball and basketball areas and sturdy playground equipment, it is a gem and we are lucky to have it in our town. Parloa is easy to get to, right off Route 53 on the corner of Blackman Ave. and South Street. (Put in 115 South Street if using a GPS)
By this time, it was late morning, the sun was stronger and the dew had dried. The MOM's club moms were either deep in conversation or pushing swings. Some dads were playing basketball with a shiny pink ball. With its soccer fields, baseball and basketball areas and sturdy playground equipment, it is a gem and we are lucky to have it in our town. Parloa is easy to get to, right off Route 53 on the corner of Blackman Ave. and South Street. (Put in 115 South Street if using a GPS)
---
Editor's note: Please check out lots more of Mandy's wonderful pictures of children playing at Parloa Park by clicking here to be linked to our Facebook page.
B