Parents in Brooklyn are talking about trying to ban ice cream carts from a playground, frustrated by having to deal with cranky children when they deny them the cold treats.
The discussion began with a seemingly inconsequential blog post on parkslopeparents.com, when a woman named Sarah complained about how a day at the playground with her son was ruined when two ice cream push-cart vendors rolled through.
"I was able to avoid it for a little but I eventually left with a crying 4-year-old," Sarah said in a posting that could not be located on parkslopeparents.com Monday but was reprinted in the New York Post.
Another mother, Dorothy Scanlan, posted, "I should not have to fight with my children every warm day on the playground just so someone can make a living! I too was at the 9th Street Playground on Monday, and one of the vendors just handed my 4-year-old an ice cream cone. I was furious."
The thread was quickly picked up by newspapers and websites, highlighting a certain stereotype facing Park Slope parents.
"You have those very involved in the community, who are obsessed with their children -- which is a good thing, when you want the best for your children," said Zoraida Walker, a mother who brought her child to the Harmony Playground Monday. "However, I think they take it to a fanatical level, which gives the community a bad rap... they can make an issue out of everything."
Walker added: "No means no. It's a treat, and if you're not earning those treats, then you don't get them. And if you're gonna cry about, cry about it."
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Another father, Tony Aramburu, agreed.
"That just sounds like the typical Park Slope parent overreaction to everything," he said. "There's always debates by your child being badly influenced by television or inorganic good. There's always some kind of issue."
But he continued, "It's on the Internet, so people get a little silly about it. I have never had a conversation with someone about the evils of ice cream."
At least one parent sympathized with the mothers who struggled with denying their kids the tasty treats.
"The kids are so small, you can't control them," said Rainer Brueckheimer, a father. "I can say no to them at 7 years old, but not at 4. I sympathize with the moms."
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