I'm trying to remember when we bought our backyard playset from the good folks at Playground World. It was probably 15 years ago, and the set is showing its age.
The plastic slide is disconnected, the canvas awning is worn, the climbing rope is frayed, and everywhere there is stripped paint and general wear and tear.
You can count on one hand the number of times each year the playset gets used, which is only when someone with little kids visits and we happen to be outside. At this point, it's serves more as an annoying obstacle for our lawn mowing guy than anything else.
For a while we figured we should keep it for when grandkids come along, but (a) I don't know that that's happening any time soon, and (b) Even when it does, there's no guarantee they'll live near us or that the swing set itself will survive that long.
There is of course also an emotional component to tearing it down. It would be an admission that the years when it was the focal point of our backyard and was used several times a week are gone.
The playset is in some ways the last vestige of a time when ours was a home to multiple small children, all of whom are now grown up and most of whom have flown the coop.
There's a practical part of me that wants to get rid of it, and another part of me that still enjoys looking out the back window and seeing it standing there.
Maybe we'll keep it just a while longer.
Scott, consider if it can be disassembled and reused. If yes, sell or donate to a family with small children. Those sets are incredibly expensive and someone may be wishing they could afford one for their family. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteIf we ever decide to take it down, that's a great thought!
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