Cut parents some slack and give children some credit. Everyone is going to be just fine (possibly better) if dad gets a tiny break and junior gets a small taste of independence.
In no way will there be something BETTER.
I was suprised to see the following wasn't at the top:
>baldfat: The problem is that 90% of the time the parents are now on their phones.
Same goes for playgrounds that are in difficult areas or conditions of course.
RE Independence: I dare say a child can play for some minutes with other children without the need to interact with their parent. In fact, I'd go far as to say, interrupting a child's play is more detrimental than leaving them be and looking at your phone. In either case, I'm sure the parent has more insight than a third party passing by and is making an informed decision.