Age of Kids carrying wallet/fanny pack, etc.

[tcufrog]

At those ages my sons shared a backpack during trips and switched off carrying it. It limited the amount of unnecessary stuff they could carry around and gave them each a break from carrying the bag. My older son is 15 and they still do that during trips when we’re out and about.

 

[Lilsia]

I don't have kids, but I grew up going to day camp every summer starting when I was 5. We were responsible for our own money, and our own stuff (bags, etc.) for all activities--skating rink, bowling alley, movies, etc., as well as theme park days. At 7, we were allowed to roam the parks on our own all day, just meeting up with the counselors by the buses at the end of the day. So some of the ages people are suggesting for simply carrying their own stuff while accompanied by parents kind of blow my mind. That said, all of my experiences were day trips. So I'm not advocating giving a 5 year old all their spending money for the week or anything. But I think if you divide up the total amount of money by the number of days, and give each kid one day's worth in the morning, it's not a huge risk. And if they lose it? Valuable lesson. I'd also let them carry low-dollar personal items like sweatshirts, water bottles, rain ponchos. Yes, carrying a bag, storing it on a ride, and retrieving it afterwards is hard. But it's a skill to learn like any other, and you can help out for the first few rides...gentle reminders of where to put stuff and when to get it back out.

We just never took anything into the park with us that didn't fit in a pocket. Our oldest is 21 and we went every year. We never needed anything. They would even leave their phones in the room when they were older so that they didn't have to worry about it. I think that is pretty responsible.

 

[Rory607]

I don't have kids, but I grew up going to day camp every summer starting when I was 5. We were responsible for our own money, and our own stuff (bags, etc.) for all activities--skating rink, bowling alley, movies, etc., as well as theme park days. At 7, we were allowed to roam the parks on our own all day, just meeting up with the counselors by the buses at the end of the day. So some of the ages people are suggesting for simply carrying their own stuff while accompanied by parents kind of blow my mind. That said, all of my experiences were day trips. So I'm not advocating giving a 5 year old all their spending money for the week or anything. But I think if you divide up the total amount of money by the number of days, and give each kid one day's worth in the morning, it's not a huge risk. And if they lose it? Valuable lesson. I'd also let them carry low-dollar personal items like sweatshirts, water bottles, rain ponchos. Yes, carrying a bag, storing it on a ride, and retrieving it afterwards is hard. But it's a skill to learn like any other, and you can help out for the first few rides...gentle reminders of where to put stuff and when to get it back out.

Different kids have varying levels of responsibility at every age and this is nothing new. It has nothing to do with “kids today having no responsibility.” And if we let our kids roam a theme park alone at 7 these days someone would call CPS on us.

My kids have plenty of age appropriate responsibilities in daily life and we’re all for natural consequences. If my son loses his sweatshirt at day camp, the natural consequence is that he’s cold for the rest of the day. Tomorrow he can take a different one. If he loses it at Disney, we will have to buy him a new, expensive Disney sweatshirt. No, I’m not making my 8 year old freeze for the rest of the week while the other family members wear their hoodies. Or if he loses his poncho he should spend his vacation standing in the rain? Not doing that at Disney, sorry. My 11 year old carried her loungefly bag with no issues all week. The only thing we lost? My son’s camera, when he and my husband were off by themselves. Adults lose stuff, too

 

[JoyfulHeart]

You roamed a theme park by yourself at 7? Goodness.
I think a lot about weight. if you give them everything for themselves: water, snacks, jackets...etc.. it does add up. When you are walking roughly 8 miles a day it's hard on a little body. Its hard on my body and I am grown. At 5 my daughter was barely 40 lbs. The school closed for weather earlier this year and they had the kids put all their books in their backpacks. when dd put hers on she fell backward, her backpack weighed more than her!

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I think it depends on their ages, maturity level and what stuff they're actually being entrusted with. My 5.5 year old will be bringing a fanny pack and we're giving her an autograph book and a pen she can stash away in there, along her spf chapstick, sunglasses, and whatever other little treasures she finds. She will not, however, be in charge of the gift card she's being given as spending money. We are using it as a way for her to learn a bit about money management and budgeting, but she is not being entrusted with something that is literally of value, because.... well she's 5.5.