Challenges of being the only grown up

[EvilQueenT]

Ok...first I'll admit I'm not exactly the biggest grown up when I'm at disney. In fact when I travel with my granddaughter the running joke is who can trick the other person into being the responsible grown up. I can often get my granddaughter to carry the little backpack or something similar (which of course has everything in it except my magic band) thus making her the grown up (yes...I keep an eye on it but always tell her if she looses it we're in big trouble). It has backfired on me a a few times when we don't agree on what we're doing next and she pops up with well since I'm the grown up... On one trip with just the two of us I became sick when we were in world showcase it killed the day and after I felt like I'd waked through to get back to the resort we were then stuck in the room for the last half of the day. Anyway how do your handle the challenges of traveling solo with a child or children. Like do you have one save a seat while you stand in line at a qs? What challenges have you run into and how did you handle them?

 

[tink9702]

Personally it depends on the ages of the children. I've never done Disney solo but do go to places like the zoo,aquariums, museums with two children by myself. At this point DS is just about old enough to save a seat at a table as long as I can still see him and he knows what to do if someone comes too close or tries to give him something. He's 5. DD is 4 and not quite ready for that responsibility so I'd have her stand with me in the line. Typically I do have both of them stand with me but if there were a good reason not to (no tables left) and I could still see them while paying I'd do it at this point. You will find many parents that wouldn't though so it's a very personal decision! For bathroom I do let DS go by himself but not DD.

My biggest challenge though is when one child wants to do something and the other doesn't. That's where bargaining can come into play.

 

[EvilQueenT]

I guess I'm just out of practice lol...I'm doing disney with my granddaughter these days, my "kids" will be 31 and 26 this year. I use to know how to be a mom lol.

 

[msmama]

I pretty much go at kid speed when it's just my son and I.

We are each allowed one (minor) tantrum/fight per day (we're both introverts so being around all those people is HARD for us and sometimes we need to let off steam) and we each get veto power on one ride (mostly meaning he has to suck it up and ride at least one ride that he doesn't want to ride - next trip will be 7DMT - and I have to walk through the Swiss Family Robinson Tree house ).

He's not big into rides so it was a huge shock from being commando on big rides to strolling through shops and watching ducks, but I've actually come to enjoy it and no longer come home from Disney needing a vacation.

Depending on how crowded things are and his mood (sometimes he's more afraid of his own shadow than others) I'll send him to get a table while I stand in line for food. But we tend to eat at off times when that's not necessary, too, and he can stay with me if he promises to be helpful.

I find things much easier now that we don't have a stroller, too. When I was the only one to push a stroller and carry the backpack, my back was so SORE at the end of the day!!

He's 6 (soon to be 7) so we're still about 50/50 on whether he goes to the bathroom by himself in the mens room or in the ladies room. Depends on crowds, the particular bathroom and...what we're there to do, lol.

Otherwise, no huge problems.

I'm a single mom everywhere so if I have to be alone with my son - why not be at Disney!!

 

[EvilQueenT]

I pretty much go at kid speed when it's just my son and I.

We are each allowed one (minor) tantrum/fight per day (we're both introverts so being around all those people is HARD for us and sometimes we need to let off steam) and we each get veto power on one ride (mostly meaning he has to suck it up and ride at least one ride that he doesn't want to ride - next trip will be 7DMT - and I have to walk through the Swiss Family Robinson Tree house ).

He's not big into rides so it was a huge shock from being commando on big rides to strolling through shops and watching ducks, but I've actually come to enjoy it and no longer come home from Disney needing a vacation.

Depending on how crowded things are and his mood (sometimes he's more afraid of his own shadow than others) I'll send him to get a table while I stand in line for food. But we tend to eat at off times when that's not necessary, too, and he can stay with me if he promises to be helpful.

I find things much easier now that we don't have a stroller, too. When I was the only one to push a stroller and carry the backpack, my back was so SORE at the end of the day!!

He's 6 (soon to be 7) so we're still about 50/50 on whether he goes to the bathroom by himself in the mens room or in the ladies room. Depends on crowds, the particular bathroom and...what we're there to do, lol.

Otherwise, no huge problems.

I'm a single mom everywhere so if I have to be alone with my son - why not be at Disney!!

Maybe it's just that I'm the grandmother not the mom. I was a single mom for a while when my 2 were young (in fact my youngest was 3 months old when I left my first husband, my son was 5) but maybe it's just that now doing it as a grandmother I'm just super out of practice lol.