children with fake knives/swords in parks

[lclark0621]

Actually, I could do worse than breaking a toy like telling the kid how I'm going to call the police and have the parents hauled off to jail and how they will be taken away and put into a foster home etc.. but I'm really not that mean... or I could lay down and act like I'm having a seizure from the injury, have them call an ambulance then sue them for what happend. I could really show my bad side if made mad enough. I could make a huge scene. I think you get the point and yep, I am a child. a 44 yr old child with a little more experience and knowledge on how to make things miserable for someone who hurts or causes injury to me or mine esp. when the injury is caused on purpose like someone walking up to me and stabbing me in the back of the leg and then giggling about it.

also, I said to begin with that this kid did this on PURPOSE. heck, the kid even took off running. I will be the first to forgive if its truly an accident. but, then again parents should know ahead of time and not allow their kids to carry something around that COULD hurt someone else. anybody can utter a wimpy "I'm sorry"after the fact. that is just an easy way out and parents should know that not everybody is googily eyed and in love with their kids like they are. some of us actually get annoyed with bratty kids. imagine that!

Before you do the "falling to the ground" in a fake seziure, or calling the cops, can you PLEASE make sure I am there to watch. Because I would seriously LOVE to see the cops, CMs & everyone else's reaction to your obvious insanity.

BTW, the suing thing is the most stupidist thing I have heard yet! No wonder there are caps on lawsuits & our insurance prices are sky high. It is stupid and frivolous lawsuits & people like you.

Get a grip!

 

[Schmeck]

I'd like to point out that no one has been able to answer my question - where do you draw the line with violent behavior?

I'd also like to ask, why would anyone encourage violent behavior, even if it is 'just kids playing' at killing each other? Isn't there enough violence in this world?

The part about knowing students at Columbine - they are horrified that people do not see the connection between the desensitizing of young children to violence, and what they had to go through that day (and every day after as well.) I mean, how many times do we have to hear about other kids in other schools threatening to "do it like Columbine" before we realize that we have to start thinking about how we are raising our kids?

 

[kimbac3]

I guess the line is drawn where each parent draws it. Whether any of us agree or not ultimately it is the parent's responsibility. I draw the line with my children. I assume you draw the line with your children. I don't know why the "where do we draw the line" issue is so important. Ok - some unsupervised, unruly young kid stabbed a guy on the leg with a fake sword..now all of society is crumbling? Really - why do you even go to Disney? What with POC being violent and Peter Pan running..er..flying around with a knife...Aladdin stole stuff from the market....wasn't there a murder in Tom Sawyer....how bout all the war mongering presidents in Hall of Presidents....It goes on and on.........
kimba

 

[minijeanie]

Let the kids carry around all the swords/guns/knives they want!!!!!!!!!


they are just kids & in no way is this violent

I grew up with a father and brother who both hunted rabbit deer,etc with bow & arrow, guns etc.

I have a son of my own. I allowed him to have all the swords/fake knives/guns he wanted when he was younger and he held many in wdw.

at age 14 he is one of the most compasionate mellow kids I know. wouldn't hurt a fly....

as a previous poster said, I am more concerned about being hit with a stroller or backpack..

parents shape their kids....not guns or lightsavers..................

 

[Cmadsen]

While I don't particularly care to see kids playing with "weapons", I don't feel I could or should interfere with their right to do so. What bothers me when I visit WDW comes from both children and adults who do not seem to understand the meaning of the word "considerate". I'm not trying to speak for others on this thread, but it does seem we would all be happier, swords sabers or princess wands aside, if we were all a bit more considerate of each other.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I'd like to point out that no one has been able to answer my question - where do you draw the line with violent behavior?

I'd also like to ask, why would anyone encourage violent behavior, even if it is 'just kids playing' at killing each other? Isn't there enough violence in this world?

The part about knowing students at Columbine - they are horrified that people do not see the connection between the desensitizing of young children to violence, and what they had to go through that day (and every day after as well.) I mean, how many times do we have to hear about other kids in other schools threatening to "do it like Columbine" before we realize that we have to start thinking about how we are raising our kids?

I think the sad part of this thread is that the horror these kids lived through on that day is in any way being compared along with someone getting stabbed in the back of the leg by a kid who's parents need to teach some basic manners. If I get bumped in a store by a kid with his parents, more often than not the kid will not say excuse me. The kid is being rude. Its not his fault. He isn't being raised right. That doesn't mean that he's going to grow up to be a mass murderer either.

 

[minmate]

Actually, I could do worse than breaking a toy like telling the kid how I'm going to call the police and have the parents hauled off to jail and how they will be taken away and put into a foster home etc.. but I'm really not that mean... or I could lay down and act like I'm having a seizure from the injury, have them call an ambulance then sue them for what happend. I could really show my bad side if made mad enough. I could make a huge scene. I think you get the point and yep, I am a child. a 44 yr old child with a little more experience and knowledge on how to make things miserable for someone who hurts or causes injury to me or mine esp. when the injury is caused on purpose like someone walking up to me and stabbing me in the back of the leg and then giggling about it.

also, I said to begin with that this kid did this on PURPOSE. heck, the kid even took off running. I will be the first to forgive if its truly an accident. but, then again parents should know ahead of time and not allow their kids to carry something around that COULD hurt someone else. anybody can utter a wimpy "I'm sorry"after the fact. that is just an easy way out and parents should know that not everybody is googily eyed and in love with their kids like they are. some of us actually get annoyed with bratty kids. imagine that!

In your original post you said they caught you in the eye -- So, why didn't you do just this? You seem to feel so strongly about this, why didn't you track the parents down and confront them about their children's behavior?

Maybe in addition to the "adults-only" day that some of you are wishing for, maybe we can have a kids-only day where they'll be allowed to do whatever they want, just like in Neverland!

I do not understand how people who are NOT parents can pass any judgments on HOW to raise children or HOW simple it is, because it is not. I also am surprised by people who were parents of another generation just exacerbating the tired old, "Kids These Days," adage. I neither condone nor encourage any of the extreme opinions on this thread. I think common sense needs to rule here. I am so disheartened by the intensity of argument over semantics and every little fragment of this topic here. This thread has gone from someone who's ticked off by getting poked in the eye (and who wouldn't be annoyed by that, be it accidental or on purpose) -- to banning kids from the happiest and one of the most kid-oriented places on Earth, to comparing getting poked in the eye/stabbed in the leg with a plastic sword at a theme park with a tragic school shooting, to the old 'blame the parents' routine. Doesn't anyone want to defend the wanton parents? Maybe they were distracted by the whining 2yo dd, or maybe someone else's violent, sword-wielding sons poked their eyes out so they were unable to properly supervise their own children, who in defense of their parents unleashed revenge on the nearest passersby. Maybe the kids were Lost Boys, with no parents to discipline them. Wow... talk about your topic overkill! (get the pun?).

Come on, can't we all agree, that most of us, if caught unaware and poked by something would be annoyed to some degree. Some of us are more easily annoyed than others (hey maybe we should ban people who are easily annoyed from WDW too? j/k). And, most of us don't like behavior that we personally perceive as inappropriate that invades our personal space?

Venting about that is okay. Go ahead and wish there were no swords/light sabers at the parks. If that's what you want to wish upon a star for... be my guest. As for me, I'm content wishing upon a star for many more Disney trips in my future -- swords and all if that be the case. I don't care. I'd just be happy to be there.

 

[Meezers]

After thinking about it. I would like to comment on my own first post.

Was this an accident by a child that had been playing or was it a mean spirited child treating others in a not nice way? There really is a difference. I understand playing....I don't understand overexcited, underparented children being allowed to behave like animals just because they are on vacation. I feel badly for parents and children who try so hard to have fun on their vacation that they wind up exhausted, overheated and just plain cranky!

 

[WillCAD]

I'd like to point out that no one has been able to answer my question - where do you draw the line with violent behavior?

I'd also like to ask, why would anyone encourage violent behavior, eve

I'd like to point out that no one has been able to answer my question - where do you draw the line with violent behavior?

I'd also like to ask, why would anyone encourage violent behavior, even if it is 'just kids playing' at killing each other? Isn't there enough violence in this world?

The part about knowing students at Columbine - they are horrified that people do not see the connection between the desensitizing of young children to violence, and what they had to go through that day (and every day after as well.) I mean, how many times do we have to hear about other kids in other schools threatening to "do it like Columbine" before we realize that we have to start thinking about how we are raising our kids?

Okay, I'll answer it.

You draw the line between real violence and imagined violence.

You have mentioned that you don't allow your kids to play with weapons. But what you really mean is that you don't allow your kids to have certain toys - those made in the image of cutting implements or firearms. Have you ever taught your kids the difference between a toy gun and a real gun? That is the single most important lesson a parent can teach; so many of those kids injured with real guns are 'playing', because they don't know the difference between a real gun and a toy.

You should teach your kids this lesson, even though you'd like to pretend that guns, knives, and violence don't even exist, because a parent has two responsibilities to their kids: first, to care for them as much as possible until they are able to care for themselves, and second, to teach them all the skills they will need in order to care for themselves when their parents are gone. Since guns and knives exist in our society, gun and knife safety is a skill that kids must have; pretending that guns and knives don't exist will create a hole in your kids' survival skills that could very well cause them harm one day.

The original issue in this thread is not whether toys shaped like knives or guns are inherently evil or influence kids to harm others, the issue is how kids behave with those toys, or any other objects, in the presence of others. The issue is that some kids irresponsibly whack others with those toys, and that's rude behavior that should be curtailed by their parents.

The issue is not violent behavior, it's rude behavior. Polite people don't whack strangers with lightsabers. Some kids don't know that, and it's their parents' job to teach them - and the complaint is that some parents are not teaching that lesson, resulting in strangers getting whacked.

As I said before, I have no problem with kids playing with lightsabers, pirate swords, fairy wands, or spinning lighted Buzz Lightyears, as long as they DON'T HIT ME.

 

[hockey mom]

That bugs the H out of me to.
My youngest now DS 11.
Has grown up with 3 rules when it comes to toys.
NO GUNS NO KNIVES NO SWORDS.
We have been place where other boys want him to play.
He always tells them I'm not allowed.
We were @ the pool one day some boys had water guns.
I remember him telling them he couldn't play with them.
One boy told that's Ok you can use my gun.
I over heard my DS tel them you don't understand.
My Mom will only allow me to play with you without the guns.
They call him a baby.
His answer back was I would rather be alive & be a baby than be stupid.
He went back to his swimming.
I didn't even ask him about it he seen kind of mad @ the boys.
I don't expect boys to play with dolls but why do they have to play with weapons?

Well you can add my son to your list of "stupid kids" . His collection of swords is quite extensive and he loves each and every one of them. He could spend all day in the POC store.

He has also been taught where and when is an appropriate time to play with them. If indeed he did "accidentally" hit you with it he would be the first to offer his SINCERE apology.

I also watched 2 Adults have a sword fight in a very congested area- so it's not just the kids.


Metallicat- when you pull your little fit could someone video tape it in case I miss it- I think it would be very enjoyable to watch.

HI HO- Hi Ho- A pirate son for me.

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

You have mentioned that you don't allow your kids to play with weapons. But what you really mean is that you don't allow your kids to have certain toys - those made in the image of cutting implements or firearms. Have you ever taught your kids the difference between a toy gun and a real gun? That is the single most important lesson a parent can teach; so many of those kids injured with real guns are 'playing', because they don't know the difference between a real gun and a toy.

You should teach your kids this lesson, even though you'd like to pretend that guns, knives, and violence don't even exist, because a parent has two responsibilities to their kids: first, to care for them as much as possible until they are able to care for themselves, and second, to teach them all the skills they will need in order to care for themselves when their parents are gone. Since guns and knives exist in our society, gun and knife safety is a skill that kids must have; pretending that guns and knives don't exist will create a hole in your kids' survival skills that could very well cause them harm one day.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart...Thank you! You took the words right out of my mouth. I have an 8 yr old that will be attending his first Hunters saftey course later this summer, we live in a huge hunting town, his friends already go hunting with their dads. And even though we dont own real guns, I want him to have a very healthy respect for weapons.

From the first time we ever bought our kids play weapons we have talked to them about the dangers of real guns/knives/etc. They can give a lecture to anyone about the dangers of poking or hitting with said play weapon. They also got the same talk when they started playing video games....because face it, just about every game has some kind of violence.

I think this has been blown way out of proportion.

 

[faeflora]

"I do not understand how people who are NOT parents can pass any judgments on HOW to raise children or HOW simple it is, because it is not. I also am surprised by people who were parents of another generation"


Minimate I feel the need to address this part of your post. I do not have children as stated in my post, I do not have children because my disability will not permit me to give birth to a child safely and I stand to pass my disability on to any child that I give birth to. I am not passing judgment on any one in this post. I realize the difficulty of raising children in this social age. My work now as an advocate often allows me the opportunity to listen to all of the difficulties that parents face daily. And I am sympathetic to their concerns.

As a teacher in a classroom of 15 pre-school children, daily for three years, I have had to face issues of behavior that is both appropriate and inappropriate. It is inappropriate for a child to intentionally hit another child or adult.

As an aunt and great-aunt who is married into a family that takes the stance of it takes a village I feel and will continue to feel that children need boundaries. That it is important to teach children what is expected of them, that they need to learn tolerance, courtesy, patience, and personal responsibility.

I know this is what I learned from my parents and whay my husband learned from his parents.

If you feel that I do not have a right to voice my view on this topic due to the fact that I do not have children I respectfully disagree.

 

[babar41]

My credentials? Between DH and I we had 6 children. I had 2, DH had 4, ours was a Cocker Spaniel (for good reason! LOL). I am the proud Grandmother of 11. 7 grandsons and 4 granddaughters. Having stated that...

I agree with the poster who said we live in a society that loves to blame others for our own problems. There needs to be more accountability in this world. If I'm fat it's because I choose to eat too much and the wrong things. Not McD's fault because they sold me the food!

Being a parent is not an easy job. We refer to it as raising children because that is what we are doing. We are in charge of their physical, emotional, spiritual, and intelectual well being. It is a 24 hour, 7 day a week job. There are no vacations from this. No matter where we are, that responsibility is still there.

It is hard for me to believe the number of posters that reacted negatively to this op's thread. Many seem to have the feeling that no one has a right to get angry for a child's play. After all, children will be children. Unfortunately I haven't read that parents should parent! Isn't it the parents job to supervise, oversee, protect, educate, and love? If your child is misbehaving shouldn't the parent do something?

I don't think the problem is the swords. Although personally I wish guns, knives and swords were not considered acceptable toys for children, I understand and accept that they are. But just as I don't allow my GS's or GD's to throw a ball in my dining room, I also wouldn't allow them to have a sword fight down Main Street. Why? Because there are consequences to their actions. Playing ball in my house can result in something being broken. Sword fighting in a crowd could result in someone being hurt. There is a time and place for everything.

Buy the sword, have it sent back to your room. Let your child sword fight with you once you have gone home in your back yard. Enjoy his imagination with him, not just at Disney.

And for the record my GD Princess Katie who is 3 can and does hold her own with all of the GS's. I'll match her wand with their swords any day of the week, it just won't happen at WDW.

 

[lsteadman]

Just my opinion, but a kid that runs up to an adult stranger in a theme park and jabs them in the back of the leg isn't being raised right.

Amen! Well said - Parents don't teach their kids respect anymore.

Please make sure you kid doesn't gab complete strangers in the leg or other body parks.

Its alright to play if it doesn't hurt anyone else. Can you replace an eye...? I am sorry for my sons behavior won't give any comfort to the person who has lost or sufferred injury to their eye.

I noticed this alot in Fantasy Land. I had to tell one kid about his swording swing in my direction. His mother heard me and didn't say anything. She just looked. I was SO waiting for her to say something but she didn't because she knew it was just too crowded in that store for him to be swing that sword like that. Security would have been necessary....

We could barely walk and it took us a while to check out. Everyone decided to shop all at once and having those swords swinging didn't help. Plus it was raining so everyone was in the store to escape the rain.

Its okay to play with swords - if you choose to buy them for your kids. Its Disney have fun but don't let your unattended child hurt anyone.

 

[C.Ann]

My credentials? Between DH and I we had 6 children. I had 2, DH had 4, ours was a Cocker Spaniel (for good reason! LOL). I am the proud Grandmother of 11. 7 grandsons and 4 granddaughters. Having stated that...

I agree with the poster who said we live in a society that loves to blame others for our own problems. There needs to be more accountability in this world. If I'm fat it's because I choose to eat too much and the wrong things. Not McD's fault because they sold me the food!

Being a parent is not an easy job. We refer to it as raising children because that is what we are doing. We are in charge of their physical, emotional, spiritual, and intelectual well being. It is a 24 hour, 7 day a week job. There are no vacations from this. No matter where we are, that responsibility is still there.

It is hard for me to believe the number of posters that reacted negatively to this op's thread. Many seem to have the feeling that no one has a right to get angry for a child's play. After all, children will be children. Unfortunately I haven't read that parents should parent! Isn't it the parents job to supervise, oversee, protect, educate, and love? If your child is misbehaving shouldn't the parent do something?

I don't think the problem is the swords. Although personally I wish guns, knives and swords were not considered acceptable toys for children, I understand and accept that they are. But just as I don't allow my GS's or GD's to throw a ball in my dining room, I also wouldn't allow them to have a sword fight down Main Street. Why? Because there are consequences to their actions. Playing ball in my house can result in something being broken. Sword fighting in a crowd could result in someone being hurt. There is a time and place for everything.

Buy the sword, have it sent back to your room. Let your child sword fight with you once you have gone home in your back yard. Enjoy his imagination with him, not just at Disney.

And for the record my GD Princess Katie who is 3 can and does hold her own with all of the GS's. I'll match her wand with their swords any day of the week, it just won't happen at WDW.

------------------------------

Excellent post!

 

[lsteadman]

My credentials? Between DH and I we had 6 children. I had 2, DH had 4, ours was a Cocker Spaniel (for good reason! LOL). I am the proud Grandmother of 11. 7 grandsons and 4 granddaughters. Having stated that...

I agree with the poster who said we live in a society that loves to blame others for our own problems. There needs to be more accountability in this world. If I'm fat it's because I choose to eat too much and the wrong things. Not McD's fault because they sold me the food!

Being a parent is not an easy job. We refer to it as raising children because that is what we are doing. We are in charge of their physical, emotional, spiritual, and intelectual well being. It is a 24 hour, 7 day a week job. There are no vacations from this. No matter where we are, that responsibility is still there.

It is hard for me to believe the number of posters that reacted negatively to this op's thread. Many seem to have the feeling that no one has a right to get angry for a child's play. After all, children will be children. Unfortunately I haven't read that parents should parent! Isn't it the parents job to supervise, oversee, protect, educate, and love? If your child is misbehaving shouldn't the parent do something?

I don't think the problem is the swords. Although personally I wish guns, knives and swords were not considered acceptable toys for children, I understand and accept that they are. But just as I don't allow my GS's or GD's to throw a ball in my dining room, I also wouldn't allow them to have a sword fight down Main Street. Why? Because there are consequences to their actions. Playing ball in my house can result in something being broken. Sword fighting in a crowd could result in someone being hurt. There is a time and place for everything.

Buy the sword, have it sent back to your room. Let your child sword fight with you once you have gone home in your back yard. Enjoy his imagination with him, not just at Disney.

And for the record my GD Princess Katie who is 3 can and does hold her own with all of the GS's. I'll match her wand with their swords any day of the week, it just won't happen at WDW.

Also well said barba41

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I do not understand how people who are NOT parents can pass any judgments on HOW to raise children or HOW simple it is, because it is not. I also am surprised by people who were parents of another generation"

1. Why do you assume people without children, either by choice or by the will of God assume being a parent is easy? I'm not understanding that. No one said it was easy which is quite honestly, part of why some choose not have to have kids. That's not why I'm not having kids, but why I don't have kids is really none of anyone else's business.

2. People without kids were all, strangely enough, kids themselves once. Having had the experience of being a child at some point in my life, I think I have a pretty good reserve of knowledge as to how kids think.

3. I had parents. I learned alot about how raise kids (and how not to) from them.

4. Believe it or not, despite not having physically given birth to a child of my own, I have had in a child in my care before for an extended period of time. This child has lived with me and I have traveled with her and I have attended her school functions, including parent/teacher meetings etc.

5. By your logic, teachers, doctors and child behaviorists who don't have their own kids are all morons who don't have any right to give you advice. That makes no sense whatsover.

6. Lastly, some of the worst parents I have ever seen were parents. I don't really know how else to put it. But I sure know quite a few of them. People who neglect their kids, put their own selfish wants above things like getting their children to school on time etc. This was how the biological mother of the little girl who was with me for a time was. She is unfortunately back with her bio mother but there is a fairly good chance that her mother might lose her permanently because she is an idiot. Being pregnant and giving birth does not make you some all knowing, all powerful child rearing genius.

My opinion based upon my own childhood, the little girl I cared for, my parents and my friends children is that having a toy weapon has never turned any child into a violent psychopath. My parents first started buying me REAL swords and daggers when I was in my early teens and I have never had any desire to use them except for in historical re-enactments.

That said, it is all about context and it seems like common sense to me. If the kid wants a sword to pretend he is a pirate, a knight, a marine, a cowboy or some other thing little boys (and girls ) have played "pretend" as since the beginning of time, I don't see how anyone has a problem with that. If the kid wants the sword, knife or gun to play Yo I'm a Gangsta or Let's Play Columbine then he 1. obviously has deeper problems, and 2. Should not be given any kind of weapon to play with.

It is all about context. And you can sit there and say "well, you've never given birth so you have no right to even open your mouth on the topic" all you want but I respond to that by saying give me one example of one child who got a fake sword at the Pirates of The Carribean gift shop and grew up to go on a killing spree?

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Whether boy or girl...wand or sword....any child who attacks me is going to find their weapon of choice taken from them and broken into two pieces.

If you ever took a toy away from any child in my care and broke it, you'd be ponying up the cash for a new one and I would absolutely call security over and hopefully remove you from the park. In "my world" THAT is called stealing someone else's property and destroying it. That's a crime. Moreso than a small child who is excited accidentally bumping into you with his plastic pirate sword.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I have a DS9. We own several light sabers. We do not allow him to play with them in the house and there is NO WAY he would be allowed to play with them somewhere as crowded as WDW.

Why on earth would I put that temptation out there for him? "Here's a saber, a sword, a whatever. But don't swing it! Hold it nicely." Right!

Of course he would want to swing it, of course he might hit somebody, and of course the person he hits might get REALLY angry, even if it was an accident. It is entirely possible to cause actual injury with a toy, so why go down that path?

I can't say I would be very nice if I was poked, stabbed, whacked or otherwise intruded upon by a toy. If it was an accident and happened ONCE I could forgive it, but if it was on purpose or happened repeatedly there would be problems. I wouldn't go as far as damaging the child's property but I would certainly say something.

I kind of think the swords are like the umbrellas - it depends on who is holding them. Some people can hold an umbrella responsibly and not poke others, and if they do poke someone accidentally they offer a sincere apology. MAYBE some kids can carry a toy around WDW all day and not poke anyone, and if they do they apologize and take care not to let it happen again. Kids who are poking people on purpose probably belong to the parents who smack people with their umbrellas.

It all comes down to being considerate and respectful of the people around you.

 

[Tink10]

Let the kids carry around all the swords/guns/knives they want!!!!!!!!! they are just kids & in no way is this violent


I beg to differ a bit here because I've seen planty of kids who ARE violent. As a former manager of a Disney Store and a Gymboree, I've seen so many boys & girls who I would consider very violent.

The problem seems to be getting worse & worse. Some kids are totally out of control.....Have any of you ever watched the shows Nanny 911 or Supernanny? Some of these kids are the epitome of violent and it all stems from one thing......The Parents (or lack of....)

Day in & day out I've seen more than my fair share of parents who just don't want to bother correcting or repremanding their children.....It's easier for them to turn a blind eye than to actually parent their child.