Crying tots!

[jaysue]

Generally, I let DS (3 1/2) call the shots on the attractions. I can usually tell the difference between "a little scared" and no way am I going on that Dad!!!

For example, Haunted Mansion was a no way - I thought no problem, I asked twice just to be sure and then just promptly turned around and left the attraction.

The flip side is approaching Snow White ride and he says and I take a look at him and now I am getting the "little scared" vibes and I say that Snow White needs his help and he needs to be brave. That brings a smile to his face and poof he is ready to go on the ride with me (and actually went three times in a row).

It is all about knowing your kids and when they are clearing not wanting to ride versus sorta scared....


Thanks
jaysue

 

[patsal]

I think Aubrey hit my situation really well. Sometimes you might hear me gently explaining to DS 11 that he WILL ride the ride--afterall he has been on all of the rides at least once. I have had relatives make my kids afraid of attractions by saying things like your head will snap off if you go that fast--now I have to explain that they couldn't have a ride that your head would fall off on and remind that they have been on the ride before. I do not want my children to be like my nephew--he has so few experiences because his parents refuse to do anything with him. I know when I take this kid to WDW I will have to drag a crying kid on things because otherwise he will never try stuff. Fortunatley he is a bit afraid of me because I don't tolerate his acting like an infant and he just might be more afraid of me than the rides LOL! By the way, while I would drag him on Peter Pan, but I would never drag him on Dinosaur, etc.
On another note my DD 7 last year around the fourth of July got in line for BTMRR, she really wanted to ride, but by the time her turn came around she panicked and was too hysterical to ride. The CM's were awful! They yelled at her and me and when I still insisted that she would not be riding finally showed us where to exit. Although this is not the norm, if it were my first experience with a child not wanting to ride I may have "forced" my child to ride rather than deal with a chastizing CM.

 

[NCBUZZ]

About seven years ago when my DS was 8 I was trying to convince him to go on TOT. He just kept saying no, so we weren't riding. Then one night we were in ESPN (we were staying at BWV) and he saw an autographed Cal Ripken, Jr. baseball that he was dying to have. I told him I was willing to fork over the $120 for the ball if he was willing to try TOT. He thought about it a while and finally said OK. Needless to say, after he rode TOT and then repeatedly yelled, "Let's go again, let's go again" I felt that the $120 was a steep price to pay. But a deal's a deal. That Cal Ripken, Jr. baseball is in his room today and we still get a laugh out of it whenever we talk about it.

 

[Aubrey]

LOL, yep, bribery...a time honored tradition among parents. I wish my kid's greed were greater than his fear so it would work on him But look at it this way, as a licensed therapist my office rate is pretty close to the cost of that baseball. By taking him through his fear into a sucessful experience you gave your son more of a life enhancing and character building lesson than an hour in my office would have.

 

[NCBUZZ]

Aubrey,
Thanks. That makes it a lot easier to swallow. Truly though, it's a fond memory we look back on now. Sometimes a parent's got to do what a parent's got to do.