Strangers talking to your children

[topcat011]

Its only a curious question. My kids are way older so I dont really think like that anymore. I have two kids that are US Marines so them talking to strangers is what they do.. but anyways
We are heading to Disney in a few weeks and was wondering what was the protocol for talking to the little people while standing in line. I know my man is always talking to the kids.
As a parent is this ok??

 

[mrszrw]

I know that enjoyed it when others talked to my DD3 while on the bus or in lines. I haven't really talked to her about stranger danger yet. I know I should!
I would talk to other peoples kids along as the child seems ok with it. I never had a parent complain to me or look uncomfortable with it.

I was always glad when someone esle could entertain her for a few moments.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I've never told my kids not to talk to strangers. First of all, they don't always know what a stranger really is. One time I saw something on tv about how, a tv station (with permission from the police and the parents) showed how easy it was to lure children away from a playground. They used the lost dog story, I'm a policeman, etc. All the kids said that they didn't go with a stranger, but it was a policeman, a person who lost a dog, etc. Therefore, I figure that I need to closely supervise my children in public. Period. And if they were to get lost they would have to approach a stranger to get help (I do explain about employees, etc, but anyone can wear a nametag and look like an employee).

Also, I talk to strangers, so it would be a real mixed message to tell them not to.

You can kind of tell the reaction of parents when you are standing in line. Most would be happy to have someone chatting with their child to keep them entertained. If the parents feel threatened then it should be obvious. Just keep it chatty and don't make the parents think that you are scoping out their child.

T&B

 

[LindaR]

Just be sensitive to body language and tone of voice. If the parent or kid seems uncomfortable, stop talking. That way, you aren't pushing and if they are receptive, they will engage you in conversation

 

[MAC3]

My rule of thumb is if the parents are present "No Problem".

I think that is one of the best things about Disney " A Common Thread for Perfect Strangers".

I Love it!
Lisa

 

[jpd3]

I don't think you could stop my girls from talking to you!! My kids love the place and feel they need to let everyone know. As a parent I am fine with talking. Anything beyond that is a little too personal in my view.

 

[Selket]

That would be pretty awful if you couldn't talk to the kids! I agree with the previous posters that as long as the parents are present (with younger ones) there is no problem. In fact...please do it - LOL! We need all the help we can get entertaining them in line We enjoyed our conversations with folks around us waiting for parades, on the bus, etc.

 

[WIcruizer]

I don't mind people talking to our kids, but I'll be honest and say it depends on who they are. Some people kind of give you the creeps, and I don't want to talk to them- much less my kids. I don't think it's a mixed message. You can talk to "strangers" when your with an adult you know. Do not talk to strangers when you are alone or with other kids.

 

[GEM]

We also love talking with the little kids in line with us. We even have a ball trading pins with them. I can't imagine why anyone would mind you talking to their kid while they are standing right there with them. It's not like you're taking them off alone or anything. After many adults only trips, we are going in May for the first time as parents. Our baby will be one year old. I HOPE that others in line will talk to him. It might be the only way we will survive . . .

 

[andromedaslove]

Hey, you know that creepy feeling you get. That is called instinct and I rely heavily on it. Now granted sometimes that instinct is wrong, others it has kept me from putting myself or others around me in a dangerous situation. There is a reason we have that feeling. I would popay for someone to talk to my kids while we are waiting in a line, it would give me a break from my non stop two year old, lol.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I agree about having a feeling about some people. It's something that's hard to explain, but we all know what we're talking about.

This reminds me of a story that my sister told me about years ago involving her daughter. My neice was walking home from school and her grandmother drove by and offered Robin a lift home. Robing told her grandmother "no" and her grandmother wasked why. Robin told her that her mother told her not to take rides from strangers. Of course my sister assumed that she knew what a stranger was. lol Now days, even in that small town, I bet that kids don't walk home from school alone.

When my kids are old enough to be out alone or with friends I step up my rules and what I explain to them, but I think the poster was talking about young children in line with parents.

My kids are between 4 and 16 so we cover a lot of situations.

T&B

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I always talk to kids. At WDW it's imposible not to talk to them as most of them are so excited they will talk to you first!!!! WE have had kids tell us about thier whole day and it's so neat. I always told my DS also that taking to strangers was fine as long as mom or dad or another adult he knows is with him. Yes, we have to be careful, but most situations at WDW are very safe. Chat away.


Jordan's mom

 

[Alison Wonderland]

My son (8) loves to talk to people while we are at Disney. I never had a problem with it and I think your family will get a positive reaction.

 

[Wife of Grumpy]

On our recent, 6 day- Sunny- 70 degrees- perfect weather, trip to WDW, one of my "Magical" experiences was with a young "Princess"!

After seeing Fantasmic for the second time during our trip, we waited in line for the bus to POR. In the line ahead of us was a little girl wearing the Pink Sequin Princess hat with the long veil trailing from the top of the hat down to her knees. To entertain the Princess, her Mom & Dad demonstrated a dance. Dad twirled Mom under his arm and back again, then Mom fell gently back into a dip, then Dad gave Mom a kiss. Then it was the Princess turn. She perfectly performed the dance with Dad and they got a round of applause! They seemed a little surprised that anyone was watching!

When we boarded the bus, DH and I sat behind the Princess and her Dad. Princess noticed that I had Winnie the Pooh on my shirt and for the next 15 minutes Princess and I discussed what and who we had seen while at Disney. Princess told me about having breakfast with Cinderella and that she got a hug. Princess did not like the Snow White ride because it was scary. Dad tried to distract Princess from "bothering" me but, Princess said " Dad, I'm talking to the nice lady". Well that was all it took- Dad let her talk to me the rest of the way to POR. As we pulled into POR, Princess turned to me and asked my name. I told her mine and then she told me hers.

I thanked her parents for letting her visit with me and that I had really enjoyed talking to Princess about WDW. By the way how old is Princess?

She is 2 1/2 !

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by Wife of Grumpy
By the way how old is Princess?

She is 2 1/2 !

LOL about the princess. That's a first born girl for you I bet! My daughter could have carried on a conversation like that at her age, but my boys weren't talking enough at that age to string the words together even if they had the thoughts in their heads. Of course now none of my kids will ever shut up.

T&B

 

[Kaycee]

That's a first born girl for you I bet!

Or a first born child period!! My older son carried on those kinds of conversations at that age too. His younger brother didn't talk much when he was that young, probably because he couldn't get a word in with his brother around! He's made up for lost ground since then though!!

Both my children, especially my older son, have always been very outgoing, practically forcing adults to talk to them wherever we went. It sometimes made me a little nervous when they were little, but there was no stopping them, and I didn't want them to lose that love of communicating with others, so I just kept a very close eye on them whenever we were out in public.

They're older now, 12 and 14, and the 14 year old now enjoys talking to little ones as well as the adults when we go to WDW. I'm so afraid that some parent will think my son has sinister motives. But so far, all the parents have seemed pleasantly surprised when he starts up a conversation with their young child in line or on the bus. I have talked to him about only talking to young children if their parent is with them, that it might scare the parent or the child because they don't know he's a nice guy.

 

[Ahrizel]

I'm always talking to kids at Disney-and there often talking to me! I guess they know a sucker when they see one! My sister's kids will talk to anyone, especially the oldest girl. One of her first trips to the world, she was in her Cinderella costume. Danced around, would only be addressed as cindy, and had young kids kissing her hand! She was 4 then, but is still very much the same goofy girl. Seems to run in the family too. Our first trip to Disney my sister and I were 7 and 8. We had a long layover in Atlanta and apparently we talked to everyone in sight, telling them how old we were, how old our mom was, and how we had bigger feet then her I think the goofiness is genetic. Disney seems to be such a happy and safe(feeling)atmosphere that people end up talking more, especially kids.

 

[HeyMickey]

On the flip side, please restrain your five year old if she runs up to a 20 year old (calmly waiting in line for Cranium Command) and starts screaming "I WAS IN LINE FIRST! DON'T TRY TO GET IN FRONT OF ME! I'M FIRST! DAAAAAAD! SHE'S CUTTING IN FRONT OF MEEEE!"

True story. Her dad completely ignored her, and she seemed more than a little miffed when I just walked away. What makes it even stupider is that we were the only two families in line.