What to do with an 11 year old at night?

[twotoohappy]

Anybody know of any options for a very mature and responsible 11 year old who wants NO part of the Cubs Den while we're at Artist Point? How old are your kids before you leave them for a few hours?
Ugghh,,, too old for daycare, too young to be on their own.

 

[DVCLiz]

There are private sitters that will come to your room - I expect you could even have someone take your 11 year old to one of the parks while you're at dinner. It would depend on your comfort level, and you'll get the whole spectrum on these boards.

Are you just wanting a private dinner? The reason I ask is that I ate solo at Artist's Point two years ago and I saw loads of kids there. So your 11 year old COULD eat there if you chose.

Also, if it's fairly warm and a pleasant night, the pool is right outside. I'd leave a mature pre-teen to swim for an hour or two (with lifeguards, of course) as long as he/she knew to dress and come find me if needed.

Good luck!!!

Good luck!!!

 

[disneychrista]

I guess you have 3 options - take with you, leave in room alone, take to the day care/kids club (even if she pouts the entire evening).

My opinion take her with you. I understand everyone has different opinions on this but mine is that if you are going on a family vacation then the family should be together. Maybe it is that I am a single parent or maybe it was the way it was when I grew up but I couldn't seen leaving my kids at "day care" while I went out while we are on vacation.

 

[Hannathy]

I agree with Disneychrista take her with you she is certainly old enough to go to an adult dinner she may really enjoy feeling you think her grown up enough to do it. And 11 is old enough to have interesting conversations with and to appreciate a sit down dinner.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I would give my DS11 the option of going with us or staying at the Den's Club to play PS2. Better safe than sorry. I could not leave my DS11 at the pool even though he is on a competitive swim team. I wouldn't be able to enjoy my meal.

 

[twotoohappy]

My opinion take her with you. I understand everyone has different opinions on this but mine is that if you are going on a family vacation then the family should be together. Maybe it is that I am a single parent or maybe it was the way it was when I grew up but I couldn't seen leaving my kids at "day care" while I went out while we are on vacation.

Wow - flaming on the family board

I am also a single parent and spend the entire vacation with my dd so "day care" isn't a bad thing or bad because of the way you were brought up. "Day Care" gives the parent a break to be with other adults.


DVC Liz - thanks, that's what I was looking for was an in room service that would come and hang out with dd. I read somewhere on the boards about a parent who hired a service and the person brought games and fun activities to do. I just couldn't find that thread. That way dd would have fun and I'd get a break.

 

[DVCLiz]

Twotoohappy - I think the name of the service is Fairy Godmothers, or maybe Fairy Godsitters. I've seen them listed in some guide books, or you could probably do a search on this board.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to spend some time apart from your children, even if you are on vacation.

 

[disneychrista]

Wow - flaming on the family board

First off I did not flame you but gave my opinion. If I wanted to flame I would have said that only bad parents would even think about using a day care and not spending the entire vacation with their child. I did not say this. I said the I felt that on a family vacation the family should spend together.

I am also a single parent and spend the entire vacation with my dd so "day care" isn't a bad thing or bad because of the way you were brought up. "Day Care" gives the parent a break to be with other adults.

I can not make since of this statement. How would you know whether or not how I was raised would influence my opnion on puting kids in day care or not while on vacation? And since I am a single parent I go on family vacations as a single parent, so this does influence my view on it. Why would I put my kids in day care to spend the evening alone? If I wanted to do that I would go on vacation alone. And I never said it was a "bad thing" just not something I would do.

And one last comment. How can you spend the entire vacation with your DD if you are planning on a dinner alone


So again I my opinion is take your DD with you to dinner. If you choose not to do this, put her in day care even if she pouts the entire time.

 

[DVCLiz]

First off I did not flame you but gave my opinion. If I wanted to flame I would have said that only bad parents would even think about using a day care and not spending the entire vacation with their child. I did not say this. I said the I felt that on a family vacation the family should spend together.


I can not make since of this statement. How would you know whether or not how I was raised would influence my opnion on puting kids in day care or not while on vacation? And since I am a single parent I go on family vacations as a single parent, so this does influence my view on it. Why would I put my kids in day care to spend the evening alone? If I wanted to do that I would go on vacation alone. And I never said it was a "bad thing" just not something I would do.

And one last comment. How can you spend the entire vacation with your DD if you are planning on a dinner alone


So again I my opinion is take your DD with you to dinner. If you choose not to do this, put her in day care even if she pouts the entire time.

Disneychrista - You said in an earlier post something along the lines of "maybe this was just how it was when I was raised" so I also assumed the same thing as the OP.

The OP also never said she was going to eat alone - as a matter of fact, she said "we" in the original post. Perhaps she has a boyfriend, maybe she's meeting a relative, could be she hooked up with someone from the DIS boards - who knows?? The point is, she wanted information about her options should she choose to have an adult meal on her vacation, and you jumped in with a value judgement. She didn't ask how anyone felt about her choice, although you felt free to flame her for it.

OP, perhaps you ought to amend your original post to read, "I am going to spend the entire vacation with my DD, except for the 87 minutes I am having dinner at Artist's Point, and perhaps three minutes and 47 seconds when we are apart while I am in the restroom."

 

[disneychrista]

Disneychrista - You said in an earlier post something along the lines of "maybe this was just how it was when I was raised" so I also assumed the same thing as the OP.

But she said " "day care" isn't a bad thing or bad because of the way you were brought up." So I was wondering how she could say that it wasn't bad ( BTW I never said ONCE that I thought it was bad, just not something I would do on a family vacation) because of how I was raised. This is why I said how could she know how I was raised dosen't taint my view.

And I again never said that I thought SHE would be eating alone, as in not with someone else, just alone as in w/o her DD. I said that I would be eating alone if I did indeed put my kids alone, which would be silly on a family vacation.

OBVIOUSLY your definition and mine of "flaming" are different. I didn't know stating an opposing opinion/view was now considered flaming. As I previously stated, I couldn't see leaving MY kids in daycare. Never once stated that SHE shouldn't do so, that is obvioulsy her choice. She did ask however for "options for a very mature and responsible 11 year old who wants NO part of the Cubs Den while we're at Artist Point?" Which I gave. My RECOMMEDATION which was to take her with or put her in day care (even if she pouts). She didn't say that she wanted only opinions/options that did not include either of those two, did she?

 

[swillis]

I also have an 11 year old. She would not want to be at the organized kid center by herself.
I found these services in the Unofficial Walt Disney World Guide:
Kids Nite Out www.kidsniteout.com or 407-828-0920
All about Kids www.all-about-kids.com or 800-728-6506
Fairy Godmothers is listed under the Kids Nite Out Company.

Hope this helps. It is a family vacation, so I don't see anything wrong with spending a night out for dinner with your husband.

 

[roadtripper]

Hey twotoohappy-- Long time no talk!
I've got your back!
We left our very mature 11 year old girl "home" at OKW with her brother and two younger cousins babysitting while at WDW last week. Everyone had a great time.
I figured I would deflect Disneychrista for a minute so you could cool down
Hope you have a great vacation!

 

[twotoohappy]

Hey twotoohappy-- Long time no talk!
I've got your back!
We left our very mature 11 year old girl "home" at OKW with her brother and two younger cousins babysitting while at WDW last week. Everyone had a great time.
I figured I would deflect Disneychrista for a minute so you could cool down
Hope you have a great vacation!

Hey Roadtripper! How've ya been?

DVC Liz - thanks for covering my back
"OP, perhaps you ought to amend your original post to read, "I am going to spend the entire vacation with my DD, except for the 87 minutes I am having dinner at Artist's Point, and perhaps three minutes and 47 seconds when we are apart while I am in the restroom."
.....OMG toooooo funny

swillis - thanks for the links - that's what I was looking for

disneychrista - I hope you're more pleasant to others on this board than you have been in this thread. This was my first flame on the disboards. I came to the family board seeking information. I will look for it elsewhere in the future.

I'm requesting the mods close this thread.

 

[disneychrista]

disneychrista - I hope you're more pleasant to others on this board than you have been in this thread. This was my first flame on the disboards.

If opinions are flames then we should close 75% or more of the threads on ALL boards. Good luck to you on whatever you choose to do with your DD on your family vacation. And I will continue to do what I feel is best for me while we are on family vacations.

 

[DVCLiz]

Twotoohappy - don't leave the boards! They are (usually) full of information and a lot of fun, too!!!!

 

[casey49781]

our family trip this time i am going to have a nice dinner with my bf and my children are going to a club while i am gone,they are 9 and 6,,,bad mother ok ,,,,whatever,,,i rarely have time for myself at home and if i choose to go out to dinner then who cares,,,,who do you think pays the pill for all the fun,,,we do and if i get a dinner out of it ,i am happy ,,,and they are happy to go cause there are alot of people in the world that has never been there,,,

 

[twotoohappy]

Twotoohappy - don't leave the boards! They are (usually) full of information and a lot of fun, too!!!!

Hey DVCLiz I'm heading over to the DVC boards to plan my next trip home Gotta love DVC and being able to come and go as we please. It's makes for a happy, FRIENDLY (sorry, couldn't resist the caps) place. I've got 4 trips this year to plan for March, May, Aug. and Dec.

Hey casey49781 Enjoy your dinner! When you're happy, then your kids are happy. Everyone needs time to do their own thing

Happy Day Everyone

 

[disneychrista]

our family trip this time i am going to have a nice dinner with my bf and my children are going to a club while i am gone,they are 9 and 6,,,bad mother ok ,,,,whatever

Yes you are a horrible mother for making a choice that I find is not right for me. Give me a break.

 

[twotoohappy]

Yes you are a horrible mother

Let's all play nice and no name calling. We want to be good role models



"You have no power here! Now begone, before somebody drops a house on you!" ~Glinda, the Good Witch of the North

 

[PixiPwr]

Wanna hear how bad a mother I am? I toyed with the idea of letting my 12 year old babysit the 9,6, & 5 year olds while DH & I had dinner at V&A! We were going to be at the GF anyway, so it wasn't like she (or the others) couldn't get hold of us quickly (we always leave them with a Nextel and they all know how to use it properly).

Of course, after we switched our resort from GF to VWL we did decide to take them to the Cub's Den, which they all enjoyed. The 5 yo wanted to know when we were going on another date so she could go back!

Make me a bad parent? I don't think so. Make me a better parent? I think so. DH & I were able to breathe an adult breath, eat from a menu that did not contain the word "nugget", and actually enjoy one another for a couple of hours. We picked them up refreshed and ready to give them 100% of us for the remainder of the trip. I honestly think the time away from us was good for them as well.

Oh, and another plus for them - DH & I decided during our adult time that yes, we would in fact be back in September!