Would This Offend You?

[Queen2PrincessG]

I'm not reading any other post because i don't want my opinion to be jaded.

I THINK IT WAS BEYOND SWEET! It's a balloon! I think a boundary issue would come if you give them food or a treat. Now Grandma didn't say she couldn't have it because of behavior just she didn't want to loose it I beat that kid learned two lessons that day: people are nice and I BETTER HOLD ON TO MY STUFF!

 

[GinnyEmma]

I wasn't thinking about the AKL rules. Mine wouldn't have been allowed to keep the balloons even if I wasn't a mean witch of a stingy mom.

 

[JKMJ441724]

We hand out glow stick/bracelets as we sit and wait for the parade or fireworks to start. Not much, just a dusting of magic. But it certainly makes us feel good.

 

[declansdad]

We hand out glow stick/bracelets as we sit and wait for the parade or fireworks to start. Not much, just a dusting of magic. But it certainly makes us feel good.

Again there is a difference between randomly handing things like glow sticks out to those around you and purchasing something for a child when you just heard their caregiver say no.

 

[MickeyMom2Boys]

My brother has often said that he would love to go to the MK and buy ALL the balloons from the balloon handler on main street and just give them out to kids until they were all gone.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Again there is a difference between randomly handing things like glow sticks out to those around you and purchasing something for a child when you just heard their caregiver say no.

I agree. And there is huge difference between a $10 balloon and and $.50 glow in the dark thing that can be tossed on the way out of the park or left in the hotel room.

 

[mdsoccermom]

Again there is a difference between randomly handing things like glow sticks out to those around you and purchasing something for a child when you just heard their caregiver say no.

But we all know those caregivers are just big meanies.

 

[Sugardimples]

I would be very annoyed. Now I have to hold onto this balloon all day, deal with it on the rides, worry about it flying away and then having the tears to deal with. Meanwhile, you walk away feeling like you did something wonderful. You had no right to impose yourself on this family.

 

[GinnyEmma]

I would be very annoyed. Now I have to hold onto this balloon all day, deal with it on the rides, worry about it flying away and then having the tears to deal with. Meanwhile, you walk away feeling like you did something wonderful. You had no right to impose yourself on this family.

Lol, and go home to brag about her good deed. Why else bring it up here?

 

[lovemygoofy]

I have a whole different reason to not give balloons. I usually hate when this is brought up on the DIS but anyways, I have an allergy to latex. No balloons for me at all.

The allergy isn't as bad now as when I was a child but I also couldn't really understand that I could not have balloons at amusement parks or when they were given as advertisements. I could have them tied up outside or around the park but not on my person.

So to pull the special allergy card that I really hate reading about on the DIS, be cautious because it can be a number of reasons even the dreaded allergy.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Well technicially you don't have to hold onto the balloon. I would see this as a learning opportunity. Dear Son/Daughter, if you request and item make sure you take responsibility for it. I'm sure the family had a stroller to tie it onto anyway. It seems though like the child was old enough to have the responsibility of holding the balloon.

 

[GinnyEmma]

But we all know those caregivers are just big meanies.

Mean, stingy or poor.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Well technicially you don't have to hold onto the balloon. I would see this as a learning opportunity. Dear Son/Daughter, if you request and item make sure you take responsibility for it. I'm sure the family had a stroller to tie it onto anyway. It seems though like the child was old enough to have the responsibility of holding the balloon.

So which, lol. Old enough to be responsible or young enough to need a stroller?

 

[Scurvy]

Well technicially you don't have to hold onto the balloon. I would see this as a learning opportunity. Dear Son/Daughter, if you request and item make sure you take responsibility for it. I'm sure the family had a stroller to tie it onto anyway. It seems though like the child was old enough to have the responsibility of holding the balloon.

Why are you sure they had a stroller? There's no indication the child was young enough to need one. And if she was that young, she probably wasn't old enough to have the responsibility of holding the balloon. Regardless, the only person who had the right to determine if the child was responsible enough was the grandmother, and it sounds (based on her comment about not getting something which would get lost so soon) like she decided the answer to that was "No". The OP didn't have the right to overrule that decision.

 

[Magic Mom]

I think your heart was in the right place, but it would have ticked me off. If I said no, then I had a good reason. It's not your place to determine if my reason was good enough.

 

[brookmey]

I think your intent was very nice, especially with so many people being rude in public places. If I had been in the grandmother's place, I would have been gracious and recognized the good deed and intention, but privately wouldn't have been too pleased.

There are many reasons I tell my kids no to something that may not be apparent to onlookers. It's not up to someone else to decide if my reasons are valid or not or what they may "really" be about. For us, we don't get balloons because we have pets and it doesn't really work out to well with them. When someone offers them, like in Trader Joe's, we polietly decline. I wouldn't want someone to give my children one anyway.

Don't let this discourage you from doing good deeds. Just ask the parents first.
Jessica

This.

I would not have been offended, because I would recognize your kind, thoughtful gesture. But I would've been annoyed because I had said no. That's what I think it comes down to for most parents. It puts us in an impossible position when we say no to something and then have a stranger give our kids the exact thing we just said no to. If I tell my kids that they cannot have something, it's not up to another adult (grandparent, stranger, whoever) to get it for them.

Your intentions were very sweet, but in the future I would recommend quietly asking the child's caregiver first before buying them something. If you want to give them glow sticks or things like that, I would advise asking the parents first or giving them to the parents instead of directly to the kids.

Accepting gifts from strangers is a really gray area. My kids are taught not to talk to strangers and they know the different tactics strangers use to get kids to come with them. At DD's school they had a stranger danger assembly where they acted out different scenarios that predators use to lure kids. One of them included giving random gifts. It can get very confusing to kids when parents and school say it's not OK, but somehow it becomes OK when they're at Disney World.

So, as a way to relieve some of that confusion, our rule is that the kids cannot accept any gifts from strangers unless Mom or Dad are right there, giving permission. Most of the time an adult will ask one of us first if it's OK to give the kids something. We need to teach our kids to be safe and to make safe decisions, but yet we also want them to know that the world is full of good, kind people, too. No wonder being a parent is so hard!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Sometimes, you can spread pixie dust without spending a dime. On our last trip in '09, I had picked up a small container of green glitter and kept it in my pocket. My original intent was to sprinkle my 2 daughters when they began arguing. But I saw an opportunity to spread the pixie dust while taking a break outside of RNR. We were sitting in the shade and had gotten some drinks. While we were sitting there, a small girl (about 4) and her dad had gotten in line, and the little girl was not very happy. So, I approached, asked dad if it were okay if I talked to her, and stooped down. I told her I had just talked to my friend, Tinkerbell, and she asked me to keep an eye out for little princesses. I gave her a brief little story, and said Tinkerbell gave me a gift to share with her, and sprinkled "Tinkerbell's Pixie Dust" on her. As I walked away, dad thanked me, and the little girl was smiling! It really warmed my heart! We are planning a trip next year, and I think I will take my glitter with me again.

As a parent, I wouldn't have had a problem with your gift. But I would just ask the adult first. It saves any hard feelings, on either side. You have a huge, generous heart. You are truly a fairy!

I am sorry but I am having a hard time believing that a parent told a complete stranger that it would be great for them to talk to their child because she wasn't happy. Maybe it did happen but I don't know anyone who would be on board for that. Epsecially random stories about a character that as a parent we might have told out kids something different. Of course this is my own skepticism and if it did indeed happen as you say then I am glad it worked for you.
As for the OP- while I think it was nice I think you should not have done it. The grandparent had a reason regardless if you think you know what it was. You gave the balloon even though the cargiver said no. That was undermining no matter why you THINK they said no.

As for the poster who thinks it is terrible that people don't buy their kids balloons that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. $10 is insane for a balloon. I am far from cheap but I would rather spend my money ($50 since I have 5 kids) on something better. Thankfully my kids don't really care about getting a balloon anyway so you don't have to feel sad for them.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Well, More than likely the parents are with another child somewhere else. The average family is 4 people.

We all know that some people use strollers even when kids are a bit big for them. Point is that if the kid is old enough to request it she should be able to hold it. If they are younger you strap it to the stroller and move on. What OP did was nice and honestly a balloon isn't really going to ruin a trip.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Well, More than likely the parents are with another child somewhere else. The average family is 4 people.

We all know that some people use strollers even when kids are a bit big for them. Point is that if the kid is old enough to request it she should be able to hold it. If they are younger you strap it to the stroller and move on. What OP did was nice and honestly a balloon isn't really going to ruin a trip.

Not true. My dh and I don't just take off and leave our kids randomly. Also, my kids talked pretty young and could ask for stuff. It doesn''t mean they were able to hold it/be responsible for it. They just wanted it. I agree that it wouldn't ruin my trip and I do think it was a nice gesture with good intentions however, sometimes as a parent you say no for a million reasons you don't feel the need to tell your child. Having a stranger (or anyone for that matter) hear you say no and then override you isn't right. Again- I do think it was a very nice gesture.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Avg household size is about 3.2 rather than 4. And if I remember correctly about 1 in 10 kids live with a grand. You are making some statistical leaps.