Would you do this?

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

DH and I recently had a big disagreement about something, and I want to know what other parents think.

Our DS10 is a reasonably responsible guy. He HATES ToT, which is fine. DH and I like ToT, and we actually had Dream Fast Passes to ride it on Sunday. I wanted to let DS sit on a bench at the exit of ToT. There is an area where you purchase the ride photos with some benches where DS could have waited for us - it is INSIDE, not outside the building. There are CMs in that area as well as in the gift shop. Nobody would have bothered DS. DH didn't want to ride ToT by himself so we couldn't "baby swap" DS. DS was fine with the sitting on the bench option - he knew we would be out in just a few minutes. DH refused to even consider letting DS sit and wait for us.

Would you allow your 10 year old to sit and wait for you to get off of a ride or I am being too trusting?

 

[themudd4]

NOPE...I am with your DH on this one. not that I wouldn't trust your DS but there are so many other people in the parks that I don't know I can trust. You can not rely on a CM to "babysit". I guess this just shows I am a bit over protective, but rather safe than sorry.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Well, at 10 years old I came home to an empty house after school and even looked after toddler cousins. That being said, it was the 70's.

Honestly, I just don't know. I can absolutely see both sides of this issue. BTW, I have 9, 7 and 4 y.o. sons. I do let DS 9 go in to public bathrooms alone.

Sorry, not much help!

 

[snowy76]

If it's just you and DH couldn't you get FPs for the ride and ride it separately, while you take turns waiting with DS? You'd have to do that if you had baby swap anyway. Kinda renders the disagreement obsolete. HTH.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We let DD sit there when she didn't want to ride a few years ago at about 10 or 11 . We had her go through the line with us then had a CM take her to the chicken exit thats right there.I felt a bit safer as it was in a well traveled area but indoors.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

NOPE...I am with your DH on this one. not that I wouldn't trust your DS but there are so many other people in the parks that I don't know I can trust. You can not rely on a CM to "babysit". I guess this just shows I am a bit over protective, but rather safe than sorry.

Oh, I wasn't implying that a CM would be there to babysit. Just that a CM would be in range if anyone did bother DS.

I guess part of my thinking is that when I was 12 we went to WDW on school trips and we ran loose in the parks without any adult supervision all day long. OK, that was 20-odd years ago, so maybe I am being naive on this issue.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

If it's just you and DH couldn't you get FPs for the ride and ride it separately, while you take turns waiting with DS? You'd have to do that if you had baby swap anyway. Kinda renders the disagreement obsolete. HTH.

Yes, we had Fast Passes but DH refused to go by himself.

 

[bytheblood]

No! I am with your husband. Even if you can trust your son, you can't always trust strangers.

My daughter is a great kid and is real good about doing what I ask. But, she is also still a kid and kids are pretty naive.

 

[nhrenee]

Yes, but it depends on the child.

 

[wdwpjs]

Yes I would let him stay by himself. A few years back my DD14 {then 11} wanted to ride TOT. Well long story short, when it was our turn to ride she was too scared. The CM told me to ride and he walked DD to the benches you are talking about. She was absolutely fine. She was so excited to get to see the "back"area as she called it. I would have let your DS wait in the line with you, and then let the CM escort him to the waiting area when it was your turn to get on the elevator. Most CM's are very understanding about that. By the way this also happened to my Dsister on Space Mountain with my neice. My neice was waiting for her at the end and had no problems.

 

[UP Disney]

If he was fine staying alone and it was an area that had CM's around, I would have been comfortable leaving him there by himself. However, I've been known to be too trusting.

 

[Hannathy]

Yes I would have no problem letting a 10 yr old do that. I would let a 9 yr old do that also. A 9-10 yr old is certainly old enough to know not to go with someone and if someone tried anything( which is extremely,extremely rare) where you are talking there would be way too many people for anything to happen. The school my DD attended took the 5th and 6th graders to an amusement park and they were on there own all day, just checking in at lunch.

 

[tinah159]

If he is mature and not afraid to wait while you rode, I would let him sit on the benches.

 

[DVCLiz]

Yes, I'd absolutely let my 10 year old wait in the gift shop. This is one of those occasions when an extra cell phone comes in handy. I'd be totally comfortable knowing I could call my child if I had any concern about where we were to meet, etc.

I have a very high comfort level at WDW, especially inside the parks.

 

[swillis]

I would let my son do that, no worries at all. But that's just me.

 

[snowy76]

Yes, we had Fast Passes but DH refused to go by himself.

Ooooooh I would have KILLED my DH if he'd been like that!

BTW, I personally I'd be comfy with leaving a 12 y.o. but probably not 10. That's just me.

 

[dis-happy]

I would have let my child wait for me on the benches (as long as I knew my child well enough to know they'd do what they were supposed to).

My parenting philosophy: children need to be given responsibility in small increments so they can grow and mature into handling bigger responsibility. You wouldn't want to thrust them into something at "a certain age" without having given them the baby steps to lead up to it. Sounds like you dh missed a good opportunity for your ds.

 

[cocodog]

DH and I recently had a big disagreement about something, and I want to know what other parents think.

Our DS10 is a reasonably responsible guy. He HATES ToT, which is fine. DH and I like ToT, and we actually had Dream Fast Passes to ride it on Sunday. I wanted to let DS sit on a bench at the exit of ToT. There is an area where you purchase the ride photos with some benches where DS could have waited for us - it is INSIDE, not outside the building. There are CMs in that area as well as in the gift shop. Nobody would have bothered DS. DH didn't want to ride ToT by himself so we couldn't "baby swap" DS. DS was fine with the sitting on the bench option - he knew we would be out in just a few minutes. DH refused to even consider letting DS sit and wait for us.

Would you allow your 10 year old to sit and wait for you to get off of a ride or I am being too trusting?

No, I would not let him wait. It would probably be OK, but you just can't take the chance with your children.

 

[Leota]

I would have let my child wait for me on the benches (as long as I knew my child well enough to know they'd do what they were supposed to).

My parenting philosophy: children need to be given responsibility in small increments so they can grow and mature into handling bigger responsibility. You wouldn't want to thrust them into something at "a certain age" without having given them the baby steps to lead up to it. Sounds like you dh missed a good opportunity for your ds.

ITA. At 10, we would have let DS do that. We were starting to let him go on attractions alone & wait at the end for him (we hate ToT, he loves it) By 12, we were letting him go into the Park alone for a bit, with cell phones for communication etc...

I think 10 is a perfect age for him to start sprouting his wings & for you guys to learn to let go a tiny bit too. It's harder for us them them, BTW. They're fine, we're the ones who need the learning opportunities, IMHO.

 

[pixiedancer]

i would let my son do it. he will be in a very public place. 10 yo is a mature age. they want responsiblilty. he is about to go to middle school.