Would you leave a 9-year-old while you go on a ride?

[TJDisneymama]

You don't think a CM would question why a child was in a CM only area?

Or you know, why a non-CM was there? Especially one with a child who was kicking, screaming and yelling "HELP!!"??

 

[Maliboo]

Our hypothetical boogeyman is not going to get very far, trying to smuggle a child through the utilidors!

(I've been down there, as well as backstage - it's not exactly deserted!)

I didn't mention anything about an adult. I was refuting the claim a child only has one way out of the park.

 

[Maliboo]

Or you know, why a non-CM was there? Especially one with a child who was kicking, screaming and yelling "HELP!!"??

Why did you ask for opinions if you had already decided what you were going to do?

 

[siskaren]

I didn't mention anything about an adult. I was refuting the claim a child only has one way out of the park.

So you think a 9-year-old child (who knows how to read) would go through a door marked Cast Members Only and try to leave the park that way?

 

[Kimberly9701]

I'm sorry, but this is shocking.

People saying to "sacrifice your time or wants" is a part of parenting, or a child could get abducted..or leave the park.. Etc etc etc. Seriously?
A huge part of parenting is setting up your child for success. As I stated before- catering to stubbornness is in my opinion, not a good way to set them up in life.
Trying new things is important. A 12 year old riding every ride alone would not be enjoyable for him...she could maybe be a little uncomfortable and then that would make her join them next time, and she would realize that she too enjoys rollercoasters. Or not- and if not then take turns on one ride going with son, and next waiting with daughter.
Sorry but some of this is ridiculous. You can't raise children to be afraid of everything and anything.

 

[Magpie]

I didn't mention anything about an adult. I was refuting the claim a child only has one way out of the park.

You know your child best. If you have the kind of nine year old who can't be counted on to wait in a gift shop, and who will go through doors that are clearly marked "cast member only", and who will then try to hide from all the cast members on the other side and sneak off park property onto the ring roads in order to try to thumb a ride out of town... Then you probably shouldn't leave your child alone at the ride exit.

 

[Slapshot1188]

Ok, I probably shouldn't bring this up, but I go many places with my 9 year old DS and 3 year old twins. There are MANY times when he has to wait outside a restroom in a crowded public place (restaurant, grocery store, etc) Taking two 3 year olds to the bathroom can take 10 minutes. What should I be doing? Never leave the house? Make the 9 year old go in with me (and try to fit 4 people in a stall)? Or is my local Wal-Mart safe and Disneyworld is not?

No.. I would plant my 9 year old right outside the doorway and tell him/her to scream/yell if needed. I think I would have difficulty hearing that call for help while sitting in a ride vehicle...
Hey, everyone gets to raise their kids they way they want. I don't know that there is a RIGHT or WRONG answer but personally there is absolutely ZERO chance that I would go on a ride with one child and leave a 9 year old standing in a strange crowded place outside of earshot.

 

[mjkacmom]

No.. I would plant my 9 year old right outside the doorway and tell him/her to scream/yell if needed. I think I would have difficulty hearing that call for help while sitting in a ride vehicle...
Hey, everyone gets to raise their kids they way they want. I don't know that there is a RIGHT or WRONG answer but personally there is absolutely ZERO chance that I would go on a ride with one child and leave a 9 year old standing in a strange crowded place outside of earshot.

My folks let me go to the MK by myself when I was 10, on the monorail from the CR. It's was great! I don't think they could hear me from the resort, and no cell phones! But, that was back in the day, when things were statistically more dangerous.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

I'm not exactly sure what I would do in the situation posed by the OP, but when evaluating situations like this I think you sometimes have to look at the risk AND the consequences as two separate things. Sure the risk is low that she may get abducted or molested or whatever - but the consequences could be high if she was. Sometimes that turns a decision into more of a 1 versus a 0 for me. This may not be a good analogy as the risks are very different and there is a legal requirement - but it's like whether or not you put your child in a child restraint in a vehicle. Sure the risk of an accident is low (i've never had one in my 47 years), but the consequences if it does happen are very high - death, brain damage, etc. So I make this decision based on the consequences, not the risk (again, removing the legality from the equation).

Again - not commenting on what I would do in this situation, just trying to describe perhaps a different way of thinking about it.

 

[Kimberly9701]

My folks let me go to the MK by myself when I was 10, on the monorail from the CR. It's was great! I don't think they could hear me from the resort, and no cell phones! But, that was back in the day, when things were statistically more dangerous.

Love this!

 

[Huggups]

Is there even a chicken exit for Kali River????

There should be during the winter months. Brrrr!

 

[Ravensorrow]

My 9 year old refused to go on the Tower of Terror. She thought she could do it, but when it came time to enter the ride...she got scared. A cast member escorted her to the gift shop...I rode the ride...and she was waiting for me at the end. Easy Peasy.

 

[TJDisneymama]

Why did you ask for opinions if you had already decided what you were going to do?

I hadn't already decided at all, I was unsure because as I posted before, I was not thinking of the chicken exit, I was originally thinking of leaving her somewhere while we go in line -- potentially 15-20-25 minutes just to get through the line, PLUS the ride time.........and I wasn't fully comfortable about that. But now that everyone has said we can take her in line and use the chicken exit, it seems like a no brainer. Aside from splash mtn. we're talking rides that are over in 3-4 minutes. If a 9 year old can't be left alone for 3-4 minutes, there is something wrong.

 

[Slapshot1188]

My folks let me go to the MK by myself when I was 10, on the monorail from the CR. It's was great! I don't think they could hear me from the resort, and no cell phones! But, that was back in the day, when things were statistically more dangerous.

That's great and all, but ZERO chance I would do that. One of my Neighbors allows their 10 year old to spend the day at the beach alone. I live in FL so it's quite frequent on weekends and over the summer. Nothing happened to the kid. I wouldn't do that either.

 

[Magpie]

I'm not exactly sure what I would do in the situation posed by the OP, but when evaluating situations like this I think you sometimes have to look at the risk AND the consequences as two separate things. Sure the risk is low that she may get abducted or molested or whatever - but the consequences could be high if she was. Sometimes that turns a decision into more of a 1 versus a 0 for me. This may not be a good analogy as the risks are very different and there is a legal requirement - but it's like whether or not you put your child in a child restraint in a vehicle. Sure the risk of an accident is low (i've never had one in my 47 years), but the consequences if it does happen are very high - death, brain damage, etc. So I make this decision based on the consequences, not the risk (again, removing the legality from the equation).

Again - not commenting on what I would do in this situation, just trying to describe perhaps a different way of thinking about it.

But you also have to factor reward into that equation. For example, the risk of flying is very low. The consequence of a plane crash is very high - almost certain death. But the reward is a Disney vacation! For most people, it's a no-brainer. There are undoubtedly some people, though, who would rather sacrfice that Disney vacation in retun for a zero percent chance of their child dying in a fiery plane crash. And no doubt they consider this responsible parenting (because practically everyone believes they're doing what's best for their kids, no matter what).

So, what are the possible rewards attached to allowing a child to wait at the ride exit?

Mum and older child get to enjoy the ride together.

Younger child experiences a taste of autonomy and self reliance.

Younger child knows that mum considers her a capable, competant, trustworthy person, and learns to think of herself the same way.

Younger child spots something awesome in the gift shop and is able to exploit mum's deeply buried, unconscious guilt to convine her to purchase it.

Younger child decides waiting at the end of the ride is boring and decides not to take the chicken exit the next time.

Now that's not to say the ride exit will be your one and only opportunity to teach the child to be a confident, self-reliant person! It's just one opportunity out of many. But considering how miniscule the real risk is, I can easily understand a parent deciding that the rewards outweigh all other considerations.

Also, interesting (though sad) tidbit I learned today: Not only are almost all kidnapping committed by someone known to the child, but children are statistically much more likely to survive a stranger abduction, than they are an acquaintance abduction.

 

[Shelby109]

I was the one in my family who didn't like most rides. I have memories at Six Flags, Disney, etc walking through the line and just waiting at the exit for my family. I got to wave to them as they left and I would only have wait only about 2-3 minutes. I don't know how old I was when we first did it, but given that I am the youngest child, I am guessing I would have been around that age (or maybe younger??). It is up to you regarding what you are comfortable with.

 

[kangamangus]

There is a risk when you put your child on a school bus, send them to school, let them eat grapes, swim, suck on a lollipop. The consequences of any activity can make one say they are not worth the risk. But then you risk becoming a hermit, suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, not going to school, not ever tasting grapes, lollipops etc.....there is risk in every single activity. Every single one. If your child, teen, young adult can never have opportunity or autonomy than you risk creating a person who becomes mentally ill. If you never leave your home because of risks.....well you risk losing muscle mass and developing blood clots and rickets from lack of sun. In the end there is always risks so to say there is zero risk by staying with the nine year old is false, a gunman could attack both parent and 9 year old. The 14 year old risks being killed on the ride. In the absolute end the chances of either those events happening is still way less than 1 percent.

 

[Slapshot1188]

Why do people feel compelled to convince other people that they are wrong in how they want to raise their children? Like I said above, there is no right or wrong answer and each parent should make up their own mind. Because there is no chance in hell I would leave a 9 year old unattended in a theme park does not make me right, but I also feel no compulsion to convince those that would do so to change their mind...

It's like people feel the need to justify their decisions...

 

[kangamangus]

Not sure if you are referring my comment. I don't feel the need to justify anything just pointing out the flaws that there is no risk if parent stays with 9 year old rather than send thru chicken exit.

 

[Magpie]

Why do people feel compelled to convince other people that they are wrong in how they want to raise their children? Like I said above, there is no right or wrong answer and each parent should make up their own mind. Because there is no chance in hell I would leave a 9 year old unattended in a theme park does not make me right, but I also feel no compulsion to convince those that would do so to change their mind...

It's like people feel the need to justify their decisions...

For me, it's an interesting discussion about real versus imagined risk, as my children are 18 and 20 now and I have nothing left to prove where they're concerned (mainly because they turned out awesome, if I do say so myself).

That said, I have my own irrational fears, so I really can't judge others for theirs. A highschool friend of mine had her house catch fire due to an unattended deep fryer. My son has occasionally commented that he'd like to deep fry things. I have said, under no circumstances will I have a deep fryer in my house. I don't care how safe they make them. If my family wants something deep fried, they can just go to a restaurant and order it there!