Would you let your 15 and 13 year old...

[SaintsManiac]

As others have said it totally depends on the kid. At 13 I was raking in money doing babysitting jobs, pet sitting, house sitting, etc. I had taken CPR courses and knew how to behave around strangers.

I don't know if kids these days have the same maturity level. My own child is almost 7. I hope I can teach her along the way to be independent.

I have a coworker who would never be able to leave her 13 year old and 11 year old alone. Every kid is different.

 

[amberpi]

I went to college, away from my family at just barely 17. They'll be fine.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

In 2008, we let our 10- and 12-year old stay at AKV while we went to DHS. They wanted to sleep in and then watch the animals on the savanna. We knew they were masters at the transportation system, so we let me meet us at Epcot. By the time we got there, they had already entered the park and were drinking away at Club Cool. I never worried about them being without us. I knew they would stay together, and they had phones. So, yes, I think a 13- and 15-year old could handle it.

 

[adisneyaunt]

NO! NO! NO! This is simply NOT TRUE! When we were kids, we didn't have cell phones and I can honestly say that during the summer, my parents didn't know where I was from after breakfast until I heard them yelling my name calling me to dinner!

What is different today? 24 hour news channels with air time that must be filled. Facebook, where a story of a child that was missing for 2 hours is still being forwarded 2 years later. Seriously. There were just as many pedophiles and serial killers in the 1960's and 1970's, if not more.

Also shows like Happy Days and Love Boat have been replaced by shows like Criminal Minds and Law& Order SVU. There are now entire TV stations like ID which plays Snapped and other true crime shows all day. The sickos were out there, we just didn't hear about them because the subject was considered too unseemly for TV.

If anything, our kids are safer today, because they are more aware of stranger danger and by 15, they have certainly seen some of the programs that I mentioned above. They are aware that there are some really twisted people in the world. When I was a kid, we were more sheltered from the danger, no one ever tried to kidnap Joanie or Chachi.

Do we see and here more.. probably.

Regardless of official Stats... it's a different world .. filled with more people wishing us harm...that's a Fact I don't take lightly. I may be more Sensitive to it.
To each his/her own...we all live with the choices we make.
Enjoy the weekend!

 

[Momto2minniemice]

I would say no because I am too worried for all they other crazy people in the world of today. Do I think my oldest would be fine yes, but could not live with myself if anything happened!

 

[hotblooded]

My sister and I went to the parks alone as twin 14-year-olds in 2004. Our parents were content to "hang out" at the hotel while we ran around and rode thrill rides. We had one cell phone between us, and it went absolutely fine. The bus system and theme park layouts are incredibly tourist-friendly.

 

[mbrown2097]

Sort of related. I let my 14 and 12 yr old boys loose in MK. I was in MK too, but they had no problems in the park by themselves. I believe that they could have handled a bus to the parks but I wanted to be in the park in case their was an issue.

 

[JuniorSkipper]

I started exploring the parks alone and riding the bus by myself when I was about 14 my mom wasn't nervous at all she trusted me and knew that I'd be safe. I never felt nervous being alone anywhere at Disney or when riding the bus. I think that you should let them

 

[kangamangus]

Yes absolutely yes. My 15 and 13 year old are capable of managing the bus system to school, walking to dance studio after school and by this summer my 16 year old will be driving independently and working.

 

[DisneyOma]

Do we see and here more.. probably.

Regardless of official Stats... it's a different world .. filled with more people wishing us harm...that's a Fact I don't take lightly. I may be more Sensitive to it.
To each his/her own...we all live with the choices we make.
Enjoy the weekend!

You disregard facts to make unsubstantiated statements that are not facts. Even if you use a capital letter at the beginning of the word, your opinion is not a fact. Not sure what you mean by Sensitive - would you care to explain?

 

[robinb]

Yes.

 

[gr8leg8]

my answer is no.
after reading the responses
and the memories of exploring Disneyland with my sister as a kid,
I'm left to wonder why I immediately thought no.

I think it's because my DD is an only child.
She's my park buddy. She can't go without me!!

 

[bizeemom4]

Of course! A 15 year old is a few short months away from being able to DRIVE TO THE PARK ALONE. Give them some space and let them go.

 

[2forMe]

Yes for sure, even if they did not know parks or busses well. They would figure it out. My 14 takes city bus to the mall, walks to school and friends houses etc.

 

[mslhb]

my answer is no.
after reading the responses
and the memories of exploring Disneyland with my sister as a kid,
I'm left to wonder why I immediately thought no.

I think it's because my DD is an only child.
She's my park buddy. She can't go without me!!

This! The thought makes me super nervous but as a freshman in high school we took a band trip to Disney and had complete free reign. In middle school our parents used to drop us off at Kings Island without a 2nd thought. And certainly no cell phones to keep tabs on us!

 

[quandrea]

This discussion is timely for me. In January I'm taking a trip with my kids, 13, 8 and 8 and my eldest daughter's best friend and her mom. The mom is outrageously overprotective. She is aghast that I will let dd sit alone on a plane. She, herself is afraid of being out at night in the parks and plans to be back at the hotel before dark each night. It should be an interesting trip. Our parenting styles are very different. At 13, dd has travelled by air without us for swimming, gone to summer camp for two weeks alone. She babysits. Without hesitation I'd let her be alone at WDW. Now Disney sets that age as 14. I follow that rule. At this point she will wait outside a ride if she doesn't want to experience it, go to the washroom on her own, grab a snack, shop while we are nearby. In a year, touring alone will be added to the mix. If I don't teach her to be free, how will she ever function as an adult? They don't magically turn 18 and gain all the wisdom necessary to function as adults. It happens by degrees.

 

[2forMe]

This discussion is timely for me. In January I'm taking a trip with my kids, 13, 8 and 8 and my eldest daughter's best friend and her mom. The mom is outrageously overprotective. She is aghast that I will let dd sit alone on a plane. She, herself is afraid of being out at night in the parks and plans to be back at the hotel before dark each night. It should be an interesting trip. Our parenting styles are very different. At 13, dd has travelled by air without us for swimming, gone to summer camp for two weeks alone. She babysits. Without hesitation I'd let her be alone at WDW. Now Disney sets that age as 14. I follow that rule. At this point she will wait outside a ride if she doesn't want to experience it, go to the washroom on her own, grab a snack, shop while we are nearby. In a year, touring alone will be added to the mix. If I don't teach her to be free, how will she ever function as an adult? They don't magically turn 18 and gain all the wisdom necessary to function as adults. It happens by degrees.

I thought it was 13?

 

[quandrea]

I thought it was 13?

I thought 14, but I could very well be wrong. If 13, all the better for my dd!

 

[mom2rtk]

The age to enter the park alone is 14.

 

[MichaelWill&Megan'sMom]

I hear ya.. but...Sadly, there are just many more issues now than when we were kids.. it's a different world out there now.

It's def a personal decision OP..
here's to fun independence coupled with a Safe time! Enjoy ur visit.

I actually don't think it's a different world at all - we just have 24 hr news channels and social media to give us instant updates that make things seem more scary. I would absolutely let my 14 yr old go to Epcot from BC to get food, etc. in fact, he did it several times last summer st 13.