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

[mjkacmom]

I don't think I would since I have watched this about the sexual predators at Disney.

There are sexual predators everywhere, I would expect there to be more in places with a lot of children. You. Wouldn't be able to send your kids to school, sports practices, friends homes, scouting, church... You can't keep them in a supervised bubble until adulthood, because that will cause problems.

 

[Klayfish]

There are sexual predators everywhere, I would expect there to be more in places with a lot of children. You. Wouldn't be able to send your kids to school, sports practices, friends homes, scouting, church... You can't keep them in a supervised bubble until adulthood, because that will cause problems.

Yup

 

[AngiTN]

Yes. I had season tickets to our local theme park starting at about 14. I went alone (well, with friends, no parents) all the time. If the child is otherwise trustworthy I would have no issues with it

We didn't even have cell phones. And we survived. As amazing as that sounds

 

[MaleficentRN]

I don't think I would since I have watched this about the sexual predators at Disney.

Have you ever Googled "sex offender teacher" " or "sex offender coach"?

 

[maryj11]

Have you ever Googled "sex offender teacher" " or "sex offender coach"?

Yes I know there are sexual predators every where. It is always good to be aware of things and be cautious.

 

[Roxyfire]

At 13 and 15 I was wandering around major european cities with girls my age. I think it'll be ok at WDW.

 

[ShellieMimi]

Yes I know there are sexual predators every where. It is always good to be aware of things and be cautious.

Being cautious is one thing. Being cautious to the point that it cripples a child's ability to learn independence and self-reliance is quite another.

Not allowing teen siblings (with no medical/cognitive/physical challenges) to walk around Disney World without supervision because of "sexual predators" falls under the latter.

 

[china mom]

My very tall and mature looking (and mature in general) son made his first solo entry into the parks at 13. We are Disney regulars and he has been allowed to leave the park and go back to the hotel alone a long time before that.

DD, on the other hand, is tiny (about 60 pounds) and has a reading delay along with a mild speech delay. Her first solo run was last year where she traversed the bus ride from Pop to the gates of MK by herself (we met her out front). The look of sheer joy and pride when she walked up that brick pathway was priceless.

DH, OTOH, spent the whole waiting time as a nervous wreck. There may be a bit of gender bias on DH's side but I will defend him in that if Kyle lost his phone, he would be able to ask for help and he has my number memorized. Nicole would know to ask for help but there may be trouble with communication and she does not have my cell phone number memorized.

I say this to demonstrate that each child has different abilities, common sense etc and each parent has a different level of worry so it depends more on the kids than it does age.

Now, I must add that DH... and his whole family are of the more cautious breed and think that I give my kids way too much independence. I try to remind him that when I was twelve, my parents put me on a plane alone to spend the summer with family in a war torn country. I had to be rushed out of that country when war threatened to break out again and you know what? Everything worked out fine.

 

[maryj11]

Being cautious is one thing. Being cautious to the point that it cripples a child's ability to learn independence and self-reliance is quite another.

Not allowing teen siblings (with no medical/cognitive

Being cautious is not going to cripple your kids. In a place where there are thousands of people from all over the world is a place I'am cautious.

 

[ShellieMimi]

Being cautious is not going to cripple your kids. In a place where there are thousands of people from all over the world is a place I'am cautious.

That is not what I said.

 

[mjkacmom]

Being cautious is not going to cripple your kids. In a place where there are thousands of people from all over the world is a place I'am cautious.

So where aren't you cautious? The mall? Movies?

Being cautious is not going to cripple your kids. In a place where there are thousands of people from all over the world is a place I'am cautious.

Yes, it can. Kids need to learn street smarts and how to trust their instincts. That 15 year old not allowed to navigate a theme park (like kids do here starting in the 7th grade on field trips) will most likely navigating dark parking lots, dimly lit streets, dark college campuses alone in a couple of years. Don't set them up to be victims, they need to be confident and aware of surroundings, trust their spidy senses.

 

[Klayfish]

We didn't even have cell phones. And we survived. As amazing as that sounds

It's amazing we survived past the age of 10. No cell phones, no internet, not even microwaves. Kids today would die by the age of 8 without that stuff.... LOL

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yes. I had season tickets to our local theme park starting at about 14. I went alone (well, with friends, no parents) all the time. If the child is otherwise trustworthy I would have no issues with it

We didn't even have cell phones. And we survived. As amazing as that sounds

I stayed home in the summer alone starting around 10, my brother was 9. And we had free reign of the neighborhood as long as we were home when the street lights came on. lol

My mom would leave us money to get into the community pool. We did that a lot with other kids, no adult supervision. We would even order our own food and pick it up.

This was all without cell phones or internet. But we survived. I'm 34 so this was in the 90's....not the "olden" days.

 

[AngiTN]

It's amazing we survived past the age of 10. No cell phones, no internet, not even microwaves. Kids today would die by the age of 8 without that stuff.... LOL

LOL I'll admit that having a cell phone makes things way easier/better. I don't want to go back to life without but they are not all the critical to a child's youth, despite what they think. We managed to get rides home, go do hundreds of activities, and even occupy ourselves when at meals, all without them. Kids can make it all the way to driving without one. When they start driving I know I rest easier knowing they can reach me quickly if needed. Prior to that, nope. Toughen them up by rouging it

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Yes, in fact I did have a 15 and 13 year old who were touring alone as my husband and I had to take another child to urgent care.
I just asked them to stay together with whatever they did and it was totally fine.

 

[Minnesota!]

Yes. Without a doubt.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Being cautious is not going to cripple your kids. In a place where there are thousands of people from all over the world is a place I'am cautious.

That depends on how you define cautious. One person's cautious in another's smothering. If you cannot let a 15 year old out of your sight at Disney, one of the safest large public venues to do so, then how can you expect them to function in a few short years when they are hundreds of miles form home on their own? My 13 year old went to Disney on a school trip this year, on her own. She and a group of friends toured together, with mandatory check ins twice a day. They had a great time.

I teach high school. I have watched parents so terrified of what's lurking around every corner cripple their kids to the point they cannot function at college, they end up coming home to live with mom where she can monitor. They NEED to be allowed to do things away from mom and dad before they are thrown out on their own. Being so scared of the HIGHLY unlikely chance they would be abducted/ assaulted at a theme park that you won't let them visit on their own falls into that category. A 15 year old is a high school sophomore. They will soon be driving themselves. At what point are they allowed out of parent's sight? Does the 16 year old get to drive themselves to the store, or could something bad happen? Everyone wants to say, "I'm not that bad" or "but that's different", but is it really? Smothering is smothering.

 

[maryj11]

That depends on how you define cautious. One person's cautious in another's smothering. If you cannot let a 15 year old out of your sight at Disney, one of the safest large public venues to do so, then how can you expect them to function in a few short years when they are hundreds of miles form home on their own? My 13 year old went to Disney on a school trip this year, on her own. She and a group of friends toured together, with mandatory check ins twice a day. They had a great time.

I teach high school. I have watched parents so terrified of what's lurking around every corner cripple their kids to the point they cannot function at college, they end up coming home to live with mom where she can monitor. They NEED to be allowed to do things away from mom and dad before they are thrown out on their own. Being so scared of the HIGHLY unlikely chance they would be abducted/ assaulted at a theme park that you won't let them visit on their own falls into that category. A 15 year old is a high school sophomore. They will soon be driving themselves. At what point are they allowed out of parent's sight? Does the 16 year old get to drive themselves to the store, or could something bad happen? Everyone wants to say, "I'm not that bad" or "but that's different", but is it really? Smothering is smothering.

Oh gee I wished I never posted anything. I just said I would be cautious not lock the teens up to keep them safe or guard them constantly. Everyone just likes to blow everything out of proportion . No I don't let my kids run around disney by themselves but I don't smother them either. There is a middle ground.

 

[DisneyOma]

Have you ever Googled "sex offender teacher" " or "sex offender coach"?

Don't forget sex offender priest, sex offender leader of the boy scouts!

 

[DisneyFive]

I don't think they would want to go without Mom and Dad, but if my wife and I were sick in bed at one of the resorts and the kids wanted to head to the parks, we would be ok with it. It wouldn't be an easy choice though. They would have a cell phone with them at all times so we could call.

Dan