would you listen to a 3 year old?!

[dwkwootton]

OP's hubby's indifference is in regard to whether or not the 3 yr old son should go or stay with Grandma. The man (and I quote from OP) "does not want to go and is being dragged there against his will". And from her earlier sentence: again. And again. Does this man have no say whatsoever in the family vacation? No wonder the man is indifferent, he doesn't get a say anyway LOL! To whoever said there's more going on here than a DW trip is on the money. OP (in her own post) comes across like quite the little dynamo who doesn't seem to care very much about what anyone wants but her on this trip. If you follow her progression, common sense will lend that she is so entrenched in her own thing right now, it is so all about her, she may not realize that she is not making the decision on her son in his best interest anymore than she is considering her husband's best interest. And yes fellow DW fans, there are decent people that just don't like DW and the poor man is entitled to a vacation he likes once in a blue moon too. My spouse gets a vote, doesn't yours?

Several people jumped to the conclusion that I was childless but to the recent poster who thought I meant him/her specifically: My kids are 19 and 21 and my step is 16. I've been lucky enough to have been to DW about 40 times. I remember my kid's childhoods very well and we went to DW at least once per year, often twice. As I said earlier, if I hated kids so much I wouldn't be swimming upstream here in defense of this kid. And no, I don't think you read my comment about eye rolling wrong at all. You just looked at it from a different perspective. Its not that I don't like kids, its that I frankly prefer kids to adults for the most part and it is mind boggling to me when I see so many parents at DW loose all sight of their kid's needs to fulfill their own selfish (yes I said selfish) agenda. We've all seen a little one who wants to stop and play in the jumping fountain at Imagination being dragged away kicking and screaming by Mom and Dad because there's not enough time left to see the rest of EPCOT. Usually this is accompanied by the repeated threat that Tinkerbell will see how bad you are and not let you have anymore Mickey Bars. Or the child that is hungry at his regular dinner time and is crying for something to eat but Mom and Dad don't want him to spoil his appetite for the expensive Character Dinner (that he will be screaming and crying through) they weren't able to book before 8pm. Or the exhausted child that's crying his little head off but Mom and Dad won't leave the park before closing. And then they wake the poor kid up an hour early the next day because its the EMH at MK. That's why these parents stay in the restaurant or attraction with a little one who is shrieking their guts up instead of doing the right thing by their child. These are the parents who don't want to miss the rest of their meal or Fantasmic or take a detour off their touring plan. But then, they want to claim they did is for their child and that villains like me shouldn't go to DW cause we must hate kids. No, I wouldn't take a 3 yr old to DW who was afraid of the dark, loud noises, or costumed characters. And I would consider my husband's feelings and go where he wanted to go and HAVE FUN with my family at the beach or the mountains. And in a few years when I'm lucky enough to have little grandchildren to take to DW, I will again wait until they wake up in the morning before going to the park (even if I miss Test Track), I'll eat chicken fingers for dinner and like them instead of dining at Le Cellier, and I'll again sit for hours at the jumping fountain while they play even though I'll probably miss Honey I Shrunk The Kids because of it. And when they are tired at night, I'll be in the room reading them a bedtime story even if its during Illuminations.

 

[krismom]

Sheeesh! I had no Idea when I started this thread the reactions that I would get.Let me start my response with two points:

1) My son's feelings do matter to me. I listen to my kids. And then I make the decisions based on that. My 3 year old son is experiencing something that I didn't go through with my older two and I was looking for advice... and support.

2) My husband is a willing participant in this vacation! (get a sense of humor people!) I have gone on many hiking, fishing and camping trips that he chose and this time was my turn.

I have been a special education teacher for 10 years and have been a stay at home mother for 7. My husband and I are a team and make the final decision on everything- but I still feel that kids fears are real and true and should not just be ignored or shushed away. I HATE when people say "stop crying, there's nothing to be scared of" to their kids. Of course there's something that the kid is scared of, although it may be irrational to the adult.
'Way to get the kid to really trust their own instincts, huh?

Anyway... I appreciate the advice and all your points of view. I still can't quite figure out how I was interpreted into a mother who was selfishly trying to force her husband and son into the haunted house against their wills!

I'll let you know how it all works out- I'm sure my twins will end up hating it and my husband and son will want to buy into DVC!!!

 

[dwkwootton]

Ya have to laugh at these boards. There's another thread recently started on basically this same old topic, the new one is heading more in these 2 directions: whether little girls being dressed up like princesses with up-do's and tiaras in 95 degree heat and humidity is for the parent's sake or because the 2 yr old wanted to wear that to the park. No one has brought up the absence of comfortable shoes with the princess outfit yet, that should make for pages of good reading. The other splinter on the new thread is whether or not the baby in the family was the one who wanted to see a 3-D show or the parents did and just carried the baby in.

Many years ago I had read a piece that said that DW was like a huge super rich ice cream sundae with all the toppings that is best enjoyed in small servings. Too much all at once was bound to be too much. That was some pretty good advice. You don't have to see the entire joint in 5 days or push your kids to meltdown stage so that they don't miss any of the magic. Its a vacation. Relax. Enjoy life. It is ok to come home with happy campers even if you never made it to Spectromagic.

OP, its always been your choice. Not everyone agrees on everything. Its your family for you to do what you want with. You might have been misinterpreted as being selfish and forcing the two guys because you said that you were the one that wanted this to be the first family vacation etc and that the 3 yr old is ADAMENT that he doesn't want to go and that the hubby is being dragged there against his will. Most people don't have to be dragged somewhere against their will when they are a willing participant but certainly everyone is different.