Yes, we still have to be parents.

[eliza61]

I'm probably guilty of over indulging my kids while at disney, every one wants their kids time there to be magical but I wanted to share some thing that could have ended up worse than it did.

Last Thursday we were at Blizzard beach. They have an obstacel course there made of ropes and floating "ice cubes". The object of it is to get across the pool only using the rope netting and ice cubes without falling off.

A little girl there was really bugging mom to try it. The lifequard told mom that unfortunately the little girl was too short to do it. she had to really stretch on tip toes to reach the net. Well little girl has a melt down so mom pressed to let her try. As expected, the first try little girl slips on ice cube falls into the water (definitely over her head) and has to be fished out. Life guard once again tries to tell mom that the girl is too small and once again mom insists that she could try.
Well the 2nd time she grabs the ropes but still slips unfortunately this time she slams her face onto the ice cube. She plits her lip and has a bloody nose.
Of course every one has to get out (on a 94 degree day) because there is blood on the pool.
Now some how I don't think this was the memory mom wanted to make.

Some times NO really is the acceptable answer.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

I can't believe they let her try a second time!

 

[jacksmomma]

I think this is the number one parenting mistake parents these days make! They are too afraid to tell their kids no. Not only is it good for them, but it builds life skills!

 

[JUJU814]

I think this is the number one parenting mistake parents these days make! They are too afraid to tell their kids no. Not only is it good for them, but it builds life skills!

Amen to that!!!

I don't know why parents have to always try to push the limits. I think parents are worse than kids sometimes and it's a scary generation being raised when they all grow up thinking life is a free for all.

I can't believe the lifeguard allowed it to begin with! That's just wrong. Safety should be the primary concern for all guests.

 

[kevschickee]

Not only is it the moms fault but the life gaurd too. That little girl should have never been allowed to do it.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Not only is it the moms fault but the life gaurd too. That little girl should have never been allowed to do it.

Agreed! Wonder if they left BB and headed over to let her ride an attraction she was too short for?

 

[Colleen27]

The mom *and* the lifeguard were absolutely wrong to allow it once, much less twice. I'd actually be more upset with the lifeguard; there have always been parents who don't see the harm in bending the rules, but one of the things CMs are paid to do is ensure that guests obey height requirements. An injury in a pool is bad enough, but that sort of pushing the rules could be so much more dangerous on other attractions.

 

[eliza61]

The mom *and* the lifeguard were absolutely wrong to allow it once, much less twice. I'd actually be more upset with the lifeguard; there have always been parents who don't see the harm in bending the rules, but one of the things CMs are paid to do is ensure that guests obey height requirements. An injury in a pool is bad enough, but that sort of pushing the rules could be so much more dangerous on other attractions.

Unfortunately Colleen, how many times do we see post right here on the dis with people p.o'ed at disney because Disney did not make "exceptions" for their special situation? How many people do we encourage to break the "no pool hopping" rule because Auntie Em from florida wants to visit and we'd like the whole family to swim at our resort. Can you imagine the uproar if disney tried to enforce that rule.
What would happen if the cm's actually started enforcing the fast pass time with people who show up 30 mins late and still want to use their fast pass? I've bet you've seen a guest or two who was trying to get their kids past the height requirement on rides, I surely have.

You gotta admit, if you're some poor college kid working at Disney and you've got some parent in your face, most likely upset because a rule is being enforced, well

Heck, how many times do we hear the line " I've paid XXXX thousands of dollars I should be able to _______

 

[RMulieri]

What I want to know is did the mother than turn it around and blame Disney? Those are the situations I love..You do something against rules, are told "no", do it anyway, suffer an injury and then try to blame the party for allowing you to be stupid in the first place...As a parent this appalls me to no end..You will not maim your childs psyche for life if you tell them "NO".In fact you are helping them learn life is full of disappointments , deal with it and get over yourself.

 

[disykat]

I'm guessing the kind of mom who refused to listen to the lifeguard is exactly the kind of mom who will blame the lifeguard/the corporation for the incident. She probably won't care in the least that other people were affected by her refusal to follow the rules.

 

[ireland_nicole]

how sad; on soooo many levels. The thing is, like a pp said, a child's psyche isn't damaged by being told no, but a childs life is certainly adversely affected by a parent who won't set limits, who views rule breaking even in the face of safety concerns an entitelment.

 

[Colleen27]

Unfortunately Colleen, how many times do we see post right here on the dis with people p.o'ed at disney because Disney did not make "exceptions" for their special situation? How many people do we encourage to break the "no pool hopping" rule because Auntie Em from florida wants to visit and we'd like the whole family to swim at our resort. Can you imagine the uproar if disney tried to enforce that rule.
What would happen if the cm's actually started enforcing the fast pass time with people who show up 30 mins late and still want to use their fast pass? I've bet you've seen a guest or two who was trying to get their kids past the height requirement on rides, I surely have.

You gotta admit, if you're some poor college kid working at Disney and you've got some parent in your face, most likely upset because a rule is being enforced, well

Heck, how many times do we hear the line " I've paid XXXX thousands of dollars I should be able to _______

I see a material difference when it comes to safety related rules. No to say that other rules should be broken, but the potential consequences of pool hopping or flexibility with fastpass returns are inconvenient, not dangerous. Safety rules merit stricter enforcement, IMO.

I've been a lifeguard, obviously not at Disney but at a community pool with a slide, and I know it sucks to be the one standing your ground on a height restriction with an obnoxious child or permissive parent making a scene, but those rules are there for a very important reason and need to be enforced. That's where good staff and good management makes all the difference; my pool manager would back me up and even escort the offending parent out for the day if necessary, so I could do my job right knowing that I had backup if I needed it.

 

[PHXscuba]

I let some stuff slide, but I am an absolute stickler for safety rules. My DD7 is an absolute fish -- she could probably out-swim most kids twice her age. She is also very petite, which means there is no way she is going to pass for 8, which is the age limit for the high dive at the pool nearby that she has been begging for two summers to go on. She is very grumpy that she isn't allowed to do it, and I had to have a chat with her about following the rules and not asking a lifeguard for an exception just because *I* know she is a good swimmer. I told her sometimes the rules seem extra-restrictive because some people don't have the sense to set their own limits!

I guess at Disney we treat it as an excuse to come back in a couple years when they are tall enough to ride another set of rides!

PHXscuba

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

We were at our neighborhood pool last week in the evening, about 10 grownups. A 10 year old and her 12 yo brother wandered in and started swimming. We told them they needed to go home because the clearly stated pool rules say nobody under 14 without a parent.

They go home and ten minutes later the screaming nutjob of a mother storms up to the pool and proceeds to scream at us about enforcing the rules only for her kid.

I don't blame the CM's at all for not wanting the stand up to people-everyone's freakin' nuts...

 

[lawone]

I found the "Children's Bill of Rights" a while back by John Rosemond. Please see #1 below...



Here is the entire list:

Because it is the most character-building, two-letter word in the English language, children have the right to hear their parents say "No" at least three times a day.
............................................
Children have the right to find out early in their lives that their parents don't exist to make them happy, but to offer them the opportunity to learn the skills they will need to eventually make themselves happy.
............................................
Children have a right to scream all they want over the decisions their parents make, albeit their parents have the right to confine said screaming to certain areas of their homes.
............................................
Children have the right to find out early that their parents care deeply for them but don't give a hoot what their children think about them at any given moment in time.
............................................
Because it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, children have the right to hear their parents say "Because I said so" on a regular and frequent basis.
............................................
Because it is the most character-building activity a child can engage in, children have the right to share significantly in the doing of household chores.
............................................
Every child has the right to discover early in life that he isn't the center of the universe (or his family or his parents' lives), that he isn't a big fish in a small pond, and that he isn't the Second Coming, so as to prevent him from becoming an insufferable brat.
............................................
Children have the right to learn to be grateful for what they receive, therefore, they have the right to receive all of what they truly need and very little of what they simply want.
............................................
Children have the right to learn early in their lives that obedience to legitimate authority is not optional, that there are consequences for disobedience, and that said consequences are memorable and, therefore, persuasive.
............................................
Every child has the right to parents who love him/her enough to make sure he/she enjoys all of the above rights.
............................................

 

[Scrapfriend]

THANK YOU! I love this and I am going to make a copy of this Children's Bill of Rights.

 

[JUJU814]

I found the "Children's Bill of Rights" a while back by John Rosemond. Please see #1 below...



Here is the entire list:

Because it is the most character-building, two-letter word in the English language, children have the right to hear their parents say "No" at least three times a day.
............................................
Children have the right to find out early in their lives that their parents don't exist to make them happy, but to offer them the opportunity to learn the skills they will need to eventually make themselves happy.
............................................
Children have a right to scream all they want over the decisions their parents make, albeit their parents have the right to confine said screaming to certain areas of their homes.
............................................
Children have the right to find out early that their parents care deeply for them but don't give a hoot what their children think about them at any given moment in time.
............................................
Because it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, children have the right to hear their parents say "Because I said so" on a regular and frequent basis.
............................................
Because it is the most character-building activity a child can engage in, children have the right to share significantly in the doing of household chores.
............................................
Every child has the right to discover early in life that he isn't the center of the universe (or his family or his parents' lives), that he isn't a big fish in a small pond, and that he isn't the Second Coming, so as to prevent him from becoming an insufferable brat.
............................................
Children have the right to learn to be grateful for what they receive, therefore, they have the right to receive all of what they truly need and very little of what they simply want.
............................................
Children have the right to learn early in their lives that obedience to legitimate authority is not optional, that there are consequences for disobedience, and that said consequences are memorable and, therefore, persuasive.
............................................
Every child has the right to parents who love him/her enough to make sure he/she enjoys all of the above rights.
............................................

Wow..thank you soooo much for posting this. It is exactly what I need right now. I'm going to print it out to read regularly!!! Thank you!

 

[ireland_nicole]

Oh my gosh, I love the children's bil of rights; I think I'm going to make a copy to frame and put up in my kitchen!

 

[kckmom]

Awesome, saved it for after we get back, have to say, this fits my parenting style to a T!!!

 

[MissRoseDarrensAngel]

Thank you to the poster who posted the "Bill of rights"

I still can't believe there are parents who get in the faces of cast members when their child is too short for an attraction. Thats why I am glad my mother waited til this year to go as my niece is just over 48 inches tall so she could enjoy more rides that have a taller height requirement. I had no problems with my niece being measured when i took her and her brother on rides my mother wouldn't go on at all. Had she been not tall enough, tough luck for her and she would have to deal with it.