Using parks as baby sitters

Its not the park that is dangerous for them as long as they arent a danger to themselves or others by not following rules. But you have to insure that they get in the park ok and leave ok not leave them at the parks drop-off/pick-up area for a half hour by themselves after the park closes. Thats when it can become a dangerous thing is when you are in the parking lot. Especially for younger girls. I wouldnt let my kids go by themselves until they were old enough that I could trust them and of course have to have a cell phone. My mom wouldnt let me even go with just my friends till I was 16... Im that that overprotective but Id still have to know that theyd be able to defend themselves if anything happened. Plus be old enough that they could take care of theirself if they had to for whatever reason.

Danger isn't the only factor involved. Unsupervised kids are a lot more likely to break rules that have nothing to do with danger (i.e. cutting in line, writing on walls, running around and bumping into people) and can just be a nuisance to everyone else trying to enjoy the park.

I wouldn't leave CBaby (going on 12) alone at a park for a couple hours, much less a day...but last summer, we spent a fair amount of our VF time in the company of about 10 latchkeys with working single parents. They were brought there M-F when their folks had to work. I thought of it as a sad situation. Most of them were pretty happy with it--even in late August.

If you think some amusement park is gonna put a stop to this, think again. They only cater to enthusiasses when they choose to and run a business the rest of the year. Single parents with full-time jobs plus kids who'd rather be at the park anyway equals corporate profits and attendance numbers that justify the coasters you wanna ride on.

Frankly, if forced to choose between a lesser evil--kids in parks all day or kids on the streets all day--I'd choose the parks every time. Do you honestly think that only kids without parents in the park do stupid things? Think about it for a minute....don't the latchkeys have a lot more to lose than Johnny-meeting-his-folks-in-an-hour? Their summer gets awfully long the minute they screw up.

-'Playa

I clearly remember a few incidents not long ago where kids were molested at both parks and waterparks. That's the whole problem, people assume that because they leave their kids in a park that they are completely safe from the outside world. We all know that is not the case, regardless of how mature a kid is for his/her age, there are just way too many things young kids aren't ready for and mature enough to handle on their own.

And forget the fact that they are also climbing about heavy machinery and have got to follow rules for their own safety, which alot of kids don't care or realize. Leaving a kid alone at a park is complete negligence and should be treated as abandonment.

I guess I'm just too much like TheRIster, I'd just be an overprotective parent if I had a kid, and like loriu, I'd much prefer anyway to be in the park with my kid having fun with him/her. If a parent can't be bothered to spend time with their kid and dump them off on someone else unsupervised, that's a rotten parent and deserves to do jail time.

And the ages of those kids...? And where were their parents when it happened? In the SFGAM incident, weren't they were right there in the park?

Disgusting as those incidents were, that's more an employee screening issue than a latchkey kid issue. Same things could happen with kids that split up from their parents once they're in the park.

And aren't we talking about the same parks that readily accept--and in fact, offer special discounts--to busloads of kids at a 15:1 to 30:1 child to adult ratio?

-'Playa *** Edited 7/21/2004 7:55:25 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

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janfrederick said:
Although I think the 11 year-olds should have some sort of adult supervision, if a 16-year-old can drive a car unsupervised...it's kinda wacky (unless the driving laws are different in Colorado)

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They are diffrent. They just changed them too. Now you have to have your permit and drivers licens for 1 full year before driving alone. This sucks. Caz I wount be able to drive until I'm around 17

Well there's a blessing in disguise ;)

Checking justcaz's profile I have a question: when did we add a 13th month and a 53rd day to the calendar?

I think it has something to do with pancakes, because I know I'm not the only one that senses them when he's around ;)

Troll sense tingling.

Man, I think you should maybe spend 3 or 4 years with a permit before you ever take the test. ;)

Wow. Getting a driver's permit was A LOT less complicated when I was 16.

Growing up in WV, if you were able to handle the backroads and the mountains in a reasonable manner without running over too many possums or deer you "passed". ;-)

Did someone say pancakes? Sounds yummy right about now. :-P

-Tina

*** Edited 7/22/2004 11:19:17 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

well last summer i brought my kids and 1 of their friends to SFNE. while i kept my daughter and her friend (12) with me, i let my son and his friend (14) go on their own. we met up every couple of hours to make sure all was well. i don't consider it using the park as a babysitter, i consider it trusting my son. :)

I think someone else said it best. You can't assume that since they are in an amusement park surrounded by lots of people, nothing bad can happen to them like being kidnapped or molested. Tina, I took my test in WV too. Passed with no problem and even when I screwed up the parallel (sp?) parking part, he let me do it over again.

Pancakes anyone? *** Edited 7/22/2004 2:25:09 PM UTC by Dragster Freak***

I think anyone under 13 should be supervised, because 13 and up people start to hit the maturity level of being responsible in outdoor places. The first article really nailed it on the head though "it depends on the maturity level of the child" If my kid is 13 and very immature, no way he'll be going by himself. Now, if my kid is very mature at 13, then yes, because I will be able to trust him in that environment by himself. Anything under 13, even if they are more mature than me, no way they are going it alone

probably wont happen though, because Ill be the ultracool rollercoaster daddy!

What if you are 32 and immature? I constantly need supervision. ;-)

-Tina