Good Parenting (no, it's true! I saw it!)

[Big Wallaby]

Ah, now that's awesome, SM.

[Sarah Magdalene]

Ah, now that's awesome, SM.

If you let the kid think they are the "bigger person" they will soon start to act like it. Even if they pretend to be brave, they will eventually realize they ARE.

Oh, keeping mini glow sticks in your purse does help too!

[NessaMcTastic]

I hated going to theme parks with my oldest sister. I've never liked thrill rides or amusement parks (WDW was the first one because there's so much to see and do besides the rides) but she would insist that I had to ride.

I could understand not wanting to leave a 10 year old girl unattended but we were with my parents or her mother in law...I never understood why, if they were watching the strollers, I had to ride; or that by not riding, I was ruining the ride for everyone else.

When we went to Buch Gardens back in....1992 (holy cow! I remember that so clearly. It couldn't have been that long ago!) I started a HUGE arguement with her because I flat out refused to ride on the roller coasters there. Thankfully, Mom was there to back me up. She was not pleased losing out to an 8 year old's logic.

I love my sister and as I've gotten older I realized that having three girls spaced about a year apart and going to night school for her masters made her lose her mind. Now that my neices are off to college (the youngest is a senior in HS) she's back to normal. :p:

[mgilmer]

On our trip this month we saw a real winner of a parent. The little boy, about 7 was crying because his mother was taking him into the HM. He was very scared and saying he did not want to see any ghosts. The mother started screaming at him in full voice to shut the f-- up. He kept crying and finally she pinned him against the wall (just before the entrance across from Leota's tombstone) by his throat and screamed in his face that he was f--king going on the ride and to shut the f--k up because it was not going to scare him. I told my wife that after that, nothing he would see on the HM could be anywhere as scary as his mom.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I'm suprised that the CM's let them in, after that!

[SkysMom]

Hi All! New here! On our first trip to WDW, my daughter was 4. She loved all kinds of things on TV that had ghosts and "spooky" stuff in them. I really thought she would like HM, and I think she would have but when we got in the streching room (? I think thats what its called), she looked around and couldn't see a door and really started freaking out. We would have never made her ride anything that scared her, but didn't know what to do. We really had no idea that there would be anyway out but getting on the ride. When the room opened up, the CM came over and very quietly told us where to go to take her out. We were so glad! I always hoped no one thought we were being bad parents that day, we just honestly didn't know she would be frightened (and we felt really dumb, not realizing there would be a "chicken exit"). So to that CM, wherever you are: Thank you!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Hi All! New here! On our first trip to WDW, my daughter was 4. She loved all kinds of things on TV that had ghosts and "spooky" stuff in them. I really thought she would like HM, and I think she would have but when we got in the streching room (? I think thats what its called), she looked around and couldn't see a door and really started freaking out. We would have never made her ride anything that scared her, but didn't know what to do. We really had no idea that there would be anyway out but getting on the ride. When the room opened up, the CM came over and very quietly told us where to go to take her out. We were so glad! I always hoped no one thought we were being bad parents that day, we just honestly didn't know she would be frightened (and we felt really dumb, not realizing there would be a "chicken exit"). So to that CM, wherever you are: Thank you!

Hey it happens, when we first went with the grandkids, we were watching them for signs that they might not like HM. The youngest was starting to get a little worried, until his big brothers started talking about the neat spooky stuff. Then we had to ride it again, later in the day!

Oh, AND Welcome to the SGT!!

There are a lot of good people that post here, enjoy yourself.

Jump right in!!

[Mystic]

I saw some good parenting on my last trip in December 2006. My mom and I were riding ToT and the woman sitting next to us was riding it by herself. She starting asking us about the ride as the elevator was being seated. She was riding it to see if it would be suitable for her children to ride while her husband waited outside with her children. It was nice to see a parent riding the ride herself first before allowing her kids on it to make sure it was a suitable ride for them instead of forcing them to ride it.

[thomaskr]

We had the opposite problem on our last trip, the kids were dragging us on stuff and we were the ones crying - only a little. ;) My middle one is five and needed to do Space Mt. so she could finish all the mountains and MK (thanks planning dvd ) so she dragged us on there right after lunch. She's excited, I'm unsure, and DH is begging to go sit down. I hadn't been on it since 1986 and there was a reason for that! She had us both by the hands and pulled us on. DH got the front seat, he spent the entire time screaming "I didn't want the front" while the blonde one sat there laughing hysterically. Evil children I have!

On the flip side my mom had been scarred for life after that trip on it in '86. My same darling child convinced her it wasn't that bad. Mom is still mad, says she was conned by a five year old - it was horrible! :D:

I seem to recall that back when Space Mountain first "launched" back in the '80s at WDW it was pitch black and MUCH faster. Apparently they slowed the ride down due to feedback from guests who had been scared sh*tless. I know from my experience, either I got used to it or it definitely has been made less scary in the last 20 years.

[thomaskr]

Okay, I'm breaking out of lurker mode to share a miracle: I saw some good parenting last time I was in WDW. I was behind this child and his father on RnR and after waiting for a half hour in line we were finally the next to load. The dad told his kid to watch how fast the limos took off and then asked him, "are you sure you want to ride this?"
The kid said no and I espected the typical parental meltdown. Instead Dad just said, "Okay, lets get some lunch then" and they left by the chicken door. How awesome was that? I almost applauded. Most parents drag their terrified children everywhere because, dammit, they paid for it!
The sad part was this dad only had the one kid. Common sense should be encouraged genetically. I totally should have offered to expand the gene pool with him.
So anyone else spot the rare, elusive good parent?
(crickets chirping...)

Not to be a braggart, but I've done precisely what you describe. I've been
lucky enough to have been to WDW enough times to not get uptight if I miss a ride.

Obviously a part of each kids' demeanor is genetic but a majority is also how the parent handles things. That children who are treated meanly should be scared of a ride is no surprise and I would additionally add that parents who exhibit fear, apprehension or strong belief in superstitions probably undermine the children's faith in them and their dictates. While we hop skip and jump around the whold "santa" thing when they're still young, we tell our kids "there is no such thing ghosts in real life" before we hit HM - although it possibly ruins some of the thrill - they don't get scared. We also teach them to make funny faces or yell at the "ghosts" as it "scares them away".