Dear Forum.. Unaccompanied 9 YO at a theme park

[tinfoilhat]

No chance would I let my daughter do that.. even when she's 13/14+! Kids can be naive to situations, just as some people go stalking. No chance would I ever even dream of it.. never mind 9 year olds.. I wouldnt even let a 9 year old go to the shop on their own. No no no no no

 

I was in theme parks on my own - in so much I was on one ride with mates and parents and younger kids on another ride at 13-14 maybe even a bit younger than that. I recall going to a theme park at 11 (12?) with school - Drayton manor? and don't remember being "on a lead" of a teacher the whole time. I think we had to meet at certain times but it's 30 years ago so it's a bit fuzzy, different times too.

 

9 seems a bit young. Are we sure they were 9?

[Bob Arctor]

Completely depends on the size and nature of the theme park, whether there were adults around if needed, if not with them the whole time, what they were told about when to check in with any adults present, which rides they could go on, etc, also the relative maturity of 9 year olds in question. My 9 year old is nearly ready to get on the bus across town to visit his friend (with some safety measures in place), but he is very mature and sensible for his age.

[bertyboop]

I was in theme parks on my own - in so much I was on one ride with mates and parents and younger kids on another ride at 13-14 maybe even a bit younger than that. I recall going to a theme park at 11 (12?) with school - Drayton manor? and don't remember being "on a lead" of a teacher the whole time. I think we had to meet at certain times but it's 30 years ago so it's a bit fuzzy, different times too.

 

9 seems a bit young. Are we sure they were 9?

 

 

That's what the OP says my dearest 30 odd years ago was a different time from now like you said, I remember being able to walk from our caravan site in skeg to skeg pier ( a good 2 miles) with my younger brother when I was around 11.. I'd never dream of doing it now.

[Dear Forum...]

The child was definitely 9!! They attended the known theme park with the club adults.. it was then decided the "older ones 9 years old could go off alone without an adult as long as they stayed in a group of 2 or more.

 

The children were told to meet back up at end of day. If in trouble to find an information point.

 

The adults was aware of the trip BUT was not told the children would go around alone. The first the parents knew was when child returned after day.

[mickey finn]

What theme park was this ?

[cgksheff]

The child was definitely 9!! They attended the known theme park with the club adults.. it was then decided the "older ones 9 years old could go off alone without an adult as long as they stayed in a group of 2 or more.

 

The children were told to meet back up at end of day. If in trouble to find an information point.

 

The adults was aware of the trip BUT was not told the children would go around alone. The first the parents knew was when child returned after day.

 

Not an unusual scenario.

 

You haven't told us which 'theme park' this was and I can understand that you may not wish to do so.

However, the size and type of park would affect my opinion.

Edited September 26, 2017 by cgksheff

[medusa]

If my 9 year old was going to be allowed to explore without an adult present in an environment such as a theme park where there are hundreds of things which could go wrong with a bad decision then I'd expect as a parent to have given specific permission for that before the trip happened.

 

Some 9 year olds are fine with that, but certainly not all.

[Bob Arctor]

If my 9 year old was going to be allowed to explore without an adult present in an environment such as a theme park where there are hundreds of things which could go wrong with a bad decision then I'd expect as a parent to have given specific permission for that before the trip happened.

 

Some 9 year olds are fine with that, but certainly not all.

 

I think that's the issue, the parents should absolutely have been told, but giving (some) 9 year olds some freedom within a contained space is not that big a deal, depending on the size etc.

[pattricia]

No, definitely not ! My sister and I went to a fair in Hillsborough park unaccompanied when I was the same age. We went on the dodgem cars, crashed into another car, and my front teeth were knocked out. We then had to make our own way home by bus.

So what if there is an accident like this while the children were unaccompanied ?

[Cyclone]

"For the day" suggests it's somewhere like Alton Towers.

Yes, I think that it's fine for them to go off in groups. It would be nearly impossible to do anything if they stayed as a large group.

Theme Parks, rather than fairs, have a lot of staff and are fairly safety conscious. In the summer holidays the place is full of kids wandering.