Parenting style question: What would you do in this situation?

Well it depends on how the younger child is going to react to watching the older one get to go on the ride that she couldnt, if its an option that the older child be allowed to go on the ride alone?....

when my little cousin turned 13 she was finally allowed to watch movies rated pg13, but at the same time her little brother (7 years old) was also allowed to watch pg13 movies, i thought that was messed up that she had to wait untill she was 13 but he only had to wait until he was 7….
When i was 2 my favorite movie was rated R so i really dont understand the whole wait untill your 13 to watch pg13 thing anyways, my aunt is a over-protective nutjob.In my opinion.

I would let Child A ride the bumper cars. After the bumper cars I would let Child B pick a ride.

Let Child A go on the bumper cars, but do something special for Child B. Buy her cotton candy or something.

let child A ride. child B has to learn that some privelages will become available to them when they are older. because child A has hit that mark. lets say the height is 40 inches. child A should be able to ride because he is say 48 inches. what happens when child B hits 40 inches. he can start riding right away it is not fair to postpone child A’s riding because there will be nothing postponing child B’s riding when they get to be tall enough

Parenting is always a tough call I think. On different days I’d probably take different approaches. One day I might have the older child ride and give a brief ecplanation to the younger why she can’t ride. Another day, I may not want to deal with the reaction of the younger child and lie and say I don’t have money for rides today. Shit happens, right? Pick your battles because there is plenty left in front of us.

try going to amusement parks with a spouse or best friend. one rides with the oldest, the other rides and enjoys with the younger. before you know it, you’ll all be able to ride together. they grow so quickly.

Let child A decide, but first explain to him that child b will feel bad for not going with him, and that brothers are supposed to back up each other in good and bad times :)

@flameboi Nice, guilt trip the oldest child who will be getting a bellyfull of that his whole life!

I say Child A rides. You have here one of the first “opportunities for growth” for Child B. Life is not fair. The world is not fair. You explain to Child B that the height rule is for safety. You tell them that you will bring them back when they are tall enough so they can ride. You then offer them a distracting option (to go with them on the merry-go-round and hold them on the horse of their choice, etc.).

Always giving in to our children is exactly what creates children with a sense of entitlement to everything. Boundaries are what parents are supposed to be providing.

why should child A have to miss out? Great way to build resentment between siblings.

Are they going to make child A wait 4 years to learn to drive as a teen because
little sis will want to too and would feel bad?

I have 4 kids and would never let the
feelings of one dictate the actions of
another as described above.

My vote goes with “let child A” ride, then pick something both kids can do afterward. Also, be a good parent: Ice Cream and Ass Whoopings can correct many situations.

Ice Cream if both kids act sensibly, ass whoopings if they want to throw a fit even though they’re at the theme park. In the year 2008, it’s perfectly acceptable for a parent to raise their own children and not turn to TV or the Internet to do it for them.

I also suggest the children will enjoy the whole day as long as they are with their parents. Kids like structure, and they’re less likely to grow up to be “gay because it’s different”, emo queens, drug addicts or fans of rap music.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a bike I gotta hop an oncoming schoolbus with.

I agree with Dog.

Definitely let child A ride the ride. I agree with others on this one. Kid B has to learn a life lesson – sometimes you have to wait. Sometimes it sucks, but too bad, that’s life. My mom, who is quite the character (and I love her for it, cause she made learning sucky life lessons pretty memorable and sometimes funny), would say something like “That’s life, and it’s not always fair. Now wait here with _______ while I go on the ride.”

Hi! i come from family of three and i understand that there ate age-limits in everything.
You need to explain this to kids from the very first second….
Really!

I would sue the amusement park operator for Height Discrimination, and report them for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, then use the millions from the court-ordered settlement to put both of your kids through Harvard or Stanford or MIT…

September 1, 2008, 8:13 AM EDT

I’d fit the shorter child with extra thick soled shoes.

@JackAdams Sometimes the dimentions of the ride won’t fit the shorter and shall I say a fatter kid and still work safely. It is not like they have adapters to reise the floorboard, make the harness fit tighter etc. It is not the care or a little person with extensiona and such.

Let the one ride the bumper cars while the other waits. In turn, the younger will be able to ride a ride or do an activity that the older either can’t or doesn’t want to. By having them wait, it gives them an appreciation for obeying the rules (you can’t pick and choose which laws to obey) and also teaches them about sharing (that is a form of sharing).