Overly worrisome parent (boys, activities, children, 7 year old)
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I don't have to have teens to know what general teen behavior is. It's common sense. You don't get any special knowledge or wisdom when having a kid. Doesn't matter that you raised 3 of them. I see you're a bit naive about teens when parents aren't around, even when "the best is expected of them." Considering you don't know these two, I'm surprised you don't have an alarm going off in your head telling you it's not a good idea to leave them alone for all that time.
No, of course not, because experience never taught anyone anything.
OPs daughter is FIFTEEN years old. At that age, I nannied 3 children 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. This was long before cell phones, nanny-cams, Skype, etc. I think it is great that OP wants to show his teenage daughter that he trusts her to oversee her younger sister at the hotel pool for several hours. Clearly he has reason to believe she has earned this trust. Most teens are not delinquent, especially not the ones who have been raised with loving discipline and a good example.
No, of course not, because experience never taught anyone anything.
OPs daughter is FIFTEEN years old. At that age, I nannied 3 children 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. This was long before cell phones, nanny-cams, Skype, etc. I think it is great that OP wants to show his teenage daughter that he trusts her to oversee her younger sister at the hotel pool for several hours. Clearly he has reason to believe she has earned this trust. Most teens are not delinquent, especially not the ones who have been raised with loving discipline and a good example.
I agree Kayanne. A 15 yr old is certainly old enough to keep herself and her sister safely occupied for 8 hours.
I do sympathize OP because our dad was the same as you, and now as an adult I do appreciate the freedom we were given (and us girls never caused trouble!)
But I do not agree with pushing your wife into it if she doesn't want to, that breeds resentment. We leave it the status quo with our kids if we can't agree. As much as I can't stand over protectiveness, parents shouldn't make unessential unilateral decisions against each other.
I don't know how difficult it is with your 7 year old son with ADHD but if I were him, I would not forgive you for not taking me to Disney World when you are taking the sisters.
The seminar happens to be on Disney property, it isn't like the father is taking the girls on a planned vacation to Disney and not including the boy.
There is no reason the boy cannot stay home for a few days with his Mother while Dad and the girls go and have a few days being Dad and daughters.
Every child does not have to be included in everything and if they are disappointed then they learn how to deal with that disappointment.
Do you think it is required to give every one of the children a gift for a birthday when only one of them is having the birthday?
Since the OP's son appears to get more one on one time with Dad than the daughters, it would seem, for those who are of the "every child gets everything absolutely equal no matter what or they'll be jealous" mindset, that taking the two girls but not the son along would be bringing more, not less, balance to the relationships. And perhaps when the son is 12, HE gets to go on a trip to Disney or someplace equal with Dad (or Mom, for that matter).
Last edited by TexasHorseLady; 06-06-2014 at 08:28 AM..
I'm in the camp of taking the girls. What a great opportunity to spend time. I don't know if seminars are like conferences, but when I went with my husband last year to a conference in Orlando it's not like he was in there all day long. Lots of breaks and some parts he chose to skip.
His 7 year old has many years of dad time ahead of him. I'm not a big Disney person (we never took our son) so I guess I'm just looking at this from the perspective of some good one on one time with his daughters.
I see the value of dad spending time with the girls, but I am coming from the perspective of the mom of.an eight year old boy who would be crushed if his sibling went to Disney and he wasn't invited. i can't imagine trying to justify that. I still say everyone goes or no one goes.
I see the value of dad spending time with the girls, but I am coming from the perspective of the mom of.an eight year old boy who would be crushed if his sibling went to Disney and he wasn't invited. i can't imagine trying to justify that. I still say everyone goes or no one goes.
There is too much focus on the "disney" part, that is not the main concern or issue, the disney property is not part of the equation or the question.
The focus and question is about this man's daughters and spending time with them away from the boy.
There is too much focus on the "disney" part, that is not the main concern or issue, the disney property is not part of the equation or the question.
The focus and question is about this man's daughters and spending time with them away from the boy.
The focus is NOT DISNEY ITSELF.
But it is, because he is taking the girls to DISNEY. They are going to be staying on Disney property, the OP said they will be going to at least one of the parks, and since they have a few other days there I'm sure they will be doing other things within Disney World while dad isn't at the conference.
Normally I would say that a special parent - child time is great and I'd be supportive. My concern here is the OP specifically mentioned how challenging his son can be ( Which is irrelevant) and initially proposed that his wife join them and leave the son with grandma. Basically a family vacation for everyone but the son. It only became "special daddy-daughter time" when his wife didn't care to go. So I'm not really buying that this is really anything other than a family vacation without the hassle of the difficult child.
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Considering you don't know these two, I'm surprised you don't have an alarm going off in your head telling you it's not a good idea to leave them alone for all that time.
