Would you let you 5 year old fly unaccompanied overseas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And, there was a couple who left their kids alone in a vacation flat close by while they went out. The child went missing. We've all read about Madeline McCann. It's not a matter of an independent child, it is a matter of safety.

NP here. In no way do I support what OP is proposing. But it's not because I think there is ANY risk of her child meeting a similar fate to Madeline McCann. You are comparing apples and oranges. Have you ever flown internationally? Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Are you aware that the prime suspects in the Madeline McCann disappearance are her own parents? I'm pretty sure the OP can check that off the list off fears. But thanks for playing!

[Anonymous]

And, there was a couple who left their kids alone in a vacation flat close by while they went out. The child went missing. We've all read about Madeline McCann. It's not a matter of an independent child, it is a matter of safety.




NP here. In no way do I support what OP is proposing. But it's not because I think there is ANY risk of her child meeting a similar fate to Madeline McCann. You are comparing apples and oranges. Have you ever flown internationally? Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Are you aware that the prime suspects in the Madeline McCann disappearance are her own parents? I'm pretty sure the OP can check that off the list off fears. But thanks for playing!

You must be kidding!

And, FWIW, I have lived internationally and I know that what the McCann parents did is not unusual. Foolish, but not rare. Europeans leave their kids in baby strollers outside stores while they shop. They go down to the local beer parlor and leave the kid home alone in a crib.

Sending your child off on a trip like this with a layover--and a possibility of delays, etc.-is not necessary. It is foolish. Sure, the likelihood of your child being safe, may be great, but it is a risk. This is not like the couple who sent their two well-trained kids to the park. There are way too many uncertainties in this situation. Think about it, she would not even know how many different supervisors her child would have. She wouldn't even know their names.

If this were an emergency situation, maybe. In this case, selfish.

[Anonymous]

Hell to the , no!

[Anonymous]

The layover and length of the flight gives me pause but all the people in here losing their minds that you would suggest this make me feel sad for the adults of tomorrow who are kids today. We are all doomed.

[Anonymous]

There are so many chances for a mix-up. Your kid sees everyone get off the plane and follows, and is now wandering alone in the airport. Flight attendants have other responsibilities and forget to make sure that he's getting to where he needs to go. Someone who is not a flight attendant tells him "come with me" and he goes along. Chaperone doesn't appear at the gate on time and flight attendant has to go, and dumps him on some other airline employee who doesn't know where he's supposed to be.

A lot of people don't even trust airlines with their luggage.

[Anonymous]

No way. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked my newly 6 yo last summer if he would be up for flying to visit his grandparents by himself...they are in the Midwest on a direct flight. I explained how a flight attendant would watch over him, and his grandparents would meet hi right at the gate and we would drop him off here at the gate.

He was scared! So we dropped the idea.

That's pretty pathetic, particularly just dropping the idea rather than working through it with him. Good way to raise a dependent child who can't do anything without mommy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked my newly 6 yo last summer if he would be up for flying to visit his grandparents by himself...they are in the Midwest on a direct flight. I explained how a flight attendant would watch over him, and his grandparents would meet hi right at the gate and we would drop him off here at the gate.

He was scared! So we dropped the idea.

That's pretty pathetic, particularly just dropping the idea rather than working through it with him. Good way to raise a dependent child who can't do anything without mommy.

No it's not pathetic to listen to your child and a newly 6 year year old is basically a 5 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many chances for a mix-up. Your kid sees everyone get off the plane and follows, and is now wandering alone in the airport. Flight attendants have other responsibilities and forget to make sure that he's getting to where he needs to go. Someone who is not a flight attendant tells him "come with me" and he goes along. Chaperone doesn't appear at the gate on time and flight attendant has to go, and dumps him on some other airline employee who doesn't know where he's supposed to be.

A lot of people don't even trust airlines with their luggage.

This. Beyond the sexual predation that has been reported on airplanes. Anybody remember the last time their flight got sent back to the gate? The airline lost their bags? Imagine a mentally challenged adult wandering the airport. Just because people did it in the 70s didn't make it OK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And, there was a couple who left their kids alone in a vacation flat close by while they went out. The child went missing. We've all read about Madeline McCann. It's not a matter of an independent child, it is a matter of safety.

NP here. In no way do I support what OP is proposing. But it's not because I think there is ANY risk of her child meeting a similar fate to Madeline McCann. You are comparing apples and oranges. Have you ever flown internationally? Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Are you aware that the prime suspects in the Madeline McCann disappearance are her own parents? I'm pretty sure the OP can check that off the list off fears. But thanks for playing!

Her parents have been repeatedly cleared. Same with Jon Benet Ramsey's parents.

You just keep telling yourself comfortable lies, though.

[Anonymous]

OP - don't know if you are still reading this- I only read page 1 and 2- but you are placing WAY TOO MUCH confidence in the "ASSIGNED" flight attendant part.

I traveled once internationally from Europe to the U.S. as a teenager in a wheelchair due to orthopedic injuries and surgery. There was a layover in Paris.
The "assigned" flight attendant couldn't or wouldn't go past a certain point - there are so many security checkpoints- and said that her colleague would be picking me up from this point and bring me to my next gate. I was left in the middle of a busy hall in my wheelchair and with some luggage, and her colleague never showed up. I had trouble even attracting anyone's attention, as everyone rushed past, and it took me forever to get to anyone who could even try to call someone to help me. Long story short: Not a good experience. Don't think that this "assigned" person will stay and sit with your child at any point really. They will keep an eye on him, if they are not distracted (yeah, right!), and just check in from time to time.

Never in a million years would I consider this for a 5 year old.

[Anonymous]

I did non-stop international flights around that age in the early 80s but the world simply wasn't as sinister as it is now. I wouldn't try that with my child who is older now, even if he had a cell phone with an international plan. See if you can buy a ticket for one of the parents to come over to the US.

[Anonymous]

I am an airline employee. Do not do it. We in the airline business are always surprised that parents let Their children Of any. Age travel as an UM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

over the summer

?? how much of the summer?? I don't worry about the flight, as much as I worry about your decision to be apart from him - a 5 year old.

Unless war had broken out, or some extreme can't-even-fathom tragedy, he shouldn't be away from you.

good grief. Totally over reacting here. What do you think kids do when parents divorce? They go see the non custodial parents most of a summer in most cases. Get a grip, its a new century

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP does not seem like much of a worrier. She's pretty sure her kid will do OK. It's her decision to make, not ours. I am not from her culture. I'm a helicopter American parent. I would never let my five year old go unaccompanied anywhere, much less on an international flight with a layover. But if she's not worried, well, then it's her call. I don't think it makes her a bad parent, just a different type of parent who doesn't worry about all the "what if"'s as I do. The chances of a problem are small, and she's willing to take that risk with her child. If the airlines say it's OK, well, then it's possible. I could not stand the anxiety worrying about my kid for all that time, but if OP's OK with that, well, good for her. Worrying shortens your life, as we all know. OP if your kid is scared, that's the point where I'd think seriously about whether or not this is in his or her best interest. Otherwise, well, as you say, happy travels!

OP here: Thank you for this post. We may not agree, but at least you see where I am coming from. I am not much of a worrier and really do believe that if my child could not handle it, it would not even be a consideration. I am NOT a helicopter parent and feel a 16 hour flight would not damage my son for life. I am weighing my comfort level with the potential risks and won't make a decision until I am 100% comfortable he and I can live with them.

I grew up in a culture where children are young as 5 are very independent and take public transportation. I feel sorry for many Americans, and I think it's tragic that they are raising a generation of wusses.

Is it really surprising that this generation of wusses grow up to be these people: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/victim-in-metro-slaying-stabbed-repeatedly-during-robbery-on-train/2015/07/07/8dd09132-249b-11e5-b72c-2b7d516e1e0e_story.html

Tragic

DING DING DING my thoughts exactly. All these kids growing up like a little wuss. It is sad parents cannot give their children a bit more freedom than they do. Nothing worse than all those helicopter parents who hover over and dont allow their snowflakes to do something on their own, without being told what to do, how to do, etc.

Sad sad world