Lunch and Movie Theater for Daughter's 8th Birthday- Invite Help!!!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

I continually get surprised at the level of hovering other parents do. I also have an 8 year old daughter and she rides public transportation alone.

How sad you are too lazy to take your child where she needs to be. 8 is way to young.

I'm the PP whose kid rides public transportation. I'm not lazy at all. In fact, I spend a lot of time helping my daughter become a confident independent future adult. We incrementally increased her area of travel with many practice trips. We did, and still do, role play many different scenarios and safe and appropriate solutions. She is confident, aware, and very very proud of her abilities.

I'll leave you with this:

Erickson's late childhood stage of psychosocial development:

SCHOOL AGE: Industry vs. Inferiority – here the psychosocial world expands to include the neighborhood and the school environment, where the child’s efforts to sublimate the drives of the previous stage through work and enterprise (e.g. hobbies, schoolwork, projects, chores etc.), may result in the construction of a personality that feels a sense of competency and ability, or alternatively, may develop into a pervasive aura of inferiority in relationship to the efforts and achievements of others.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

You don't let your 8 year old go in the bathroom alone? What if you have a kid of the opposite gender? I have a boy and he's very big for his age (7). It would be wildly inappropriate to go to the men's room with him or bring him to the women's room. He's been going in the bathroom alone since he was probably 5. I can't even remember honestly.

Yes, my 7 year old still goes into the women's bathroom with me. If you don't like it, too bad.

This is sincerely mind blowing to me. I also believe you are way in the minority because not once in my life have I seen a 7 year old boy using a public women's restroom. I'm curious how long you plan to do this? What's the cut off?

I'm curious too. I'll take your "too bad" and raise you one - once they can independently use the bathroom, they are all set to use the men's room. Your caution does not match the likely danger level of the scenario.

No they aren't and things happen in bathrooms. I take my 7 year old in and am not at all concerned about what others think.

Please enlighten us with what happens in the men's bathroom at movie theater during a matinee. I am honestly curious.

NP here. Not long ago there was a story on the news about two teens who went into an elevation burger bathroom and were sexually assaulted by a male employee who followed them in there. The employee had a prior criminal record. This happened while their parents were in the restaurant.

This is terrible. Bad things happen. Two teenagers parents are not going to accompany them to the bathroom. You seem to think you will be able to prevent any bad things from ever happening to your children. You can't. None of us can. Also, in the process of trying to prevent anything from ever happening, you are not allowing your child to develop grandual independence and confidence in his or her decision making and problem solving skills that he or she will need to navigate in the world without you. In short, you are fucking your kid up. Stop reading local news and watching CNN. That will help immensely.

Great plan. Stop reading the news and pretend everything is good in the world. My parents were protective and taught me to navigate the world just fine without them.

No they didn't. You are a paranoid, anxious, controlling parent. That is not "fine"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

What? My 8 yr old can go to a movie theatre bathroom with one friend, and they'll come out fine. Is your child special needs?

This is why I would not let my child go with you. Its not the kids I am worry about but who else is there. If you are not willing to supervise the kids properly and 8 is still very young, you need to have more adults or let the parents come.

I think the PP was ridiculous, but 6 adults really can supervise 18 kids. Especially when those 18 kids are watching a movie.

Parents go out in public with 3 or 4 kids all the time, either because they have 3 or 4 kids, or because their kids bring friends. Even if 1 adult gets pulled off to take 1 kid to the bathroom, there will still be 5 adults to supervise the other 17 kids who are sitting watching a movie.

Shhh little one, I can't take you to the bathroom right now. I have to see if Gaston is going to kill the beast!?!?

But, is one adult willing to miss the movie and take a child to the bathroom especially if it happens a few times. Usually no.

Because adults get so engrossed in children's movies. We all know the plot line of Beauty and the Beast. Let's be realistic here. I think the parents understand their responsibility in this situation. The movie is for the kids in this instance.

[Anonymous]

Had anyone mentioned that a movie theater is public and OP has zero Say in whoever else may want to buy tickets? Just deal. If you want a private party have it at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had anyone mentioned that a movie theater is public and OP has zero Say in whoever else may want to buy tickets? Just deal. If you want a private party have it at home.

Of course they can. It's IMAX and assigned seating. Im only paying for invited kids and the adults helping me out that are family. They are being made aware of the movie time if they want to meet up at the theater with their entire families for the same showing.

You have to understand. There are a few people that ALWAYS come with the invited child plus at LEAST 2 siblings and a parent and sometimes a grandparent as well. ALWAYS.

[Anonymous]

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My daughter went on a Field trip today. 1 teacher and 1 volunteer for 26 kids. Do your forbid your 8yr old to go on field trips?

What school is this?

When my kids went on field trips when they were 8, the teacher would have taken about four or five volunteers for that number of kids.
This was at public schools in Virginia and California.

MCPS school. The location could only take 1 volunteer per class. So 103 kids and 4 teachers and 4 volunteers total.

No, my kids would not go on that kind of field trip. Either we go, or our child does not go. We've been on enough field trips to see kids get separated with parents not paying attention or on their phones, especially working. My kid in MCPS doesn't like most of the field trips so when we ask, he's glad to opt out and do something fun with us instead. We had a teachers only field trip, no volunteers and we declined and kept her home.

Is your kid a he or a she? Also, in the history of field trips at MCPS, has any child ever been lost? Kind of doubt it.

Your anxiety seems like it might be overpowering you and smothering your child.

In Baltimore, a kid got lost: http://baltimorewatchdog.com/2016/12/08/mom-helps-create-survival-guide-for-school-field-trip-chaperones/

Younger child at a day care: http://wjla.com/news/local/three-year-old-boy-on-a-daycare-field-trip-left-behind-at-chuck-e-cheese-87067

Teen died on field trip: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Teen-Student-Becomes-Ill-Dies-During-School-Field-Trip-299445861.html

10 year old molested at Fairfax recreation center: http://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2015/12/man-charged-with-assaulting-10-year-old-at-fairfax-co-recreation-center/

Here's one at a local movie theater: http://wjla.com/news/crime/dc-mom-files-lawsuit-after-son-alleges-to-being-molested-at-local-movie-theater

Just a few if you google in our area.

Whew lady!! Are you swearing off school, their own bedroom, and kids camps too?? Kids get molested there too. A 9yr old was just molested in her bedroom by someone that broke in. You better start co-sleeping again.

Do you let your kids go on amusement park rides. They get killed and injured there too. And airplanes, and cars, and school busses, and pools, and falling in the playground or even down your home stairs.

Just wrap them up in bubble wrap so they can become a neurotic hot mess like yourself.