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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No way.

My five year old can get scared of a lot of things on the way. Accidents can happen.  And no one to comfort her for 10 hours on an international flight. No way.

I'm not even going to think about connections.  What if there is a bad turbulence?  Or she gets sick?

I'm not sure she would know how to operate the toilet door on a plane.  Or open all the packaging of a food tray.[/quote]

OP here:  Here is what would happen in some of the situations you mentioned.

In flight:
Your child receives our Kids Solo service. Our staff provides continuous supervision and ensures his or her comfort and safety.
On intercontinental flights, your child enjoys games, films, cartoons, radio programs for children, and receives fun gifts to play with. 
We provide a meal adapted to your child's tastes and needs on all flights over 2.5 hours. Starting at age 9, your child receives a regular meal, but can still choose the children's menu if desired. In this case, please remember to request the children's menu when booking the ticket, or at least 24 hours prior to the flight's departure.

Please educate your child, particularly if your child is an adolescent, that changing seats is not permitted during the flight. Please remind him or her to remain seated upon arrival, until accompanied by an Air France guardian.

Please note: if your child is traveling on the same flight as you but in a different cabin, he or she must remain under his or her Air France guardian's supervision until arrival.

Connections: 
With the Kids Solo service, our staff provides continuous supervision to your child during connecting flights. This also applies if you are making the same trip but in a different cabin.
For connecting flights of more than 2 hours*, your child is welcomed in the Air France connecting area reserved for children traveling alone at Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports.

These lounges are specially equipped to offer activities for everyone: rest, reading, cartoons, board games and foosball (table soccer). Lounges also offer Sony PlayStation 3 and/or PlayStation Vita video game consoles.

In case of flight connections and cancellations: Your child receives priority care and attention from Air France staff in the event of a flight delay or cancellation. [b]An Air France staff member remains present with your child at all times, even if lodging is necessary.[/b]
We immediately inform the individuals listed on the UM handling form of any measures taken for your child at any point in the trip.[/quote]

So again, you would be okay with your 5 year old staying overnight in a hotel room with a complete stranger?[/quote]

OP here:  If that is what ends us happening, then I would have to be ok with it, because I would have weighed the risk of that possibility and still opted to have him get on the plane.  [/quote]

Nice dodge, OP.  [b]Are you ok with that risk[/b]?  It's a yes or no question.  If the answer is no, then you don't send him alone on the flight.  Simple.  If the answer is yes, you would be ok with it, then I'm not really sure why you're asking a public message board if you should do this, because you're clearly not going to find many parents who agree with you, American or not.

I mean, honestly, OP.  Maybe this is the norm in other countries (I find this to be a dubious assertion), but you asked on a DC message board that is going to be populated by... wait for it... AMERICANS, so we're going to give you our perspective based on that.  IF you want to do something different, no one here can stop you, but don't get pissy because we're not going to validate your choices.

[b]And yes, there are 5 year olds who are "independent" enough in other parts of the world to work in sweat shops, or take care of their younger siblings all day because their parents are working or walking miles to get water... call me a helicopter parent, but I don't see this as a good thing.  So let's stop with the "oh you overprotective Americans!" nonsense and admit that this is a batshit crazy idea no matter how you look at it.[/b][/quote]

No - it's absolutely not crazy.  The reason that you think it's crazy is because dependence is the norm for American children, and your child is absolutely helpless because of your helicoptering.

Yes, the circumstances that sometimes require the independence in these children abroad can be tragic.  However, the actual independence itself is a very good thing.

I was one of those very indepent 5 year olds; and I walked for miles on my own to explore.  Many times with my even younger cousin.  And no, we were not poor.  To the contrary, I had a nanny and a housekeeper.  I cherish all the good memories I have growing up.

Likewise, my grandmother was a latchkey child, Polish and Italian immigrant background in New York.  She took over cooking chores by the time she was 5 years old.  Her sisters would tell me stories about how she would stand on a stool to cook dinner for the family.

My godchild is a 7 year old girl growing up in Montreal.  Mother is Swiss and the fater is Canadian.  I spent a few afternoons on my last visit, and she delighted in showing me all around her neigborhood.  She knew exactly how to get to school from home, how to get to the playground, how to get to the YMCA where she took swimming lessons, and how to get to both of her parents' work.. It's tragic that American children are incapable of such feats.

[/quote]

Oh please. I'm not an American, and this if just bullshit. [b]You are lumping the rest of the WORLD into one category?  While American parents do tend to helicopter, in my country we would never, ever put a 5 year old on a plane alone either[/b].  But, for us, it's more about travel as a family.

And your 7 year old Canadian story, she was still traveling with an adult...you.

My 5 year old can take you on the metro, get you from our house to her swim lessons and back.  I've even had her navigate the route herself.  Would I let her do it alone?  No.

And your story is still so Western Cultured anyway, it makes me think you are a troll.[/quote]

It's your prerogative to raise fearful little cowards.

Meanwhile, Asian moms can continue to trust their children to go to school on their own.  Italian kids can wander their neighborhoods.  German children can take public transportation to go where they need to go.  While your precious little snowflake sits at home and spends all his time on an Ipad, while you hover over him.

Also, I don't believe for one second that your kid could navigate himself out of a paper bag. You'd probably rush in at the first sign of discomfort, and rescue your precious little snowflake.

[/quote]

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