I had this weird experience while I was at Disney World (no, it doesn’t have anything to do with losing a meal after riding a roller coaster). Now I will be the first to admit that I can tend to be a bit overprotective. I wind up thinking through every possible scenario and outcome in my head and usually take the safest route. I guess my motto is pretty much “better safe than sorry” so I am curious about everyone else’s take on this:
I was sitting just outside the entrance to Expedition Everest while J and Little J rode it for the upteenth time. I know my limit for rides that speed backwards in the dark. I was sitting next to a nice grandmotherly-looking lady when a young mom approached. She addressed the other woman and it was obvious from her accent that she was from England.
“Are you waiting for someone to come off of the ride?” she asked.
“Yes,” the woman replied.
“Would you mind watching my girls for a minute? My husband and I have FastPasses so we won’t be long,” the English mom explained.
The other woman looked completely taken aback but agreed to watch the girls. The mom ushered them over and said “This nice lady will be watching you for a bit” and took off without a look back.
The grandmotherly-type woman was wonderful with the girls and asked them about where they were from and if they were having fun. The girls were very sweet and no trouble to the woman. They said that they were 4 and 6 years old and were on holiday from England. After a bit, they began climbing on the rocks behind where we were sitting.
The grandmotherly-type woman looked at me in a can-you-even-believe-this kind of way so I leaned over and said “England must be a really safe place. I can’t imagine any of my American friends doing this.”
She replied “Or my Canadian friends!”
The English mom and her husband came back to claim the girls and the Canadian woman explained the child-swap program that Disney has (where each parent can ride while the other stays with the kids without having to stand in line again).
So I ask you – do you think this mom was being careless or do you think what she did was acceptable and American moms are too overprotective? Please comment – I’m interested in what everyone thinks!
Bren says
I think that couple was CRAZY for asking someone they don’t know in a huge park like that to watch their kids. Did they even ask the woman’s name? What if she (the woman) had just walked off with them. I can’t imagine ever EVER doing that!
Mommy Mentor says
Well, I am pretty sure you know my take on this…CRAZY! 🙂 I would never in a million years even consider this. I was reading it going, “No, please don’t do it.” And yep, she did. What would you have done had she asked you?
Maureen @ Wisconsin Mommy says
Good question Amy – I think I would have made an excuse like my family was coming back in a minute. I certainly wouldn’t have assumed responsibility for someone else’s kids in a situation like that. (But then again, I am a bit paranoid)
Sophia's Mom says
Those British are insane! I don’t know how it works in England but you do not do that here! Actually, you shouldn’t do that anywhere!
I can’t believe the Canadian lady said yes. If somebody approached me and asked me to watch their kids for a few minutes, I would think I was on some kind of prank show!
I hope they didn’t try to leave them with anyone else!
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Anonymous says
Hi….I might be a little over protective myself….in this crazy world we live in who in their right mind would leave their most precious gifts with a total stranger? Yes there are emergency situations where we have to make decisions we would’nt normally have to make…But to leave our child or children with a total stranger to go on an amusement ride?Why did’nt they bring or hire a reputable sitter/nanny? Child abusers and molesters come in all shapes and sizes…
Anne says
I would never do this.
However, if approached, I would probably say yes, only because I wouldn’t want those idiots to wind up asking an individual less upstanding than myself to watch their children. 🙂 Then I would tell them what I thought of them when they came back.
Remember the doctors who left their children sleeping in their hotel room while they ate dinner and the little girl was kidnapped? Madeline or whatever? They were British, too, I believe. Hmm.
Deanna says
I think that was a very irresponsible thing for the English parents to do. In today’s environment, you need to be cautious and this was unacceptable. On a side note, I was at the movies with my kids last year and a mom left the theater to go get popcorn for her and her kids and as she was walking out, she told her kids to ask the lady in front of her if they needed anything…I was the lady in front of her!!! She didn’t even ask me if I would help and I didn’t know her or her kids. It’s insane that people will leave their kids and assume others are trustworty…especially just to get popcorn or go on a ride!