Carousel Problems

Posted by Vulnadia on Apr 11, 2011 at 04:47 PM Yes, my kids are 5 and have only just now gotten to ride a carousel. It took me actually forgetting myself, or rather ourselves, and thinking what a great treat it would be for them since they were out on spring break and supposed to be out on the town as a treat. We had gone to see HOP together, and were headed out to try & ride the trolley...something we have never gotten to do...and weren't about to, either, as it wasn't running yet AGAIN that day... To kill 2 birds with one stone, I also had promised Vivienne a trip to see my friend Richard at The Children's Place so she could get some new shoes since Target didn't have any to fit her pretty little toes (which had really truly offended her & made her cry the day before!) So the boys went off to visit the trolley in its garage, while Vivienne and I visited with our friends at The Children's Place and scored 2 new pair of sparkly maryjane tennies in pink & in white eyelet... The boys HATE shopping, and since the trolley was closed, I thought hey, why not, let's ride the carousel...after all, they are walking talking big-kids now...they are 5...heck, we are even thinking of going to 6flags this summer since they are tall enough to ride most of the rides according to the website (we had just been to the Dr and been measured, too...) So we happily went off to find the carousel, hand in hand, singing the following the leader song from Peter Pan... Bregon bellied up to the ticket booth to purchase tickets for his siblings...and that's when it hit us...the multipleness...we had quite forgotten we were "Different" and that there was a good reason we had yet to ride any carousel... The woman behind the glass just stared at him...then she asked how old the riders were...to which they all 3 chimed in unison from behind their big brother, "We're 5!" (newly so and proud of it, too!) She then had to go into this whole kids 5 & under have to ride with an adult and Bregon isn't one... He's 16...he isn't even delinquent looking...but then she dared look at me and ask, "Where are the other children's mothers?" Um, uh...um...I was quite taken aback with that bit...afterall...all 4 of the kids favor...& most think the baby-boys are identical for some reason and most cant tell any of the kids apart save for their clothing which denotes Vivienne as obviously a girl...she's very fancy nancy flashy... I just stared at her...I couldn't help it...I mean...um...I've gotten a lot of strange things said about us, but this was the FIRST time anyone ever asked the kids where their Mothers were...as if they weren't mine... I just smiled and told her they were triplets finally...and she said THEY CANT RIDE!...Said they were too young, too small...had to be 42 inches to ride...Kaiden is exactly 42 inches actually...and I told her so sweetly as I could muster... And told her Bregon & I would stand with Kian & Vivienne (who happen to be within an inch of 42 inches themselves pretty much...) But she said NO, Bregon is NOT an adult...and on that note she called security...pregnant pause... Then she said she was going to ask them what to do about us...It was really bizarre...and by this time Kai had gotten totally creeped out by her and what all she had said (which had translated to a resounding NO to him) so he was in full out wail-mode... It was too much for him...he was 5...he knew he was 42 inches-he had already tried measuring himself against THEIR ruler thingy...and he knew...he also knew he only had one Mama and that was me...& that she wouldn't let Bregon ride either...so he cried...the only way he knows how to express himself once he reaches past a certain point of frustration (until then he had just stood there with clenched fists trying to get himself under control) but no trolley, no carousel...& he wasn't a big kid notion...that was just too much... I tried to explain to him what was up, meanwhile enter security who, once he talked to the woman behind the glass, couldn't contain his frustration with her-he outright laughed at her at first...and really had Kai not been crying and my other little ones frowning, I might have found it funny too... He told her of course Bregon could stand with them...meanwhile some really sweet lady who had seen the whole thing from a distance, walked up & offerred to stand with one of the kids so we could ride...which was soo sweet of her...(but she shouldn't have had to do this is the point!) I paid for the lady's baby to ride too, with his daddy (he was under a year old) and we all rode the carousel regardless of the crazy woman behind the counter... It was just a truly bizarre experience...It never occurred to me that I wasn't enough Mommie for my kids...or that between the 2 of us we weren't enough to safely ride something as mundane and innocent as a carousel... I had quite forgotten to even attempt riding it until then, too...You'd think the kids being 5 that they would be old enough & big enough to ride...In fact I don't remember ever having to worry about this when I was a kid...do you? So has anyone else had any problem like this? Have you been to six flags with your little ones & been able to ride most of the rides (within height requirement reason) or have you had to do something similar? I don't even want to try going back again after all that was said & the way the lady handled everything... by Vulnadia on Apr 12, 2011 at 06:06 PM i could understand if they were little bitty...but they just turned 5... you are probably right about her not wanting to turn the darn thing on- i hated to complain on her because, from the look of her, this may be one of the few places that would actually hire her the way she looks...she didnt seem too bright...other than the obvious weird questioning she really upset bregon when she called security though...i thought that was going a LITTLE too far...i understand they probably have teen problems all the time with the hang-out factor, but i'm his mother & he wasn't acting out of the ordinary, just trying to buy his baby brothers & sister tix to ride the merry-go-round...he would have paid for us to stand with them, too, money wasnt an issue...he was really upset though... & her rationale for calling them to ask if my son was considered adult enough to be able to keep a 5yr old on a carousel horse was a bit off or so it seemed to me, then again i'd never tried riding before...but its a kiddie ride...for young children...so it never occurred to me that there would be any problem... he was truly worried she had other motives (finding him delinquent or something-he's self conscious & tries to be a nice kid & not appear delinquent-there its very easy to be thought of as out of place if you are a teen) it was just weird-there are seats on that ride, too- so you can sit with your child instead of ride on one of the animals...it just seems to me that it should be allowed that a child be allowed a choice-i could see if they were very small or totally by themselves, but we were 2 big people to the 3 5yr olds...my 16yr old is much taller than i am!!! but the whole where are the other childrens mothers bit was just rude...& caught me totally off-guard... i dont remember us having any problems like this at hamels when we were little & wanted to ride the carousel...i know i went when i was at least 4...because the earliest i remember was a friend of mine's 5th bday...& we all rode by ourselves...