I was looking at my plans and the maps and thinking how am I going to get my DS2.5 to walk past all these wonderful MK attractions to go back and take a nap?
I am up for suggestions. My first thought was a sedative But I was thinking that maybe not to pass out the Tinkerbell gifts in the morning, but use them as a bribe to go back to the room mid-day.
What worked for you guys?
Maybe I am the only one, whose 2 yr old is less then blindly obedientā¦ if so I am sorry for the silly question, and will try to do better as a parent.
I hadnāt thought of this. I will have same problem with DS5 and DS3. Perhaps it wonāt be so difficult if they are tired enough after 3 hours of walking and with a full belly after lunch
We also had tinker bell gifts that were left while we were at the parks. Another option us that they arrive while you sleep, so going to take a nap means more treasure when they wake up.
Thanks liners! I am probably worried about nothing. Also if he does throw a fit, that will just wear him out more, so he will fall asleep easier. Youāre right about the stroller, I wasnāt thinking about that. We rarely use one now, but def. will at WDW. Seat-belted in and GO!
Weāve not had a problem with resistance to leaving in the past even tho we had that 2 year old with a very definite mind of her own. Luckily, by the time she figured out how to disconnect the straps on the stroller she was much more reasonable.
On our upcoming trip with three (vs our historical 2) young kids Iāve considered mutiny when planning. Iāve come up with a three prong evasion tactic:
1 - brunch at 10:30, first morning Crystal Palace. For that break in the action, diverting attention from the rides/shows. Fill up the tummies, dull the resistance.
2 - one last attraction - by the exit; first morning - Tinkerbell M&G. No walking past rides, shows, stores, guys with enough balloons to lift a house . . .
3 - hope this first morning precedent carries over on subsequent mornings. Kids are creatures of habit. Two of these three in question are school age and well indoctrinated in the āitās time to [insert current activity]ā. The third one is not yet in school - possible wild card.
Plan loops, or walk past the fun stuff early and then work your way toward the exit.
I was surprised at how easy it was to get my little niece to roll with the plan. I think there is just soooooo much around that she was fine with us saying what we were going to do next.
I hadnāt thought of this either. Our DS5 can still be a challenge when his mind is set on something, especially in an over stimulating environment like WDW. When we took DS5 at 2.5 he hated the stroller, but trips back to the room werenāt the problem. He had trouble actually sitting in the stroller to get things moving (we were in a larger group) while touring. By mid and end of the day he was exhausted and fell asleep quickly.
At 2.5 YO, your son wonāt remember any of the trip. He also wonāt have any clue what anything is unless heās a genius and already able to read. Since most attractions are not directly visible, what heāll end up seeing primarily is a sea of people and a bunch of buildings.
But at that age, when tiredness sets in, I donāt think it will matter any longer. I just wouldnāt sweat it. This trip should be more about you and any older kids (if you have them). In frankly, wouldnāt worry too much about what a 2.5 YO wants. He will enjoy the things you bring him on, and be none the wiser on things you donāt.
I had ds2, ds4 who can be very strong minded. But what helped was they loved riding the bus. So the idea of the bus trip was very appealing. Also often the walk out is not overly appealing to little kids. Lots of stores etcā¦
I wouldnāt sweat it either. Remind them when they get back they can have a snack/pool time/tv time whatever. And if itās hot he may be begging to leave anyway.
Our two year old reluctantly left the parkā¦but was too wired to nap at the hotel. So none of us slept, we didnāt really get to rest, and we were all a little cranky for the rest of the day. Especially since it ate up three whole hours.
We ended up not going back to the hotel midday for the rest of our stay. Our toddler napped in the stroller and we were fine.
I am thinking the same thing will happen with us. We have a 2.5 yr old and Iām afraid she wont sleep once we get all the way back to the hotel. I figure if she falls asleep in the stroller on the way to the bus stop we will let her sleep in the stroller.
I donāt recall ever having a problem with it. If we needed to leave, we left. Maybe they were just worn out and didnāt put up a fuss, but maybe they just learned from an early age fussing didnāt really get them anywhere.
Pretty much.
Yes. And heāll get over it. I think it is essential to figure out WHY a child might be throwing a fit- are they tired? Hot? Ill? One certainly wants to address any issues like that. But if itās just because they want something, well, themās the breaks, kiddo.
I donāt want to sound hard-hearted, but I wouldnāt give one minuteās thought to planning how to get by the shiny things they might want. Those things are everywhere, all the time. Figuring out what to do in that circumstance is part of the overall parenting plan. I guess Iām just a meanie.
But I was thinking that maybe not to pass out the Tinkerbell gifts in the morning, but use them as a bribe to go back to the room mid-day.
He will enjoy the things you bring him on, and be none the wiser on things you donāt.