<p>If you don’t really want your kids to see those rides, maybe it’s time to skip the 4H exhibitions. I mean really…why are you going to a place where you absolutely know has “worthless” rides. Just raise the animals or grow the veggies at home. </p>
<p>If you still want to go to the fairs…give each kiddo a set allowance which they can spend as they choose on either carnival rides or carnival food. It won’t cost you a fortune and you can then fret about some other issue.</p>
<p>If y ou are going to the Evergreen state fair ( which isn’t the same as the Western Washington state fair), you can buy wristbands in advance
[Evergreen</a> State Fairgrounds - Carnival](<a href=“http://www.evergreenfair.org/carnival.asp]Evergreen”>http://www.evergreenfair.org/carnival.asp)</p>
<p>Just give each kid $25, buy yourself a couple of funnel cakes and a root beer, sit on a bench and chill!</p>
<p>Personally - I wonder if it is a control issue.
Some parents put themselves in situations where they have to /get to say no, because it reinforces that " they are the boss".</p>
<p>Otherwise, why inquire about that opportunity if your mind is already made up to decline?</p>
<p>OK, I admit this post struck a nerve with me. As a kid, we regularly went to the county fair and NEVER once was I allowed to ride any rides. It was very depressing passing by the other kids, who were having fun, while I had to look at quilts and pumpkins. If my aunt hadn’t taken me, I would have never seen the amusement park. Ditto for movies. All vacations were educational and never once did I set foot on a beach or do anything considered remotely fun by a child. I did, however, see many historic sites and failed to appreciate any of them. I have turned out to be a very functional adult and have a happy life, but I will tell you that my children do NOT experience this type of life. Recently, my daughter asked me how many times we have visited Disney. We were not able to agree on the number. We have also taken our kids to any number of other places considered fun by kids. Take the kids on the fair rides for pete’s sakes!</p>
<p>When I was a child, I desperately wanted to go to Disneyland, but knew that there was no way that would ever happen. 
Nevertheless, my parents would take us, perhaps once per year, to Playland in Rye, NY. Does anyone else remember it? It was a wonderful treat. </p>
<p>OP, I understand your desire to avoid a situation that you know could be very stressful for you, but I really do think that letting the kids pick out two or three rides to go on would be a special thing to do for them.</p>
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<p>:D This is good advice. And I speak as a devotee of the quilts/crafts/canned goods/animals/vegetables and so forth. I love the pulling contests with horses, which I will happily spend hours watching. When I go to the county fair, which is about a mile down the road from us, I drive my family crazy by devoting attention to each and every thing in the exhibit hall. (I’ve exhibited stuff myself.) So what? they can always go do something else and come back for me. And so can you.</p>
<p>I didn’t read the whole thread, but just wanted to share that we gave each kid a reasonable/small amount of money for the fair and they could choose to spend it as they wished – rides, games, cheap plastic souvenirs, disgusting snacks, whatever. </p>
<p>Which, come to think about it, was what my parents did when I was a kid.</p>
<p>One of my favorite memories with my son is the time he and I spent the day, without Dad and sister, at Disneyland and then spent the night at the hotel afterwards. It was a special mom/son outing. He was six.
We had been as a family, but at six my son was at the perfect age to get into the magic of it all, and being the second child, it was a real treat for him to be able to plan the whole day and get to do all of the things that really interested him. It also was a special treat for me to be able to spend a day of laughter and fun with just my youngest. Talk about “spoiled.” Yes, I really am spoiled. 
You don’t get these years back. Treasure them.</p>
<p>One of my favorite memories was looking all over Las Vegas or Tahoe with my folks for STEW (because I wanted it)! It was one of the first time it was just me & my folks (usually, all my many sibs were also present). We had a blast. Mom & I discovered the nickel slots & found out you can play a VERY long time (many hours) with one roll of nickels!</p>
<p>I agree that it’s unfair to take young kids to a place and strictly ban certain types of things that kids consider “fun.” Forcing them to accompany you to look at the produce, animals & other things while they would rather be with young kids doing games, rides, etc. is cruel and not a good situation for the parents OR kids.</p>
<p>A balance is a good thing. I always try to incorporate our kids’ thoughts and wishes when we make plans. One trip in particular, couldn’t get folks to weigh in so planned a trip where we stayed at a different national park & hotel every night. After that trip, they were all MUCH more helpful at planning. 
If money is an issue, be honest with the kids that there are only $$$ dollars and that is all. Let them blow it or save it or save some & blow some.</p>
<p>DS liked looking at the rides at carnivals and fairs but not interested in riding them (cautious kid). He was way more interested in the video game tent.</p>
<p>Re the conception of enjoyment - when DS was about 7, we took him to DisneyWorld. Before we left, MIL called with great concern and said, “Tell me, Marilyn, what is DS going to do at DisneyWorld?” I was dumbfounded and replied, “Um, have fun?”.</p>
<p>Learned later that her one experience at DW was going to the international shops at Epcot. Actually, DS enjoyed that along with the rest of Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.</p>
<p>"Playland in Rye, NY. Does anyone else remember it? It was a wonderful treat. "</p>
<p>Yes, but not as good as Palisades!</p>
<p>cue Palisades jingle…</p>
<p>Palisades has the rides…
Palisades has the fun…
Come On Over.</p>
<p>Shows and dancing are free…
so’s the parking, so gee…
Come On Over.</p>
<p>Palisades from coast to coast, where a dime buys the most.
Palisades Amusement Park.
Swings all day and after dark.
(bumm, baa, dumm, bumm, bummmm)</p>
<p>Ride the coaster…
Get cool…
In the waves in the pool.
You’ll have fun… so…
Come On Over.
(dumm de dum da dum… dum) </p>
<p>Not sure if this is it; my speaker is out…<a href=“http://www.tvadsongs.com/Palisades_Amusement_Park.html[/url]”>http://www.tvadsongs.com/Palisades_Amusement_Park.html</a></p>
<p>“Discussing their lives so far with kiddles now 17 and 20 it never ceases to surprise me WHAT they actually remember.”</p>
<p>Agreed1 mine are 19 and 22, and their trips to Disneyland where milestones to them. My 22 year old just spoke of how it seemed like forever between the first two times she can recall. I think she was 6 and then 8. I thought they were luck to have gone twice in a lifetime, and since then, we have been more times than I can remeber. They both know the story of when I went while three months pregnant, and my physician husband said it would be fine to go on Space Mountain 3 months pregnant. </p>
<p>I have never been a fan, but have gutted it out several times, and it’s better when the kids are older and you can go your separate ways.</p>
<p>Discussing their lives so far with kiddles now 17 and 20 it never ceases to surprise me WHAT they actually remember. That big trip to Disneyland and Lego land when they were 5 and 8 …they remember the SWIMMING POOL at the dive hotel we stayed at out of desperation because we couldn’t make it home in one session. The trips to the snow, with snowmen, sledding, and the igloo dad built and the early ski lessons…well, they remember when dad shook a tree full of snow and it fell on the dog. Trips to Europe…well, there was that great St. Bernard dog (oh yeah, it was attached to a castle), and then there was the barefoot wading in a stream…who know where it was. </p>
<p>This is not to say they do not remember much more about the adventures undertaken in their younger years…but…
my point is… we can not even being to guess what ‘the memory’ will be. Don’t worry about it, have fun, enjoy the kids and leave CC for a few years. ;)</p>
<p>Did anyone grow up in Detroit and go to Bob-lo island?
IT WAS THE BEST</p>
<p>[BOB-LO</a> ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK](<a href=“RTP Live Slot > Info 7 Bocoran RTP Slot Gacor Pragmatic Tertinggi Hari Ini”>RTP Live Slot > Info 7 Bocoran RTP Slot Gacor Pragmatic Tertinggi Hari Ini)</p>
<p>Shrinkrap, I grew up in Jersey City and Palisades Park was Disneyland to us! I was truly devastated when they turned they paved Paradise and put up apartment complexes!!</p>
<p>OP, the theme of these responses seems to be memories vs. money, and memories are winning. Since you said you come here to learn from older parents, what we can tell you with absolute certainty is that the days with your little ones are both precious and fleeting. I would love to share a Tilt-a-Whirl with my son - as a 6 year old - again!</p>
<p>Kennywood in Pittsburgh(West Mifflin) ,(along with Playland in NY) is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was started in 1898 and is still going strong. So is Idlewild, near Ligonier, Pa, started in 1878. This thread is making me nostalgic for the old Kennywood days-buying tickets, having your school picnic there , nationality days, parades,etc. Idlewild has a neat Story Book Forest and old time rides and has won some awards for being a great park for kids.</p>
<p>sevmom–What years did you work at Cedar Point? I worked in park op/rides 81-83.
Had the best time of my life there. Only been back twice since–H doesn’t like rides/amusement parks at all. He’s taken our older kids to France, but we will never go to Disney. (I’m not really interested in Disney, but it seems that many of my younger kids’–elementary age–classmates have been there–and some go every year!) Some of my kids have motion sickness and hate rides (like H). Others love rides but have only been to amusement parks a couple times (Kings Island/CP/or Six Flags) in their lives. Younger kids have never been on anything but the merry go round at the mall.</p>
<p>atomom, I was there alot earlier than you, 74 and 75. Worked in Kiddieland which was a hard job, lots of lifting and I was very skinny at the time . Got to test ride the roller coaster next to Kiddieland (Blue Streak I think?) before the park opened. Husband worked on Shoot the Rapids and the Mill Race. We had a great time, loved that we could live there, meet kids from other colleges and could drink 3.2 beer! Good times! Took our kids back once when they were little. That’s the only time I’ve been back.</p>
<p>It’s all about balance. Don’t worry too much about what specifics they will remember. If the experience is fun, they might remember it - more likely if something unique happens. They also might not remember you skipping the rides if they are given a decent explanation, and rewarded with something else equally fun (or more fun) later. My kids don’t generally ask to ride on the carnival rides because they understand the value of money, and consider them a waste of money, which could be spent on other activities (or foods). </p>
<p>Yes, there are memories for fun activities that will last a lifetime, but most of those are not about the actual activity. When the oldest were 5 and 2, we had annual passes to Disney World, because we made two “bookend” trips with them. DH ended up having a conference in Orlando in May, so we decided to go along - room was paid for, rental car paid for, so all it cost was the airfare (we used frequent flyer miles earned through business trips). This was back before 9/11, so we could accompany DH to the gate at the airport. At the gate, we asked DD, then 5, if she wanted to go with dad to his conference (didn’t tell her where). She went along, and got on the plane with him, younger DD and I flew down the next day. She missed the “welcome to flight xxx to Orlando” and “welcome to Orlando” announcements on the plane, and only figured out where they were when she saw the outline of Florida on a license plate while pulling into the hotel parking lot. At 17, she still talks about us tricking her, and how it wouldn’t work anymore given the airport security protocols.</p>
<p>Same trip, I took both kids to the Magic Kingdom, and spent more than an hour in line to ride Dumbo (and then returned to the hotel to swim in the pool). What does DD remember? The other families in line, not the ride itself - most were having fun, but a few groused about how much time they were spending in line for a “stupid kids ride.” Same parents made the kids stand in line for them to ride Space Mountain, so I didn’t have too much sympathy.</p>
<p>Take the kids to the fair, but set the expectations ahead of time - for both them and yourself. If you expect complaints, you will get them. The solution is easy, as long as you set expectations ahead of time. “we will go on 2 rides - any complaints, and next time we don’t go on any. If all goes well, you can go on rides again next time.” Whatever rules you set, stick to them.</p>
<p>Still remember when D was in preschool & heard all her classmates talk about ski vacations. She turned to me & asked, when are WE going on a ski vacation? Her 1st one was a surprise trip with a friend–in college! As a family, we don’t do well with cold or elevations. H & S get altitude sickness & we all get cold VERY easily! I get hives from cold.</p>
<p>Shrinkwrap, That is indeed the song! I used to see the commercial for Palisades, and longed to go, but I grew up in Asbury Park, and had a carnival/ocean/saltwater pool in my own backyard, so my parents never took us. I wish they did, though. Just once.</p>