I spent last weekend at a convention of the parlor game industry (card games, board games, etc.) helping some friends market their games. One of the things we were doing was running a room where people could play our games--"try before you buy" or an opportunity to meet other fans of a favorite game. Mostly it was great fun!
However, we had some problems with kids in our game room. These particular games, while designed by and for adults, are attractive to and playable by kids as young as 6, and we try to give kids the same friendly treatment as adults in terms of explaining our games, suggesting one that the individual might like, and teaching the rules. MOST of the kids who came in were fine, but there were a few obnoxious ones, and naturally those were the ones who kept coming back, running around the room, trying to pull people out of other games to get enough players for the one they wanted, whining when adults didn't let them win, being overly noisy, etc.
Most disturbing, and totally unexpected by us, was that kids 8-12 years old would turn up for the MIDNIGHT games UNACCOMPANIED and stay as late as 5 a.m. without parents coming to check on them! They came liberally supplied with sugary caffeinated snacks and were very hyper. Nothing terrible happened--no injuries, no major throwing of objects, no total freak-outs (but a couple of exhausted frustrated sobbers), no flagrant defiance of the staff. That's why we didn't take any action about this during the 3 nights. But in our wrap-up meeting, we found that the whole staff was really thrown by this situation and unsure how to handle it. Our #1 conclusion was that we needed to ask the convention organizers how to handle unaccompanied children after hours. We certainly want to avoid liability problems, but more than that, we are concerned about what these kids are doing running around alone after hours, and we want to be sure they're safe when they leave our room.
One couple, tho, who'd become enamored of our company during the con and were attending our meeting with plans to volunteer with us next year, were upset that we'd question the kids' freedom. Their argument seemed to be that "everybody" lets their kids run around at cons, therefore it was rude and prejudiced of us to object. Their example was a recent church con they attended, at which their 14yo stayed up all night every night wandering the hotel with other young teens and having a wholesome good time, while her parents slept peacefully in their room. They said of course they wouldn't let her wander around the STREETS like that, but "a con is a safe atmosphere" and they trust their kid to behave appropriately.
This was a convention of 10,000 attendees, held in an enormous convention center with a confusing layout, attached to a high-rise hotel with the connection between the two running alongside the very active hotel bar, located on the border between downtown and a warehouse district. It is true that the general vibe of the attendees was peaceful and affable, but late at night most of the building was very empty....
Are we childless and young-child-parenting folks off-base in
about this?!
However, we had some problems with kids in our game room. These particular games, while designed by and for adults, are attractive to and playable by kids as young as 6, and we try to give kids the same friendly treatment as adults in terms of explaining our games, suggesting one that the individual might like, and teaching the rules. MOST of the kids who came in were fine, but there were a few obnoxious ones, and naturally those were the ones who kept coming back, running around the room, trying to pull people out of other games to get enough players for the one they wanted, whining when adults didn't let them win, being overly noisy, etc.
Most disturbing, and totally unexpected by us, was that kids 8-12 years old would turn up for the MIDNIGHT games UNACCOMPANIED and stay as late as 5 a.m. without parents coming to check on them! They came liberally supplied with sugary caffeinated snacks and were very hyper. Nothing terrible happened--no injuries, no major throwing of objects, no total freak-outs (but a couple of exhausted frustrated sobbers), no flagrant defiance of the staff. That's why we didn't take any action about this during the 3 nights. But in our wrap-up meeting, we found that the whole staff was really thrown by this situation and unsure how to handle it. Our #1 conclusion was that we needed to ask the convention organizers how to handle unaccompanied children after hours. We certainly want to avoid liability problems, but more than that, we are concerned about what these kids are doing running around alone after hours, and we want to be sure they're safe when they leave our room.
One couple, tho, who'd become enamored of our company during the con and were attending our meeting with plans to volunteer with us next year, were upset that we'd question the kids' freedom. Their argument seemed to be that "everybody" lets their kids run around at cons, therefore it was rude and prejudiced of us to object. Their example was a recent church con they attended, at which their 14yo stayed up all night every night wandering the hotel with other young teens and having a wholesome good time, while her parents slept peacefully in their room. They said of course they wouldn't let her wander around the STREETS like that, but "a con is a safe atmosphere" and they trust their kid to behave appropriately.
This was a convention of 10,000 attendees, held in an enormous convention center with a confusing layout, attached to a high-rise hotel with the connection between the two running alongside the very active hotel bar, located on the border between downtown and a warehouse district. It is true that the general vibe of the attendees was peaceful and affable, but late at night most of the building was very empty....
Are we childless and young-child-parenting folks off-base in
about this?!
: Most parents don't let their PRETEENS stay out at the mall, in the park, etc., after parents have gone to bed, so they must be thinking this situation is different, but I don't see how.
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