The Toddler Age Bubble

The age bubble is something you have very little time to manipulate with children. Are they two or three? Hmmm - well that depends...what is the age that we have to start paying admission? 3???!!! Oh, well then he is 2. OR it may depend on how old they have to be in order to be allowed into the activity. 3???!!! Oh, well then he is 3 (or will be in like 5 months). It isn't like children have I.D.'s and will get carded while you are in line for an amusement park or movie.

Enjoy it while it lasts...and do yourself a favor and try not to get burned. I tell you this ONLY because i care deeply about your self-respect and hope you don't have it bruised like mine.

Local Fair, Mickey Clubhouse moon bounce...age limit 3 and up. My son, just turned 2. To avoid a major meltdown as this clubhouse is something he just HAS to investigate, i assure the ride operator that he's 3 and will be just fine. After all, the entire day would be ruined if he had to stare at Mickey without being allowed into his clubhouse.

He goes in, he starts bouncing around and is all smiles. I'm talking to him through the mesh and encouraging him to explore more of the "clubhouse" (there was a ladder and a slide and a tackle-dummy room). He insisted on staying in the bouncy part and was just as content. Until the age-appropriate children come barging in (imagine their nerve). He is bounced into the tackle dummy room like, well, a tackle dummy.

i try to coax him up the ladder and down the slide so he can exit the ride. NOPE!! He is discombobulated but is not moving from the corner of the clubhouse. He may not love it but he certainly doesn't hate being in the house doing the "hot dog" dance.

By this time my father is helping me try to encourage exiting the bounce house. Not successfully.

Ride operator irritated...big kids are pummeling...2 year old shouldn't be there. wha wha whaaaaa (think music bit from a loser on a game show). The ride operator would not let anyone else into the house until he got out (apparently they have a 20 minute time limit for 2...errr...3 year olds on the bounce house. i have to take my shoes off, climb through the double mesh entrance and retrieve my son. All in front of annoyed parents with 'real' 3 and 4 year olds waiting to get a piece of Mickey's Clubhouse (and me). Oooopppssssssss.