Recently, LEGOLAND announced their new Roller Coaster Readiness Tips program to help parents deal with their child’s fear of riding roller coasters.
Leadership at the park reached out to nationally-recognized psychologist and award-winning author Dr. Susan Bartell to create tools for both guests and employees to help parents manage these challenging situations.
“Our junior roller coasters offer just the right blend of speed and thrill that make LEGOLAND Florida the perfect spot for kids to ride their very first roller coaster,” says Adrian Jones, LEGOLAND Florida general manager. “But because we know the ‘pink knuckle’ nature of these attractions doesn’t mitigate a first timer’s fears, we wanted to provide resources to parents as well as our model citizens to ensure that every first plunge is a positive experience for the entire family.”
According to Bartell, there are a host of mistakes parents commonly make when it comes to handling their child’s fear of roller coasters.
“Dismissing a child’s fear, comparing them to a sibling or friend, bribing them with gifts and money, or labeling a child with a negative name based on their reluctance won’t make them any braver,” says Bartell. “In fact those strategies often cause greater anxiety, and resentment and make them more reluctant, not to mention ruin what should be a great day for the family.”
Brochures featuring the tips will be available online and at the front gate and include things families can do before they leave home and during the day, as well as ways to manage a melt-down and ways to celebrate at the end of the day.
LEGOLAND Florida Technic Coaster photo courtesy of LEGOLAND
A few of the tips:
Before Your Trip
- Learn Online – Young children (especially those who are anxious), don’t like surprises. So, visit the LEGOLAND Florida website with your child and look at the different attractions, discussing how much fun each one will be.
- Tell a Story – Talk to your child about fun roller-coaster experiences that you and other people had when they were kids. Be as animated, silly and positive as possible.
What to do When You Get to the Park
- Focus on Fun – As you arrive, review the park map and point out all the fun attractions, not just the roller coasters.
- Take it Slow – Invite your child to pick which attractions she most wants to experience. If she is reluctant to try the roller coasters, begin with at least a couple of her choices.
As the Day Continues…
- Watch and Learn – When some people in your party are eager to try a roller coaster, don’t split up. Rather, watch the roller coaster ride with your reluctant child, all the time commenting excitedly about how much fun it looks and how happy and excited kids are as they come off the ride. Point out that kids coming off the ride do not look scared and are not crying.
- Nervous is Normal – Explain that while riding a roller coaster, it is normal to feel a little nervous, scream, close your eyes, and squeeze someone’s hand – in fact, it is part of the fun. Explain that feeling a bit nervous doesn’t mean you are too scared to go on the roller coaster.
At the End of the Day…
- No Regrets – If your child expresses regret that he didn’t try the roller coaster, don’t make him feel bad. Now that the day is over, it’s easy for him to ‘be brave.’ Instead, remind him there is always a next time, and that he should focus on the rides he enjoyed and the fun that was had by all.
The goal of a day at LEGOLAND Florida or any theme park is family fun so using these tips and not forcing your kids to ride rides that scare them will help everyone have fun and make memories that you will share forever.
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