Are we crazy because we're taking 5 young kids to see the eclipse?

[mykidsrmyjoy]

My husband and I, along with my mom and a family friend are going to travel to the path of totality. Our 5 children ages 1-8 are coming along. I'm very aware of the dangers of looking at the sun without proper protection and have had a few practice sessions with the kids about the proper use of the eclipse glasses and the importance of following instructions and NOT looking at the sun at any time. Well, this morning FIL sent out a text to all the family members letting us know that we need to be very cautious about taking kids to the eclipse, leading optometrists are warning that even with proper glasses damage can still be done, blah blah blah. Oh, and also that we need to be aware that human trafficking is also a major concern because of the sudden darkness and all the crowds, etc. I've been super excited about going, but now I'm feeling somewhat guilty that we've made the wrong decision. I truly feel that 4 adults should be able to manage 5 kids safely, but now I'm having second thoughts. What say all of you?

[hmvaughan4]

DH and I are taking our four boys. I'm not concerned about any of the things you mentioned. I am going to make paper plate modifications to their glasses. I found a picture on Facebook. It blocks their face, so they're not likely to look around the glasses and see the sun.

[heartlikealion]

I could not fathom securing glasses on my toddler. I don't know what you plan to do with kids as young as 1. I wouldn't feel comfortable. But I do tend to be one of those more worried parents, too. Both my children got glasses this year and we've gone to optometrist appointments and an ophthalmologist. If I was going to do a viewing I'd put a cardboard box that was made into a pinhole projector on my kids. They face away from the sun. Glasses? I mean those can fall off and only work for a limited time.

[JIN MOUSA]

I think 4 adults for 5 kids are good numbers.

 

I'm planning on watching from the front yard with my 3, also doing the paper plate modification, plus some elastic maybe (most tricked out paper eclipse glasses ever). Anyone who has a hard time with their glasses will stay on the porch, in the shade. So maybe just a backup plan for the littlest ones?

[Rachel]

I don't think you are crazy, you know your kids. Enjoy!

[mykidsrmyjoy]

We'll more than likely be at a public park or something similar. I haven't actually seen a picture of the paper plate modification but I think I have an idea of how it would look.

Edited August 17, 2017 by mykidsrmyjoy

[Wabi Sabi]

The human trafficking thing sounds like hyperbolic fear-mongering, IMO. I would be inclined to roll my eyes at anyone who suggested that was a major concern. 

[marbel]

Neither of those things would put me off, assuming you know you have proper glasses and can ensure kids don't take them off. And assuming if you are in a crowded place you will keep track of your kids, etc, which I expect you would do.

 

But if it were me, I'd be unlikely to do it with kids those ages. It would not be worth it to me, for the crowds, the hassle, and the fact that few of them will likely remember it. But ymmv on all that. I have a low tolerance for crowds and hassles. :-)

[EKS]

I honestly don't understand why anyone would use eclipse glasses.  Seriously.  By the time you find out there is something wrong with the glasses or that you're using them incorrectly, it's too late. Build a pinhole projector instead.

[Ali in OR]

I don't think you're crazy. This is once in a lifetime for most people. I don't plan to stare at the sun (wearing glasses of course)--just kind of check the progress once in awhile. And during totality you don't need the glasses. You can get an app for your phone that will tell you when you're in totality and when it's over. I like the paper plate idea for young kids (mine are teens). I think I would also tell them to count to 3 or 5 when they look at the sun and say that's enough for now, we'll check again in 5 or 10 minutes (it takes about an hour to progress to totality).

[marbel]

There is another total eclipse in 2024. It won't be visible in as much of the US as next week's but still good for a lot of people. Plan ahead! :-) And kids who are too young to enjoy or remember Monday's will be at a good age in 7 years.

[Wheres Toto]

There is another total eclipse in 2024. It won't be visible in as much of the US as next week's but still good for a lot of people. Plan ahead! :-) And kids who are too young to enjoy or remember Monday's will be at a good age in 7 years.

 

It looks like the 2024 one will be even closer to totality for us here in Northern NJ.  We also wouldn't have to travel far for complete totality.  Good to know.   :thumbup1:

 

We aren't traveling for this one so we are going to watch it online and watch the square of sunshine on the floor that shines through our skylight to see how it changes, if it does.

[Alicia64]

I think what you're doing is super cool. Human trafficking? Now I'm wondering what your fil's motives are. Very Chicken Little if ask me.

 

Four adults to five kids is great. The kids may always remember this or at least remember that you cared so much that you didn't want to leave even the youngest home.

 

Alley

 

 

[Daria]

If I was going somewhere where I could be inside away from windows, step outside for a minute, then return inside, and maybe repeat a few times, I would probably be confident that I could keep glasses safely on a toddler.

 

But in an open park you will either need to keep the glasses on the toddler for 2.5 hours, or you will need to keep them on while driving to and from. That sounds really hard.

 

So, I guess I would only go if I could afford a hotel or had a friend to stay with.

[Wheres Toto]

If I was going somewhere where I could be inside away from windows, step outside for a minute, then return inside, and maybe repeat a few times, I would probably be confident that I could keep glasses safely on a toddler.

 

But in an open park you will either need to keep the glasses on the toddler for 2.5 hours, or you will need to keep them on while driving to and from. That sounds really hard.

 

So, I guess I would only go if I could afford a hotel or had a friend to stay with.

 

This is a good point.  I wonder if you could set up a small tent for the kids to hang out and play or read inside, in between looking at the eclipse? 

[Ali in OR]

But in an open park you will either need to keep the glasses on the toddler for 2.5 hours, or you will need to keep them on while driving to and from. That sounds really hard.

 

You only need the glasses for looking directly at the sun. You don't need them just to be outside during an eclipse. You don't need them during the 2 minute period of totality if you're in the path of totality. Toddlers don't stare at the sun normally--I don't think it would be that hard to direct their behavior. "Let's look at these shadows on the ground. Do you think it's getting darker? Here's a snack. Ooh, let's check how the moon is moving again--put on your glasses and we'll look at the sun for 5 seconds. One, two, three, four, five. Look down now and we'll take off your glasses."

[Wheres Toto]

You only need the glasses for looking directly at the sun. You don't need them just to be outside during an eclipse. You don't need them during the 2 minute period of totality if you're in the path of totality. Toddlers don't stare at the sun normally--I don't think it would be that hard to direct their behavior. "Let's look at these shadows on the ground. Do you think it's getting darker? Here's a snack. Ooh, let's check how the moon is moving again--put on your glasses and we'll look at the sun for 5 seconds. One, two, three, four, five. Look down now and we'll take off your glasses."

 

But you'd have to do this for 2 hours.  That's a lot of keeping on top of them.  They don't normally stare at the sun because it hurts.  The danger of the eclipse is that it won't hurt to look at the sun and people end up looking for too long.

[Ali in OR]

But you'd have to do this for 2 hours.  That's a lot of keeping on top of them.  They don't normally stare at the sun because it hurts.  The danger of the eclipse is that it won't hurt to look at the sun and people end up looking for too long.

If you're a mom of toddlers, you're used to constant monitoring on a daily basis. There may be some oppositional/defiant toddlers that would be a nightmare to tend to, but that was not my experience with my kids when they were young. They were used to me as a teacher/mom sharing the world with them. I would definitely have shared the eclipse with them. You can also do the eclipse in less than 2 hours--I'm not planning to watch the whole hour of the sun coming back to its full glory. Toddlers don't know when it's starting either so you could easily do just the half hour leading up to totality, totality, and another 10-15 minutes to get fairly light again.

[heartlikealion]

If you're a mom of toddlers, you're used to constant monitoring on a daily basis. There may be some oppositional/defiant toddlers that would be a nightmare to tend to, but that was not my experience with my kids when they were young. They were used to me as a teacher/mom sharing the world with them. I would definitely have shared the eclipse with them. You can also do the eclipse in less than 2 hours--I'm not planning to watch the whole hour of the sun coming back to its full glory. Toddlers don't know when it's starting either so you could easily do just the half hour leading up to totality, totality, and another 10-15 minutes to get fairly light again.

 

Really? I would think that a child not wanting to or not being able to cooperate at that age would be the norm.

 

My dd may not be the norm for toddlers, but I don't think she's the only toddler that wouldn't grasp the importance of keeping the glasses on. She currently wears glasses every day with a band around the head. Does she sometimes take them off? Yes. Will a flimsy pair fall off more easily than hers that are strapped down? Yes. I don't care how much watching/monitoring a parent does, you'd have to hold the actual glasses down to the side of their face or build your own strap to keep them in place unless you trust a toddler to do so while you are also trying to look at the sun.

 

[Daria]

If you're a mom of toddlers, you're used to constant monitoring on a daily basis. There may be some oppositional/defiant toddlers that would be a nightmare to tend to, but that was not my experience with my kids when they were young. They were used to me as a teacher/mom sharing the world with them. I would definitely have shared the eclipse with them. You can also do the eclipse in less than 2 hours--I'm not planning to watch the whole hour of the sun coming back to its full glory. Toddlers don't know when it's starting either so you could easily do just the half hour leading up to totality, totality, and another 10-15 minutes to get fairly light again.

 

But you can only do the eclipse for less than 2 hours if you have some place else to be, like a house or a hotel room.

 

If you've driven from your home to a park, then you'll either need to stay at the park for the whole 2 hours, in which case your kids are outdoors, or you're in the car with windows for some of those 2 hours.  

 

I had one of the most compliant toddlers on the planet, but if I'd said to him "Don't look at the sun" he would have looked up to see the thing I was talking about.  Or he would have forgotten and looked out the car window at the funny sun.  Or whatever.  Not because he was oppositional/defiant, but because at 1 he had an age appropriately short attention span. 

[Ali in OR]

But people don't just stare at the sun. Even toddlers. You can't have the glasses on when you're not looking at the sun--you can't see anything through them as they block all light. You don't need to work hard to keep them on because they're mostly off while you run around and play and do other things. The hour plus that it takes for the moon to cover the sun will be on the boring side until you get pretty close to totality. I don't expect adults to try to watch it happen continuously much less kids.

[happi duck]

I'd be uncomfortable and concerned in a crowd where many people will be periodically looking up that my littles would forget and look up.

 

At home where the rules could be repeated indoors I'd feel more comfortable.

[J-rap]

Aw, you'll be fine!  You can always set up a little one-person tent for your younger ones to play in, because they'll probably get bored "just" being at an eclipse.  

[vonfirmath]

Neither of those things would put me off, assuming you know you have proper glasses and can ensure kids don't take them off. And assuming if you are in a crowded place you will keep track of your kids, etc, which I expect you would do.

 

But if it were me, I'd be unlikely to do it with kids those ages. It would not be worth it to me, for the crowds, the hassle, and the fact that few of them will likely remember it. But ymmv on all that. I have a low tolerance for crowds and hassles. :-)

 

Me to. BUT--I was 5 years old in 1979 and I don't remember much from my childhood; but I do remember the shoebox pinhole camera we made to see the partial eclipse that year (We lived in Houston). And leaving the store to go into the parking lot and look into the shoebox to see it.

Edited August 18, 2017 by vonfirmath

[heartlikealion]

But people don't just stare at the sun. Even toddlers. You can't have the glasses on when you're not looking at the sun--you can't see anything through them as they block all light. You don't need to work hard to keep them on because they're mostly off while you run around and play and do other things. The hour plus that it takes for the moon to cover the sun will be on the boring side until you get pretty close to totality. I don't expect adults to try to watch it happen continuously much less kids.

 

I just meant for the few minutes allowed (3 min. at a time) that everyone is wearing them. But maybe I'm one of the few here that has had to literally chase a toddler around an optometrist's office trying to get her to put glasses on.

 

[mommyoffive]

A one year old?  No way.  Says the mom of one year old.  

 

The only one I might trust would be your 8 year old.   The others no way.  I would only maybe trust my 9 and 11 year old.   The other 2 wouldn't mean to not listen, but I am pretty sure they would not listen the whole time because they are excited and short attention spans.   

 

I was going to go to it, and then I really thought about my kids and said nope.  

 

 

[mykidsrmyjoy]

Thanks for all the replies. We will be staying at a hotel but will be checking out before the eclipse begins. A couple of PPs mentioned a small tent, which I hadn't thought of and is a great idea.

 

I'm not really concerned about the 1 year old. He will be as uninterested in what's going on in the sky as possible, and will be fine just running around and getting into the food. Our kids are generally low maintenance and don't have issues with defiance or even being too daring, and I've reeeeally talked a lot about how the sun can burn your eyes and make you blind, etc. so I think they have a pretty healthy fear of what can happen if they don't follow instructions.

[Daria]

But people don't just stare at the sun. Even toddlers. You can't have the glasses on when you're not looking at the sun--you can't see anything through them as they block all light. You don't need to work hard to keep them on because they're mostly off while you run around and play and do other things. The hour plus that it takes for the moon to cover the sun will be on the boring side until you get pretty close to totality. I don't expect adults to try to watch it happen continuously much less kids.

People don't stare at the sun because it's uncomfortable, and because their eyes react automatically by squinting and contracting the pupils. Even toddlers don't look at the sun because of these physiological reactions.

 

But your eyes don't react the same way in an eclipse, there is no instinct to look away.

 

I have trouble imagining a 1 year old who understands a safety lecture to the point that in a crowded location with people looking up and pointing he doesn't imitate them for a few seconds, especially if he's running around. I recognize that there is a wide variation in receptive language at 1, but that would be an extraordinary toddler.

 

Could you ask for late checkout?

[3 ladybugs]

I am taking my 4 year old and 8 year old. I have been planning it for months. We got the correct glasses months ago. I might see if I can set up the pin hole thing too just to have a back up. ;) We leave today and I can't wait!

[Catwoman]

I know some people who are going to a lot of trouble to make sure their young children see this eclipse and they are making a huge deal about it so their kids are incredibly excited, and I hope the parents don't end up disappointed if the kids aren't all that impressed with it when they see it.

 

It's not going to be exciting like a trip to the zoo for a little kid. For a lot of children, it will probably be more like, "Oh, that was kind of cool. Can we take off these stupid glasses and go get ice cream now?"

 

I guess I must be missing something, because I don't understand all the hype. Maybe it's because I'm old and jaded.

 

I hope the people who are traveling to see it have a great time, but I definitely won't be among them. :)

[marbel]

I know some people who are going to a lot of trouble to make sure their young children see this eclipse and they are making a huge deal about it so their kids are incredibly excited, and I hope the parents don't end up disappointed if the kids aren't all that impressed with it when they see it.

 

<snip>

 

I hope the people who are traveling to see it have a great time, but I definitely won't be among them. :)

 

:iagree:   And I hope people who have traveled don't end up with bad weather!  

[Catwoman]

:iagree: And I hope people who have traveled don't end up with bad weather!

I do, too -- although I have to admit I'm worried that if it's a bright, sunny day, we will be hearing stories afterward about people having eye problems because they wore the glasses that turned out to be fake or because their children couldn't resist the urge to see what the eclipse looked like without the glasses. It concerns me that many people seem to be so sure their little ones will be completely obedient -- especially a few people I know who can't even get their kids into their car seats without a fight, yet who seem to think they will magically obey the command not to stare at the sun because it could hurt their eyes.

 

I may be in the minority, but this one event wouldn't be important enough to me to take any chances at all with my children's eyesight. I'm sure most kids will be just fine, but I'm worried that some might not. I read a news article yesterday about a man and his friend who both lost part of their vision from watching the last eclipse -- and they were in high school at the time and knew they weren't supposed to look at it... but they did it anyway, figuring a few seconds wouldn't hurt them.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that this is not the time for parents to over-estimate their children's obedience and common sense. If you know your kids will be very careful, that's great, but if you're not sure, don't take any chances and watch them every second.

[MinivanMom]

We're super-excited to take our kids, but our kids are older now so we only have one little guy to watch out for. We're meeting relatives and plan to make a day of it. We do expect the roads to be a little crazy, so we're packing up our van as if we were expecting to drive through Atlanta during the zombie apocalypse.

 

When our kids were very small (5 kids and the oldest was only 8 or 9), we took them to the 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg. People thought we were crazy, but my kids still talk about that trip. It was hot and sweaty and miserable, but apparently cavalry battles and hoop skirts are pretty memorable. I say the eclipse is worth it, and I wouldn't worry about the little ones when you have 4 adults going along. That's an awesome ratio. 

[Jyhwkmama]

My kids are 11 and 13, but we are still doing the paper plate modification.

 

I will probably modify my own pair of glasses.

[Daria]

I know some people who are going to a lot of trouble to make sure their young children see this eclipse and they are making a huge deal about it so their kids are incredibly excited, and I hope the parents don't end up disappointed if the kids aren't all that impressed with it when they see it.

 

It's not going to be exciting like a trip to the zoo for a little kid. For a lot of children, it will probably be more like, "Oh, that was kind of cool. Can we take off these stupid glasses and go get ice cream now?"

 

I guess I must be missing something, because I don't understand all the hype. Maybe it's because I'm old and jaded.

 

I hope the people who are traveling to see it have a great time, but I definitely won't be among them. :)

 

I think that a lot of this depends on your kid.  My kid, even as a baby, loved going someplace.  It didn't really matter where we were going, it was about the voyage not the destination.  So, we could drive 2 hours to buy a new set of toenail scissors, and then drive back and he'd think that was an exciting day.

 

Eclipse viewing would have been an adventure to him.