Would you let your 5 year old travel as an unaccompanied minor?

[bellany]

This is really where I am at I think.

The only alternative is to fly her over, drop her at airport with ex and fly home immediately. Then he can fly her back to Melbourne and drop her at the airport with me and fly home immediately himself.

This is what we do. (Bris to tas )
I wouldn't let my 9 & 7 year olds go alone even. I just think there are too many variables.
We only do it once every other year and he visits here once a year at his birthday.
We have had this arrangement for just over 3 years now and it seems to be working fine .

[onthefly]

Rationally, I think my 4.5 year old would be fine with it. Actually he'd think it was great to go all by himself. He would drive the staff batty, though.
.... but I'd probably be worried stupid the whole time.

[ladybirdflies]

Do you know anybody who may be going over there around the same time? My cousin used to fly her son over to see his dad and they would time it with someone else going over to visit, often he would fly back alone. (sometimes back with the person who went with him if the timing fit)

[ll80]

My ex lives two states away and he flies up to get my 8yr DD and then flies back with her. This has been happening since she was 3.
She is not confident (despite him trying to make her feel guilty about the cost) to fly on her own.

My situation is a little different in that he is deliberately unemployed so he doesn't have to pay me child support. So my ultimatum is if he wants to see her he can get himself here and get her back.

When DD is confident enough I won't mind letting her go alone but I think five is too young. What happens if she needs to go to the loo on the plane and needs help? or uncharacteristically gets upset and has an unsympathetic hostess, so she then develops anxiety about plane travel? Too many what ifs for me.

[Boo Boo]

I have done a few flights this year and always sit in the back row where the unaccompanied minors are seated, right by the toilts and galley. In all seriousness the attendants have been great with the kids and the kids themselves not bothrred at all.

[beansbeans!]

no I wouldnt. Not unless it was a total emergency and I couldnt work out an alternative. First time I flew alone I was 8 or 9. The reason why I did was because my poppy died, whilst we were on holiday with my other pop. My mum was able to get a flight asap for herself and my brother who was an infant at the time, but there wasnt a flight for me. I flew home just in time for the funeral. That in my mind was an emergency that couldnt be avoided.

But if you feel comfortable with it, then do it. If your dd doesnt like it, he can fly her back. You can get him to call you as soon as he picks her up.

[fionas]

Logically, the age requirement is set at 5 for a reason - from experience, they must know that the kids are OK. I'm sure the attendants go through all the "variables" with them eg. to press x button if they need to go to the toilet.

I think I'd be OK with it for DD. She's very outgoing and wouldn't hesitate to speak up. Plus at 5, you can explain a lot beforehand.

I think in your situation, I'd commit to doing it once as a trial and seeing how it goes. I'd arrange to talk to her as soon as she got off the plane to see what her immediate feelings were.

[~Kim~]

No. TBH I wouldn't. My kids are also FFs and often as the mum with 3 kids I get seated up the back with the unaccompanied minors. I've had far too many convos with hosties who think they should raise the allowed age to 8. Yes mostly they can cope. But leaving them for that long with people you don't even know, let alone know how they're going to treat your kiddo if things go to poo? They don't know your child either or how to help her if she needs anything more than basic.