To drag kids to witness history

[Wipingsides]

DC 10 & 15. Not remotely interested in the pomp and ceremony around the queen's death. Neither is DH. I am not a huge royalist but we live quite close to a route the funeral car will be taking back to Windsor and I feel as a 'good parent' I should take them to see the car go past and witness history first hand. They however don't want to go when I've asked them. In reality I doubt they'll even sit through the funeral but I don't want them to look back when they're older and regret not being more involved in this period of time. AIBU to insist we go?

Go by yourself I think. If they're not interested, they're not interested.

Yabu. Go on your own and leave them to it

Don’t do it. You’ll make your kids miserable and it will be miserable for you having to listen to them moaning

Kids have been through enough in these difficult times, no need to depress them further. I expect the history aspect will be covered in school, or take them to a local museum with a little exhibition. Let them get on and enjoy their lives.

Don’t be that person. If you want to go and look at a car going past, fine. They don’t, and I don’t blame them. There’s enough crap being forced onto us without you adding to it for them.

YABU. Let them do their own thing. I'm sure they have better/more enjoyable things to be doing than waiting in line for hours for a 5 second glimpse of a closed coffin.

YABU. Standing about for hours for a glimpse of a hearse, when they don't want to be there in the first place? Don't make them do that.

I'd explain your reasons for wanting (them) to go but leave it up to them. Is there something historical that happened when you were younger that you're happy you witnessed/sorry you missed? You could tell them that story. But I wouldn't force them; they know what's going on and after all they can see everything on the news/online. If you feel strongly, based on your experience with them and their personalities, that they will regret not going in person, I suppose you could bribe them with a treat as part of the same outing?

"Witness history"??!

Watching a car go by is witnessing history??

If you want them to witness history, let them watch it on the telly. They'll get a better view. If they don't want to, you can't force them.

Waiting in a crowd even.

YABU. Their choice!

If you want them to witness history, let them watch it on the telly. They'll get a better view

Also this, they'll see much more on TV if they're interested.

Go by yourself. You’ll have a much better time and they’re old enough to say they’re not interested.

When I was around 16 I went with my mum to sign Diana's book of condolences in London. Mum was a big Diana fan and this was important to her. Diana and her passing didn't mean much to me and the idea of standing in a queue felt boring. However I wanted to support mum and knew it was important to her so I went. I'm glad I did as I have good memories of that day.

There needs to be some motivation or it won't work - if the motivation is to support mum, then fine. But it sounds like they have no motivation at all and might just huff and puff all day, so maybe avoid?

You’d be unreasonable to force them to go when, in your own words “they’re not remotely interested”. Do you really think they’ll look back with regret that they didn’t go at some unspecified point in the future?

I would, op. My dad used to drag us to stuff and when we got there we always enjoyed it and I definitely learned lots from being dragged to places!

I would take them. They might not be interested now, but better that they see it than forever regret the lost opportunity.

Nothing to do with either 'good parenting' as others might perceive it, OP. Your DC can witness history in the making in many different ways, IMO a show of deference to privilege is only giving them a very one-sided view.

You're not a royalist, so I'd act in accordance with your lights and those in which you've raised your family. I've taught my own DC that all humans are equal, and that on no occasion does a person's race, sex, 'class', position in the socio-economic order or any other such superficial consideration make them better than another person. By the same token, others are not 'above' you.

I see this as good parenting according to my lights, even though some of the more frothing monarchists on this site of late would damn me for a profaner and tell me to move abroad.

Different strokes ...

I guess I'm getting swept along with it all and have that ridiculous 'parental guilt' like I do about not going camping or other such 'wholesome family' activities.. fact is, we're not that family. I may be. But the rest of us aren't. So you're all quite right, why inflict it on them?! Thank you for giving my head a wobble.

YABU.

The “history” part happened the day the Queen died and then Charles’ coronation. Those are the dates that kids may have to remember for some exam in 100 years time. A distant third to those is the funeral on Monday. The rest of it isn’t history.

Ah I disagree there., I'm thinking more individual history - the personal tales we will be able to tell our future generations of our experience of this time rather than cold facts and dates.

'History' isn't this. Take them to protests, show them Ukraine, the Calais Jungle and homeless shelters. Take them to the c=bloody food bank or a hospital. I mean, don't because misery tourism isn't great.

This isn't 'history'. It's a rich old lady dying who held an anachronistic and mostly irrelevant ceremonial role.

What is the route back to Windsor? (Misses the point of the thread)

I agree.