Revisiting the Topic of taking children on Ghost Tours and Investigations

I am a ghost hunter.
I go into homes where there is alleged ghostly activity to help the people dealing with what they believe might be paranormal.
I certainly don't know everything but I have a fair command of the topics I talk about.
I have been in the field since I started doing psychic readings over 20 years ago.
Much has changed.
But much has not.
Some of what has changed has not been favourable.

Kids are very open to much more than we think they are.
They do know the difference between what they see in a movie and what they believe to be reality most of the time.
They do have a marginalised capacity to understand what happens in different situations due to their age and circumstances and the behaviours of the adults in their lives.

They are much more open psychically but this diminishes quickly in most cases once they start school and their head space starts absorbing a different quality of information.

Most parents believe their children to special and gifted.

Many parents have heard their children tell them that they may have seen someone when the adult does not. They may have had invisible friends either made up through fantasy ( to fulfil many and varied needs) or in the true belief that this friend exists.

All of those things and more are taken into account when I set the rules regarding age appropriateness for tours and investigations.

It comes down to two things under one umbrella - DUTY OF CARE.
1.Harm none.
2. Don't get sued.

SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


But this is where it is not so simple!

I raise this as yet again, this weekend we had issues with parents knowingly putting under aged children onto our tours.

This is a real problem for us.

It doesn't happen a lot, but in the 10 years I have been offering public tours I have heard every reason WHY I SHOULD allow the child to come along and how WRONG I am for not doing so.

It's bad when a 12 year old has to lie while his mother is standing next to him.
It's awkward to stand in front of a mother who tells you that her child has been seeing ghosts for years and that they are very gifted psychically, but they 8 years old and I should allow them on the tour and the parent needs to do it because the child wants to come.

It's frustrating when a parent tells me that their child has 'seen all of the ghost shows on TV and loves them' and does not understand why I will still not allow them to come on a tour.

Now..lets just hold up a minute.

Some tours are really just filled with ghost stories and are intended to be a little spooky and I also do one of those, and, yes, children are allowed but must be accompanied by a parent. I do change the stories to suit the age group.

Then we have investigation and ghost hunting experiences.

THIS IS THE PART where I get concerned.

Being on a real investigation is very different to sitting in the known safety of a couch in your house watching horror movies or ghost shows.

One is a real experience the other is not.

If a child were to be traumatised by an occurrence, however small,  on a tour imagine the consequences!
Who would the parent blame for the trauma - the guide of course.

Who would be blamed for bad behaviour /alleged possession/ influence of alleged 'bad spirits' on that child once the tour was over?
The guide.

So, as much as a parent would love their child to be on a tour they would also be the first to blame me for anything that might go wrong.

AND I would have to agree that it would be MY FAULT too - because I allowed them to attend.

It is not my business how you raise your children and what you expose them to.

Bu,t when your children turn up on MY tour - it then DOES becomes my business and my responsibility and I treat that with great seriousness having taken many decades to rid myself of scars left from paranormal events in my own life that were never managed or explained properly.

If you wish to play with a Ouija board with your children or allow them to sit in circle at home - I applaud you for being open minded as long as it is coming from a place of guided respect, honesty and empowerment where the group understands what is going on and how to keep everyone feeling protected and the child is exposed in an environment where adults are always in control.

I still would not allow it to occur on one of my tours.

I just cannot afford to be put into a position where there may be risk.

So the kids that came on a tour a few weeks ago and lied about all being over 15 - you put me at risk of losing my site.
The lady that wanted her 12 year old to attend an investigation night, how would your child have felt in a group filled with adult strangers?
The kids that thought it would be cool to sit at the Ouija boards and caused a fuss when we told them know and then their parents put pressure on my crew to let them sit at the boards - you were out of line.

These cases are few and far between thank goodness.
But, their endanger our businesses when you do not take "ADULTS ONLY" seriously.

Have you asked whether your guides have had their POLICE CHECKS for working with children?
Have you asked whether your guides have first aid certificates?
Have you asked your guides if they have insurance?

Let's all think our responsibilities.