how much " space" would you give ?

[cruzin w chris]

hello we are cruising sun 2-20 on the sensation with 2 boys ages 16 and 9. the 16 yr old pretty much has the run of the ship as he is very well behaved and just goes to the arcade and shows. our 9 yr old is asking if my wife and i will be stalking him the entire time. he really doesnt care for camp carnival so my question is how much space have any of you given a kid that is between 8- 10 yrs old. we are very leary about but may try to give him some limited space here and there. thanks

[Andee]

Not much--IMHO, the judgment of most nine year olds isn't all that good.

 

If we were at the pool, he wouldn't have to sit with us, but I'd have to be able to see him.

He'd have to eat meals with us.

He could go back to the room alone if he forgot something, but he'd have to get back in a timely fashion.

If he wanted to go to an appropriate activity alone, that would be OK, as long as we knew what it was.

Basically, we'd have to know where he was at all times.

[paul929207]

I am with Andee, and would keep a 9 yo on a short leash.

[trish1c]

I don't have kids & don't know much about Carnival.

I might let the 9 year old go a few places with the 16 year old without me, for a limited & specific period of time . . . you can go to the buffet or arcade for 1 hour while I sit by the pool. If the specified time was exceeded, no further independent excursions would be tolerated. As the 9 year old complied, the "leash" would be loosened with in reason.

An EX & I did this at an amusement park with a 12 year old once. There is probably a a big difference between 9 & 12 though.

[cb at sea]

I would let a 9 year old do SOME things...but NOT have the "run of the ship"....For instance, if we were at the pool, and the 9 YO wanted to go to WJ, I'd allow that...but they'd have to return to me, before being allowed anywhere else.

Some "freedom" is fine, and kids need to learn independence, but letting a child that age do what they want, when they want....not a great idea.

You don't need to be attached at the hip, but you want to know where they are and what they're doing, as you would at home! (I hope!)

[silentbob007]

Think of the ship as a small city with 2,000 strangers, not to mention the trouble one can get into without others getting involved.

[PennyAgain]

I am concerned that he used the word 'stalking'. What does he have in mind?

 

I wouldn't give him too much freedom even though I guaranty he will fuss a great deal.

 

You have a unscreened assortment of passengers and crew on the ship.

 

Many of whom will be drinking and in a party mood.

[cruzin w chris]

I am concerned that he used the word 'stalking'. What does he have in mind?

 

I wouldn't give him too much freedom even though I guaranty he will fuss a great deal.

 

You have a unscreened assortment of passengers and crew on the ship.

 

Many of whom will be drinking and in a party mood.

stalking in the sense of keeping a close eye on my son thank you. get real !

[DanJ]

Our kids just turned 9 on this last cruise. Their freedom amounted to letting them walk ahead to the elevator lobby when we all left the cabin (with the occasional admonishment not to run in the hall LOL). We let them go back to the cabin from Windjammer once to get something they forgot, but our cabin was just one deck down and right near that centrum anyway. And they went together.

 

We are loosening the apron strings at home, letting them walk to school, or riding their bikes around the neighbourhood unsupervised, but there isn't much on the ship that I'm ready to let them go off and do their own thing yet.

[cruzin w chris]

Our kids just turned 9 on this last cruise. Their freedom amounted to letting them walk ahead to the elevator lobby when we all left the cabin (with the occasional admonishment not to run in the hall LOL). We let them go back to the cabin from Windjammer once to get something they forgot, but our cabin was just one deck down and right near that centrum anyway. And they went together.

 

We are loosening the apron strings at home, letting them walk to school, or riding their bikes around the neighbourhood unsupervised, but there isn't much on the ship that I'm ready to let them go off and do their own thing yet.

thats about what we are planning as well but i was just curious as to how long of a leash others do. maybe with him moving up to the next level of camp carnival and more things to do may entice him to hang out there a little bit. on our last cruise he was in the youngest age group and was pretty much bored and missing mom and dad so we will see what happens.

[GORDONCHICK]

My 9yo gets no leash at this point. He has ADD/ADHD and is wayyyy to trusting of people. He's either with us or in the kid's program (which he loves anyway). Don't get me wrong - I'm not climbing the stairs for the water slide with him (though I did when he was younger), but I am watching.....

[Martini Mom]

We gave our 9 year old some flexibility, but only because he was with his 12 year old brother (and they are both very responsible). They were allowed to go places for short periods of time and we had to know where they were. Except for the pool. We insist on being right there if they are in water. That's just us.

[griffy116]

I would let a 9 year old do SOME things...but NOT have the "run of the ship"....For instance, if we were at the pool, and the 9 YO wanted to go to WJ, I'd allow that...but they'd have to return to me, before being allowed anywhere else.

Some "freedom" is fine, and kids need to learn independence, but letting a child that age do what they want, when they want....not a great idea.

You don't need to be attached at the hip, but you want to know where they are and what they're doing, as you would at home! (I hope!)

 

It's a small city. My 9 year old Grandson was on a short leash. He's now 17 and he has run of the ship. Even at 17, however, we've told him and the friend that is coming along on the upcoming cruise, that they have to let one of us know whenever they are getting off at a port and when they return. Times are too dangerous. Believe it or not, they had no problem with that. In fact, they said they would prefer to get off in Jamaica with us and not alone. Safety first!

[Nebr.cruiser]

I'd give a 9-year-old limited freedom, within parameters you are comfortable with. For me, and I just returned from a cruise with 9 grandkids, ages 5-11, this meant they generally needed to be within my sight. At times we let one or two of the older ones go somewhere on their own, but with a limited agenda and time frame, for instance, back to the room to get something, to the BB court for a game, to get a snack at the International Cafe, etc.

 

Of course, with 7 to keep track of, nothing else was practicable. Your situation is different, but I still wouldn't give a child the run of the ship--even a teen.

 

 

I will say that if a nine-year-old suggested that I was 'stalking' him by keeping an eye on him, he'd probably be in for an attitude adjustment!

[cruzin w chris]

I'd give a 9-year-old limited freedom, within parameters you are comfortable with. For me, and I just returned from a cruise with 9 grandkids, ages 5-11, this meant they generally needed to be within my sight. At times we let one or two of the older ones go somewhere on their own, but with a limited agenda and time frame, for instance, back to the room to get something, to the BB court for a game, to get a snack at the International Cafe, etc.

 

Of course, with 7 to keep track of, nothing else was practicable. Your situation is different, but I still wouldn't give a child the run of the ship--even a teen.

 

 

I will say that if a nine-year-old suggested that I was 'stalking' him by keeping an eye on him, he'd probably be in for an attitude adjustment!

o.k stalking was a bit strong of a word i guess. he didnt use it, i did but thats kind of the expression i got:rolleyes:

[wg6530]

o.k stalking was a bit strong of a word i guess. he didnt use it, i did but thats kind of the expression i got:rolleyes:

 

I am glad he didn't use the word stalking; I would worry about a kid's attitude if he said that. even with less electric language, one might wonder...

 

No matter how mature the lad believes himself, he needs supervision. A short list is appropriate at his age. He will be safer. the other passengers will be very unhappy if your kid is running and playing unsupervised; you as parents will be held responsible if he gets in any trouble. If families fail to respond to staff instruction's, families have been put off ships for failing to control minor children, though I have heard those stories about maurading teens. Hopefully younger ones like yours are all heavily supervised.

[njmomof2]

Mine were 8 and 12.5 on our last cruise. The 12.5 yo found 3 other boys in his age group and they hung out together. He can go to the flowrider, sports court, arcade, etc. without supervision, provided he keeps me apprised of his whereabouts and checks in with me.

 

The 8 yo wanted to roam, but I will not allow it. He was allowed to go off with his brother a couple of times (up to the flowrider, arcade, promenade) but they had to stay together and check in. I don't allow him to go off on his own as I don't think he yet has the directional ability to find his way back if he became confused or nervous. HE thinks he can, but I know better. And he didn't want anything to do with the kids program this time, so our vacation was spent doing stuff he liked to do.

 

For our next cruise, he'll be almost 9.5 and the older one will be closer to 14. Hopefully, he'll be tall enough for the flowrider and I can let them go off a bit more but again, he must stay with older brother. I don't think that a 9 yo is mature enough to have free run.

[tgptmp]

It is called a very short leash