Leaving 2 y/o in Kids Club

[MariahJ]

My DD has always been with a nanny or grandma while I work from home and never in a daycare type of environment, other than at the gym. A couple of weeks ago we took grandma on the cruise with us to babysit her at 15 months because NCL's kids club is available from age 2 on. I'm wondering whether she'll be ok to be left there for 7 or 8 hours at a time at 27 months when we're planning to cruise next. We usually try to take her on about half of the excursions and leave her onboard for mom and dad time for the other half.

 

I'm not one who can leave her when she's crying because "she'll be ok a few minutes after I leave." She actually does fine at the gym daycare but she's only been there an hour at a time and only once or twice per week. I really don't want to pay for grandma to come again because we'll have to upgrade the room to a suite from a mini-suite and it will cost well over $2,000 when all is said and done, but I don't want to miss my shore excursions because my daughter is unhappy either.

[luvhubandbabys]

At that age I wouldn't bet on it. I thought they will page u if ur kid is that unhappy. It happened to my cousin her kid was 6 she was just off ship shopping she said when she got there he was having a meltdown. Some kids do fine some don't. I would wait until u get on the ship and see how she likes the club first. What if she's the type of kid that won't stay for more than an hr. Ya know. Id say so u don't waste money is either do all family friendly excursions or bring grandma. 2 yr olds are notorious for being unpredictable and 7 or 8 hrs is a reallly long time.

[Mom2B&Z]

I agree that 7 or 8 hours for a 2yo not familiar with a daycare-type environment is a lot to expect. Also consider there is no space for little ones to nap at Kids Club, although they will let kids fall asleep it's in the play room.

If you're looking for 8 hrs of uninterrupted time I think granny still needs to come, at least for another year or two. Heck my 3yo who had been in preschool and day care since he was a year old refused to go to kids club on our last cruise.

[Woodmnky]

Each kid is different, but I wouldn't count on being able to leave her that long and have her be happy. Even for a child that is in daycare this may be tough as the environment will be unfamiliar. I would either find the money to bring grandma, plan on short shore excursions (less than 4 hours), or find shore excursions that your DD will like and have a great family vacation.

[cb at sea]

Ah, being a parent is great, isn't it? You'll have to adjust your wants and needs to suit your child right now.

I think 7-8 hours is a LOOOOOONG time, especially for a child that hasn't been accustomed to being left....either start getting her ready, or change your plans. You really don't want to be off the ship, and out of reach if and when she has a melt-down!

 

Give the club a try...see how it works....if it isn't working in her favor...abandon your plans...that's what moms and dads do!

 

Or....leave her at home with the g-parents....they may love having the bonding time....and you and hubby can have a total adult, "lets be lovers again" cruise! Best of both worlds!

[pets_r_fun]

We haven't sailed yet, but from what I've read about NCL's kid club is that they don't change diapers... they will page you if it needs to be changed. Be prepared for the event that your dd will not be happy being left again after you come in to change her. We're planning to leave our 2 yo anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time. I figure, a wet diaper can last that long without needing a change. If she poops, we are crossing our fingers that she'll let us leave her again, but prepared to take her if she won't.

 

Also, they will not keep kids who are in diapers when you are not on the ship.

 

I also think that it is too much to expect a 2 yo who has never been in a group childcare setting to be ok with that for 7-8 hours at a time. Sorry.

[xtianmom]

I didn't know you could leave the ship while your child was in child care. That sounds risky to me. What if there is an emergency? Why take the child on a cruise, just to leave them with strangers? Sounds like you don't do that at home, so why would you do it in a foreign land? Guess I'm just old fashioned. Two years old is a difficult time for children, they don't have permanency yet. If they can't see you, you don't exist. That's a long time to be away from a child that thinks you may have abandoned them.:confused:

[MariahJ]

That is what I was afraid of. This kids club at 2 sounded good in theory until I started considering the details. I doubt my DD will be potty trained at 27 months. I do see lots of shore excursions in the 3-4 hour range but even that is too long if she's gone in her diaper and the kids club doesn't change diapers. It looks like Grandma may be getting another cruise for Christmas. What a lucky Grandma.

[Woodmnky]

That is what I was afraid of. This kids club at 2 sounded good in theory until I started considering the details. I doubt my DD will be potty trained at 27 months. I do see lots of shore excursions in the 3-4 hour range but even that is too long if she's gone in her diaper and the kids club doesn't change diapers. It looks like Grandma may be getting another cruise for Christmas. What a lucky Grandma.

I agree. Lucky Grandma.

 

It is easy to get excited about things like this until the details start to hit you. We initially booked a cruise on a ship with a nursery (and spent a lot more to do so) and then we realized that DS won't even let us leave him with Grandma, so there was no way he would be OK with strangers. So we cancelled that cruise and booked a cheaper one without a nursery.

[mjkacmom]

I didn't know you could leave the ship while your child was in child care. That sounds risky to me. What if there is an emergency? Why take the child on a cruise, just to leave them with strangers? Sounds like you don't do that at home, so why would you do it in a foreign land? Guess I'm just old fashioned. Two years old is a difficult time for children, they don't have permanency yet. If they can't see you, you don't exist. That's a long time to be away from a child that thinks you may have abandoned them.:confused:

 

While I think 7 - 8 hours is much too long, I've left my kids with strangers at resorts, starting when they were babies/toddlers (all 5 of them, at some point). I see nothing wrong with wanting some adult time on vacation, and childcare makes it possible to bring the rugrats along (although I've left mine home with grandma plenty of times), and still get some alone time.

 

I've left my kids with grandma for a half hour, and more than a week. When they were little, they couldn't tell the difference. Heck, so many kids spend 8 - 10 hours a week in daycare. Do you really think they feel abandoned? I'm a SAHM, but my 3 youngest spent a few hours (okay, 8) in daycare each week. Having 5 kids in 6 years, I needed a few hours without them.

[mikesteg]

I really don't want to pay for grandma to come again because we'll have to upgrade the room to a suite from a mini-suite and it will cost well over $2,000 when all is said and done, but I don't want to miss my shore excursions because my daughter is unhappy either.

 

Without any details about the cruise, it still seems like you could get away for much less than +$2000. Put grandma in an inside cabin and add DD as her 2nd pax. DD doesn't need to stay in the cabin, but that will allow you to remove the cost of the 3rd pax from the mini suite. Unless this is a long/exotic cruise, it seems like that would be more in the ballpark of +$1000... AND you get the extra cabin, bathroom, storage, etc. AND aren't sharing a cabin with grandma who you don't seem to want along.

 

Also, you could consider CCL. They do change diapers, though 7-8 hours is still far too long to leave a toddler in camp with no recourse.

[mikesteg]

I've left my kids with grandma for a half hour, and more than a week. When they were little, they couldn't tell the difference.

 

I bet grandma could! :D

 

Heck, so many kids spend 8 - 10 hours a week in daycare. Do you really think they feel abandoned?

 

No, they psychologically attach to an $8-hour daycare worker who may disappear tomorrow with no warning. (That would be a "yes" ;) )

[Kerry's Girls]

 

No, they psychologically attach to an $8-hour daycare worker who may disappear tomorrow with no warning. (That would be a "yes" ;) )

 

Wow.

[lrowe70]

Glad you're re evaluating having your mother along.

Personally I don't see a reason to take the child on the cruise if you're just going to toss her in daycare for 8 hours a day.

We're taking our first family cruise in a month and are excited to have my mom along. She gets to spend more time with her grandson and we all will get adult time. :D

Also it cost us only about $400 extra which she offered to pay for. She and our son have an inside cabin and my husband and I have a balcony.

[MariahJ]

Without any details about the cruise, it still seems like you could get away for much less than +$2000. Put grandma in an inside cabin and add DD as her 2nd pax. DD doesn't need to stay in the cabin, but that will allow you to remove the cost of the 3rd pax from the mini suite. Unless this is a long/exotic cruise, it seems like that would be more in the ballpark of +$1000... AND you get the extra cabin, bathroom, storage, etc. AND aren't sharing a cabin with grandma who you don't seem to want along.

 

What a great idea! I priced it out and it is right around $1,000 but we would have an extra bathroom, more privacy, more space ... yay!

[MariahJ]

Glad you're re evaluating having your mother along.

Personally I don't see a reason to take the child on the cruise if you're just going to toss her in daycare for 8 hours a day.

 

Well it's not exactly like she would be in daycare 8 hours per day every day. There are 4 days at sea on this cruise and 5 at port. We try to take her on about half of the excursions and have mom & dad time for the other half, so it would probably just be 2 days we're talking about. 2 days in daycare is very different from 10 days away from mom and dad overnight when she's never been apart from us overnight. I did get a lot of input on another thread to just leave her at home with grandma, but I'm no where near ready to do that and don't see that happening for another couple of years.

[Woodmnky]

Glad you found a cheaper way to bring Grandma along. Maybe I will get lucky and when I'm older DS will decide to drag his mama along to help out on vacation with the little ones. A cruise and extra time with the grandbabies what more could any grandma ask for.

[NJfoodie]

The biggest issue is that if she is not completely potty-trained, NCL doesn't change diapers and will page you when a diaper needs to be changed. The pagers do not work off the ship and therefore someone in your party still needs to be onboard at all times when your child is in the kids camp. Even on CCL, who does change diapers, they will call you to pick up your child if she is upset and not responding to their attempts to console her. Again, someone's got to be onboard to do that. I don't have an issue w/ leaving an older child in kids club while I'm on an excursion, but with a toddler, I expect it's not likely to be possible. We still used the kids camp with DS when he was 27 months old since we didn't travel with anyone else, but it was mainly on sea days in order to get a little time to ourselves to relax onboard. He's in daycare normally so it wasn't odd for him, he enjoyed playing and wanted to go back, but he would fuss for mom and dad after a couple hours. It was heavenly just to get a chance to nap, relax in the pool for a little while, or have a meal to ourselves.