Kids free to roam - what age?

[timc.jb]

Depends if they are mature enough. I know kids that are 10 who I would trust as an adult and I know adults who are 30 that I would not trust because they would look for trouble.

[JerseyGirlJen]

Funny little story about giving your kids freedom ... As I posted earlier, our daughter was 12 on our last cruise. She made a friend early in the cruise. They hung out and went everywhere together. We met up with her family and we all hung out a lot of the time. On the last sea day our daughter woke up and got dressed right away. That is something that she never does. Getting ready in the morning, no matter where we are takes a lot of prodding. She said she wanted to have breakfast with her friend then go to the pool. She had proved herself being responsible all week and really surprised us actually so we said ok. Normal rules of texting us and checking in still applied. So my husband and I decided to get ready and to to the MDR for breakfast then meet the daughter at the pool. So we are walking to our seats in the dining room and I hear "Hi mom!" I look over and had to do a double take, her and her friend are sitting there like two little adults having breakfast. They had their napkins on their laps and were enjoying themselves and acting appropriately.

 

I think we need to give our kids little bits of independence and teach them how to act so they can become productive people in our world.

 

That is so cute! Good for them, you must've been very proud of her.

[horsegal]

I totally agree...its scares me the lack of independence the new generation has these days....heck they even have "millennial" classes now to teach these kids how to do things for themselves..I fear this helicoptering is going to create a generation of 30 year olds who live at home...but of course its to each their own and only you know your child and what is best for them....

Lol both of my 30 year old brother in-laws still live at home and mommy cleans, often cooks, and she even does their finances!!!! Cut the cord already!!! My husband is the odd one out in the family. I do fear for future generations, even when I was growing up we were one of the few families that the kids had to work if we wanted to drive (pay for car insurance) pay for a car, and just be respectful and responsible in general! I am raising my 2 year old the same way and he already knows he had to say please and thank you and I will not do everything for him, he has to learn to do things and clean up after himself. Sure he throws lots of fits when he doesn't want to do something but to bad!! Lol

 

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[famof4togo]

It is scary...I mean I know its terrible cliché but in our day we were allowed to play outside till the lights came on, and walk places etc...and guess what there were "bad guys" then too....its just wasn't in our faces constantly with social media.....and we went out in the real world and stayed there on our own two feet...now a days...they can't even play outside by themselves or boil and egg for themselves and yet we scratch our heads and wonder why they aren't standing on their own two feet????

 

The truth is bad things can happen ANYWHERE...on a cruise ship, in your own home and as we all have heard too much of lately at school or church too...so we have to decide do we want to live in constant fear of the "could happen" and live in a bubble or take our chances...

 

Gosh did I just sound like my father...I guess I am officially old now...lol

[AmyNcutt]

Funny little story about giving your kids freedom ... As I posted earlier, our daughter was 12 on our last cruise. She made a friend early in the cruise. They hung out and went everywhere together. We met up with her family and we all hung out a lot of the time. On the last sea day our daughter woke up and got dressed right away. That is something that she never does. Getting ready in the morning, no matter where we are takes a lot of prodding. She said she wanted to have breakfast with her friend then go to the pool. She had proved herself being responsible all week and really surprised us actually so we said ok. Normal rules of texting us and checking in still applied. So my husband and I decided to get ready and to to the MDR for breakfast then meet the daughter at the pool. So we are walking to our seats in the dining room and I hear "Hi mom!" I look over and had to do a double take, her and her friend are sitting there like two little adults having breakfast. They had their napkins on their laps and were enjoying themselves and acting appropriately.

 

I think we need to give our kids little bits of independence and teach them how to act so they can become productive people in our world.

 

 

Great story! Thanks for sharing!!!

[horsegal]

It is scary...I mean I know its terrible cliché but in our day we were allowed to play outside till the lights came on, and walk places etc...and guess what there were "bad guys" then too....its just wasn't in our faces constantly with social media.....and we went out in the real world and stayed there on our own two feet...now a days...they can't even play outside by themselves or boil and egg for themselves and yet we scratch our heads and wonder why they aren't standing on their own two feet????

 

The truth is bad things can happen ANYWHERE...on a cruise ship, in your own home and as we all have heard too much of lately at school or church too...so we have to decide do we want to live in constant fear of the "could happen" and live in a bubble or take our chances...

 

Gosh did I just sound like my father...I guess I am officially old now...lol

Sadly many things back then would get CPS called on us now... Society makes it hard to raise your child the way you would like. If someone sees you discipline your child in public your screwed!! My 2 year old is usually good in public but he is 2 and I am always so worried about him throwing a tantrum when we are out. And no I do not beat my child, a little pop on the butt over a diaper will not hurt him!!! There was an article the other day that research shows spanking and time outs cause PTSD... Really??? What is wrong with people today, they wonder why there are so many school shootings and riots...

We were at a furniture store the other day and he was mostly good but was getting a whiny and kept trying to get into their storage cabinets. Even then they workers thought he was an angel compared to other kids they usually have in the stores.

 

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[famof4togo]

Sadly many things back then would get CPS called on us now... Society makes it hard to raise your child the way you would like. If someone sees you discipline your child in public your screwed!! My 2 year old is usually good in public but he is 2 and I am always so worried about him throwing a tantrum when we are out. And no I do not beat my child, a little pop on the butt over a diaper will not hurt him!!! There was an article the other day that research shows spanking and time outs cause PTSD... Really??? What is wrong with people today, they wonder why there are so many school shootings and riots...

We were at a furniture store the other day and he was mostly good but was getting a whiny and kept trying to get into their storage cabinets. Even then they workers thought he was an angel compared to other kids they usually have in the stores.

 

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I always tell my 7year old that I spank his ass now / ride his ass (discipline) so that a prison guard isn't spanking/riding his ass later...lol....IMO that's where the undisciplined children who become adults end up too often....

[Nevada Jen]

I let my very mature 12 year old roam on our last cruise. He didn't actually choose to roam often but he was perfectly fine. He enjoyed the controlled independence.

[Saint Greg]

There is a curfew...its 1am for anyone under 18 but not sure how well enforced this is?????

 

Should be earlier. Midnight at the latest. But I've seen kids out after 1am. Outside of the nightclub and at the pizza place.

[NotTheBatesMotel]

It is scary...I mean I know its terrible cliché but in our day we were allowed to play outside till the lights came on, and walk places etc...and guess what there were "bad guys" then too....its just wasn't in our faces constantly with social media.....and we went out in the real world and stayed there on our own two feet...now a days...they can't even play outside by themselves or boil and egg for themselves and yet we scratch our heads and wonder why they aren't standing on their own two feet????

 

The truth is bad things can happen ANYWHERE...on a cruise ship, in your own home and as we all have heard too much of lately at school or church too...so we have to decide do we want to live in constant fear of the "could happen" and live in a bubble or take our chances...

 

Gosh did I just sound like my father...I guess I am officially old now...lol

 

Parents have CPS called on them if they even let their kids walk to a park by themselves. It’s ridiculous. I’m 32 and remember my mom leaving me in the car all the time when she had to run an errand. If I dared to do something like that with my 5 year old the police would be called.

[coevan]

Would you let them roam NYC, Chicago, or LA on their own?

 

 

Are you comparing the safety of a cruise ship to a major city? Your kids will be fine. Have meeting places and set times, have fun. Other than a few isolated incidents cruise ships are very safe.

[winddawn]

I think it depends on the maturity level of the kids. One thing that comes to mind are the kids that run up and down the halls making a lot of noise. I've seen and heard lots of that on cruise ships.

[VaTech8912]

Whatever age you are comfortable with. They are afterall, your kids, you know them best. Enjoy your cruise.

[bumorgan]

I never let my kids "roam"....I do allow them to come and go to activities, or other places for specific reasons....but never to "roam"....lay down your rules for them, and trust (but verify, by frequent check ins) that your rules are being followed.

 

 

I feel this way also with the grandkids.

[tiffy0428]

Everyone downloads WhatsApp on their phone. We get the internet package and we text one another every hour to keep in contact. My kids are now 11 and 18 once my daughter turned 10 she was able to roam alone. However this is after doing 5 cruises

[redhot77]

Last year, we went on the Freedom. My son is a good and mature boy(at 16). We let him have freedom. He also had homework to do since he was missing school. He had to meet a crew person from another country and write a 300 word essay about their life on a ship, he had to take pictures of 6 things he encountered while outside the ship and other assignments. He did get it all done. He doesn't make friends in his age group easily.

I was so proud when older people would walk us to me and tell me they enjoyed his company. No joke. At night, when we went to bed before 10, he would talk with older veterans for hours. Sometimes, he sat at the bar with them and had a coke. Still to this day, people tell me how luck I am to have such a good boy.

You just have to let them know what is expected. He acted no difference than he did at home. Rules are rules no matter where you are.

[PlanoDebbie]

I think most parents are pretty good judges of the maturity and responsibility of their children. "Most"! I like the rules someone posted earlier. One I would add is "no playing on the elevators or pushing all of the floor buttons". Give them a specific time and place to check in with you. As long as they are following your rules, give them a little bit more freedom. I can't remember which cruise we were on a few years ago, but there was a constant LOUD group of teens hanging out near the elevators very close to our cabin. My solution was to stay at least 6 to 8 cabins away from the elevator on future cruises. They weren't disrespectful at all, just loud.

[teknoge3k]

Everyone downloads WhatsApp on their phone. We get the internet package and we text one another every hour to keep in contact. My kids are now 11 and 18 once my daughter turned 10 she was able to roam alone. However this is after doing 5 cruises

 

Just for future reference, you can use The Hub app to chat with one another. It's cheaper than the Internet plans that Carnival offers. :D

[jjcruiselover]

On our cruise last November, our 10 year old granddaughter wanted to be able to participate in the scavenger hunt so she had to have sign in/out privileges which we reluctantly gave her. She knew she could only use it for the scavenger hunt and only with a group we had approved before hand. When we picked her up that day from the kids club she said she did not have a good time. When we asked why, she said the group did the scavenger hunt but had some time to spare so they went roaming the ship. She said she knew she was not supposed to do that so she headed back to the kids club but got lost. She sat down by an elevator and cried and a nice couple asked her what was wrong and walked her back to the club. She had got turned around and was at the wrong end of the ship. She said that was enough of being able to sign herself out of kids club. This was her 12th cruise and cruise ships are not foreign to her but being lost on one of the most scary things she said she ever experienced.

We had met the kids she was with along with their parents and all of them were only to check themselves out for the scavenger hunt and nothing more. The moral is, you may trust your kids but the influence of their new friends plays a big part in where and what they may or may not do.

You need to know your kids and give them the freedom you think they are ready for. Be sure to always tell them it is okay to say no to their new friends and do what they know is the right thing to do and they will not be sorry for what happens.

[Bobbysjack]

There’s a girl from Jersey sounding off! Like that.

We let our daughter go from public area to public area at that age. We did walk her to and from the cabin until she was a little older. We also had a friend along on cruises after she was 15.

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From the shore to Philly to New York City, Jersey girls rock!

 

(We just don’t pump gas!)

[johnlisac]

Just got off the Liberty Thursday. I guess if your cruise is like ours just let everyone else watch them!!!

 

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[comiso13]

I appreciate you want to hear from others about this topic, important one at that. But only you know your kids' maturity level and can decide on the level of trust you can give on the cruise. My kids were 10 and 11 when we cruised long long ago and we trusted them to be on their own most of the time. They knew to check in and we trusted them to be the good kids we knew they were. We had no regrets doing it.

But is cruising different 20 years later, probably, but so are the kids. So make the decision you can live with, and any consequences you can live with. And enjoy your cruise to its fullest.

[nycruise3]

As long as they know stranger danger and all of those rules, they should be fine. Make meeting places and times, such as 12:30 at Blue Iguana for lunch, or s certain trivia, or in the room at 5:00 to get ready for dinner. Have fun!

[Kitty9453]

From the shore to Philly to New York City, Jersey girls rock!

 

(We just don’t pump gas!)

 

Sorry not cruise related!

 

Seriously? We are from Kentucky and visited family in Connecticut July of last year. My now ex-sister-in-law and brother-in-law drove from New Jersey to see us. My ex-SIL, took my 12 yr old daughter to Starbucks and stopped for gas on the way back. My DD had to pump the gas because ex-SIL (almost 40 yrs old) didn't know how. I was shocked and thought she must have a pampered life! It's against the law for a 12 yr old to pump gas in Kentucky.

[nidaco]

I let my two children around age 11 walk around the Lido deck (pool/food) and the deck above since our state rooms have been on the Lido deck. We told them where we would be, etc. if there was an issue. Now my son is 13 and daughter 18. Once my daughter hit 13 we let her walk around deck 5, etc. Were my children (when younger) wandering around by themselves at 10 or so at night.....nope. I do remember when my daughter was 11 and met another girl her age. They went to Tea Time on a sea day and loved going by themselves. Just give limits and make sure they are always with a buddy.