Curious about attitude towards children

[JJPacer]

In my cruising experience, IMHO, it's more that the parents choose not to supervise their children. The parents are on vacation and want to have a good time. To them, it means not suprvising their children's behavior, and giving the children the run of the ship. I have raised two children. One with a learning disabiltity that also effected his behavior. We had to constantly supervise him, more than we did my daughter who did not have a learning disabilty, or behavior problems. It wasn't easy all those years, but now that he is an adult, all the time we spent with him has paid off. We taught our children table manners, respect for adults, and others. If parent's bring their children on a cruise, it can be a wonderful experience for their family, and fellow cruisers. Parents need to remember they are the parent, and it is their responsiblity, even while on vacation, to supervise their children. Four and a half is an adorable age. Many pax will be delighted with such a well behaved, adorable child.

[herb]

Our daughter is now 24 years old and prefers to vacation with her friends, but throughout her childhood years, and teen years she always accompanied us on vacation. We did not hold her by the leash, but there were unwritten laws that needed to be adhered to. We never had any discipline issues while on vacation with her. We all enjoyed our family time together..

 

Remember......... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I agree totally with Middle-aged Mom! :) We will be bringing our "big" kids (teen boys) on our Amsterdam Christmas cruise. They adored an Easter cruise on the Zaandam last March, thus the 14 holiday cruise. I notice Middle-aged Mom and family will be joining us!!! (Note to Middle aged Mom- started a roll call for the 12/19/06 cruise awhile back, hope you check it out!)

I am sure your Grandson will have an awesome time!!:D

 

I would love to join your roll call, but I'm an idiot, and I can't find it:rolleyes: I looked under Holland America roll calls, Amsterdam, but I don't see the December 19 sailing. This is so exciting that we'll be on the same ship with you! I imagine there will be a number of families on this cruise, because of Christmas/New Year's break.

[ReneeWI]

We have brought our now 4 yr old son on two cruises. We have not encountered any dirty looks, comments, or anything negative. We have encountered lots of praise and positive attention. We have our son "play the part" and he dresses according to the dress code. I have to say other passengers love that it seems! We send him to Club HAL when we can. We have never brought him in the pools on ship. We even eat all our meals in the dining room--we just bring a few books and a few matchbox cars to entertain him, and we ourselves entertain him.

 

If your grandson can thrive with some extra attention, by all means, bring him along. It's been great for our son . . .

[RuthC]

I'll do windows, but I don't do children. I don't care for the little darlin's and you can't make me. Nah! :p

So, I take longer cruises to more exotic itineraries to reduce the chances of having many children on the ship. I do my part to stay out of cruising situations that I won't enjoy. When we do end up sharing space I hope I'm as nice to them as I want them to be to me.

 

Now, this July I'll be taking my older grandgirl on a 7-day cruise to Alaska. I know there's gonna be kids. I've accepted that. And so long as they behave that's o.k. It's when they are so out of control that they interfere with my relaxation that it becomes a problem.

Can't even blame the kids, either. Too many parents forget it's work they're on vacation from---not parenting responsibilities. :rolleyes:

[localady]

I would love to join your roll call, but I'm an idiot, and I can't find it:rolleyes: I looked under Holland America roll calls, Amsterdam, but I don't see the December 19 sailing. This is so exciting that we'll be on the same ship with you! I imagine there will be a number of families on this cruise, because of Christmas/New Year's break.

 

 

Middle-aged Mom-

Sorry I think I listed it differently: Here is the site : http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=266458

Hope there are some families aboard!!:D

[AirGorilla]

I'll do windows, but I don't do children. I don't care for the little darlin's and you can't make me. Nah! :p

So, I take longer cruises to more exotic itineraries to reduce the chances of having many children on the ship. I do my part to stay out of cruising situations that I won't enjoy. When we do end up sharing space I hope I'm as nice to them as I want them to be to me.

 

Now, this July I'll be taking my older grandgirl on a 7-day cruise to Alaska. I know there's gonna be kids. I've accepted that. And so long as they behave that's o.k. It's when they are so out of control that they interfere with my relaxation that it becomes a problem.

Can't even blame the kids, either. Too many parents forget it's work they're on vacation from---not parenting responsibilities. :rolleyes:

 

So, if you "don't care for the little darlin's", why are you foisting your "older 'grandgirl'" (what a name!!) on the rest of your fellow cruisers????

 

Sounds like some kind of a double standard to me!

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Ruth C has a somewhat dry and pungent wit. She was making a joke:) . She is a mother and grandmother, so I think she is a little more tolerant of the childish breed than indicated by her post.:)

 

Ruth, forgive me for speaking for you. My husband is playing bartender, and just made me a killer apple martini. I'd better get off this board before I say something rash..........I'm feeling a little light-headed.......

[AirGorilla]

I'll have one, too!! Thanks, I didn't get the humor!! I appreciate the clarification!!

[kingclick]

So, if you "don't care for the little darlin's", why are you foisting your "older 'grandgirl'" (what a name!!) on the rest of your fellow cruisers????

 

Sounds like some kind of a double standard to me!

 

Well I understand her post as "SHE avoids situations where children would be. Not that she wishes everyone would stop foisting their kids on HER. And I can actually understand this as a parent of 2 kids ages 10 and 3. There are times when I want a "date" night so I go to certain restaurants that would not be conducive to children being there.

 

I don't think it's a double standard if I take my child to places where they are expected (Alaskan Cruise or Olive Garden).

[RuthC]

Thank you m-a M, but I'm not a mother---just a grandmother!

And I do love my grandgirls, but am thankful I didn't have to raise kids of my own to get 'em. Someone wouldn't have made it out alive. Trust me on this one.

But grandkids are different. You can give 'em back when you've had enough. You can lead them down the road to Perdition. I heard the older one telling her friends that around me she has to be the grown-up one. :D

[herb]

OH, okay, so RuthC WAS only kidding.

 

I sincerely thought she meant it that she didn't want kids around her on a cruise and was doing her grandchild a big favor by going on an Alaska cruise during school vacation, but all the kids on that ship best be behaved.

 

See, it is true that you can't gauge someone's feelings by reading a post!

 

Edited to say: OMG RuthC wasn't kidding! ( while I typed the above RuthC answered middle-aged mom)

[RuthC]

I sincerely thought she meant it that she didn't want kids around her on a cruise and was doing her grandchild a big favor by going on an Alaska cruise during school vacation, but all the kids on that ship best be behaved.

No, that's right. I don't like being around kids, and I do my utmost to avoid them. But not this July.

I wouldn't say taking my granddaughter to Alaska is doing her a "big favor"; it is something I want to do for her. I know there will be other kids---that's part of taking a 7-day cruise to a place where families take kids. I even hope we have another teen or two at the dinner table for her. And I'll play nice for a week.

[AirGorilla]

So, Ruth, I guess you married someone who had raised their kids, and now their kids have kids, so you have grandchildren without having raised your own children. It gets confusing, so please excuse me.

 

I hope that your next cruise is peaceful. I'll bet that your grandchildren will have a great time in Alaska!!

 

Enjoy!!

[cruznon]

I have encountered some charming kids on cruises, but some that aren't. I've found that after a fews days on board, some unsupervised kids tend to run in packs in the evening. I keep wondering "WHERE are their parents?"

But the worst are the kids accompanied by parents who totally ignore rude, loud behavior or smile, shrug and pretend the behavior is OK because "their just kids!" Grrr....:mad: It's not a kid problem as much as a parental problem.

 

Kids live up (or down)to the behavioral expectations. As many of you have stated, talking to your kids before sailing about how they are to behave and good manners, things are a lot more pleasant for everyone.

 

As a teacher I can tell which parents teach their kids manners. I see it daily...the kids who open a door or offer to help others, small kindnesses etc.

 

Good manners and pleasant behavior is nice to encounter on a cruise..not matter what age.

[ekerr19]

No, that's right. I don't like being around kids, and I do my utmost to avoid them.

 

I hope you get the chance to cruise with us. Our kids are not precocious, just respectful - never challenging, just thoughtful... plus I think they've been properly educated (as well as experienced) to what ship board life is like..

 

Yes, I suppose I'm probabaly bragging, but I DO have to say that I'm proud when I see my kids step back from the elevator and let others exit and enter before them; when my son holds the door for a lady (or even his sister!) and say they say "please", or "thank you", "yes, ma'am", or "no sir" - not many kids I see today extend these simple courtesies. :)

[RuthC]

I hope you get the chance to cruise with us.

Laura, I would love to. I'm sure all of us would have a most delightful time.

[rucruizin]

When I wasfifteen I worked at a Village Inn as a busser. I'll never forget the example I learned from a table of five. The father had his newspaper up in his face blocking any and all view of his family. The mother read a book as she slopped the food into her mouth and shloshed it around with her tounge, inside her open mouth. A boy and a girl about ages 5 and 7 threw food at each other, hit each other, cried and carried on. The baby in the high chair in the meantime had somehow gotten hold of some saran wrap and had it spread across his face. The poor little guy was undoubtedly ashamed at the way his family was behaving and was trying to escape.

 

This is not an example of children behaving badly, this is an example of parents who shouldn't be parents.

 

Do any of you ever watch those nanny shows? I have a couple times thinking, what are they possibly going to do to discipline those kids? Come to find out that the parents are the ones who need to change their behavior and then the children follow their lead.

 

In 2003 we went on a cruise that I would say was over run with children, yet I had not one single problem with any of them. Good parents...good kids.

 

I also find that if you try to talk to the kids, say hi, ask them about the music they are listening to, ask them what grade they are in, tell them you like their hair...it opens up doors and you'd be suprised what you'll see inside:)