Sick to death off kid haters!!!

[bmgaritty]

No not according to me, but according to your convenient twist of my statement. The kids running around unsupervised outside have parents that are not parenting at that time. Duh. That is obvious.

 

I am was referencing tantrums and just pointing out that for some of us it is not as simple as teaching a lesson to a child once by removing them or punishing them and the tantrums or misbehaviors will stop from then on as YOU stated that it was for you. I am glad for any parent that is able to do that, but wanted to point out that it is not necessarily the parenting and that thinking the parent lazy or worse is just wrong sometimes.

 

Actually, I stated that I removed my child from a store once - never had a tantrum in a store again. In that case, it was that simple.

If you read my previous post right before it in the posting sequence, I always remove my child when antsy or when a tantrum occurs. Have they occured in other places, yes - church (only once!:D ). But I always remove my child. It is a responsibility of the parent/caregiver.

 

Also, I never said "kids will be kids."

Nope, I never said you did. I reiterated that I said it.

 

Nor did I say that letting children run around unsupervised was okay if they have "conditions"

As for your disbelief that so many children have "conditions" I don't know what to say to that. Do you pick and choose who you believe has a condition based on what?

 

"Please people. Wake Up. Maybe the child you are watching have a tantrum has problems you know nothing about and are not obvious through the appearance of the child. Maybe these parents do properly discipline there child, and there is something more to the situation."

These are your words not mine. I used condition as a gentler term for problem. I was pointing out that the number of unparented or undisciplined children outweighed the number of children with behavioral issues.

 

As for Onessa's statement: Who would think that that is okay? Do you actually believe that my statements were condoning that behavior? C'mon? Please don't twist my statements into something they are not.

 

Don't twist mine either I was pointing out that "boys will be boys" is the same as "kids will be kids" excuse. That's all.

 

There are certain situations that it would be obvious that a parent is just letting the child take advantage of them or others and the parent is ignoring the situation. My initial statement had nothing to do with the obvious situations.

 

I really don't think you would be able to distinguish the obvious situations.

Many children with autism, aspergers and other syndromes do appear to be normal. It's up to the parents/caregivers to handle the situation as best they can so that others will have the least disruption..

 

BTW- "Blah...blah....blah" is quite rude.

[larronry]

Kim, Beautifully said.

 

Now if only I heard that and believed that before my son was born. LOL

 

Heck, I had been babysitting since I was 11, helping care for a friends child in college, was a foster care counselor for 6 1/2 years, and was currently working with autistic children and am a Board Certified Behavior Analyst besides becoming a mom at 39 years old and always helping my friends with their kids. I thought I knew everything there was to know. Well I wasn't scared about being alone the first night, but I knew nothing and I still learn something new almost every single day. But, being a mom is wonderful even if my son is a challenge. But I do know one thing he will find that cruise so fascinating and I can't wait to see his little face. Wow triplets. and yet you kept going. More power to you. :)

[ratherBcruizin']

Let's see' date=' I wonder if your mother had any choice for a family vacation at the time, would she have rather gone camping, on a car trip to see family, or on a cruise? Once you have your child and go on a car trip (where you'll still find plenty of people who will be muttering "I don't see why she doesn't raise that child the same as I do"), you let us know which you would rather do :) .

 

Since cruises are catering to children, clearly it's a vacation kids can reasonably handle. (I would submit that kids can't reasonably handle Disneyland in the summertime, with the lines and the heat!) And one reason I take my young children on wide-ranging vacations is I hope that the perspective will create adults who don't believe everyone else is supposed to do things the way they do.

 

Best,

Mia[/quote']

 

 

Bravo!

 

 

I am pregnant with our first child and would never dream of taking our kids on any type of trip like this until they are at least double digits in age. Yes, we had family vacations growing up, but they were usually something we could reasonably handle (camping, car trips to see the family, etc.). It wasn't until we were older and could appreciate where we were going that vacations became big and exciting. I don't see why others can't do the same.

 

Check back in 6-9 months (after baby is born), I'd love to know if you still feel the same way then.:rolleyes:

[Number 6w]

Check back in 6-9 months (after baby is born)' date=' I'd love to know if you still feel the same way then.:rolleyes:[/quote']

 

I think I will. I don't have any plans to take my newborn on vacation at 9 months.....

[Number 6w]

I can assure you traveling with children is a lot funner than traveling without them.

Your statement that said "it wasn't until we were older and could appreciate where we were going" has got to be the stupidest thing I have read in a while.

Just because you are pregnant with your first child does not make you an expert mother. However, I am a mother who takes her children out of school for a week so that they can appreciate a vacation that they will never forget no matter how old they are. My youngest keeps telling us he wants to go back on the "big boat" and "go to the beach". I believe he DOES have an appreciation!

Perhaps you plan on being one of those parents that keeps her little one on a dog leash and never really taking the time out to explain things.

That really is a shame because children remember more than you think and if not there are pictures and videos that show every moment. Besides, my husband and I will never forget this cruise and that is just as important!

 

1) So what you're saying is that other people have to endure (if necessary) your child because you want to have fun? That seems rather selfish to me.

 

2) Thanks! No one's called me stupid in a long time.

 

3) After re-reading my post, I didn't see the passage where it said I was an expert at motherhood. Can you please point that out to me? However, I don't believe that taking your child out of school for a week just so you can have some fun makes anyone much of an expert either.

 

4) I don't plan on keeping my child on a leash, in fact I appreciate all the "adventures" that my parents let me experience as a kid. However, I do plan on teaching my child manners and respect. These are the tools they'll need to keep from sticking their hands in everything at the buffet (which the original poster was complaining about), screaming in the pool while others are trying to relax (which happened on one of our cruises), or throwing food in the dining room.

 

I'm glad your children are angels on vacation and I'm sure your fellow passengers feel the same way. But you seem to have missed my point in that there is nothing wrong with waiting until your children older before introducing them to vacationing with others.

[1plustripletsplus1]

I think I will. I don't have any plans to take my newborn on vacation at 9 months.....

My oldest was on a train at 2 months and a plane at 4 months in order to visit family.

It must be very fortunate for you to have all your family around you, otherwise they might have to wait until your child is "in the double digits" before they met him/her.

[crusinmama06]

I'm glad your children are angels on vacation and I'm sure your fellow passengers feel the same way. But you seem to have missed my point in that there is nothing wrong with waiting until your children older before introducing them to vacationing with others.

 

WOW! I can't wait until your little "angel" gets here. You will be in for a rude awakening. Come back and talk to us when you actually have the child and are living in the real world, not some fantasy.

[1plustripletsplus1]

I'm glad your children are angels on vacation and I'm sure your fellow passengers feel the same way. But you seem to have missed my point in that there is nothing wrong with waiting until your children older before introducing them to vacationing with others.

My children did act wonderfully on this cruise. I believe they did so because I have tought my children manners and respect. I did not allow them to put thier hands in the buffet but I did let them play in the pools. If people want to relax in a pool without kids then they should go to the "adults only" pool.

If you wait to long to "introduce them to vacationing with others" then you seem to be depriving them of experiences that children seem to appreciate more than stuffy adults. Besides, wouldn't it be a family vacation as opposed to one centered around what other people will think?

Oh.. I was calling your statement stupid not you.

I do believe that taking my children out of school for a week to visit different cultures is more productive than sitting behind a desk. Besides my children are in Kindergarten and 2nd grade so they really didn't miss that much. I asked for homework and the teachers basically told me not to worry about it!

[crusinmama06]

My children did act wonderfully on this cruise. !

 

Hey Kim, not to go off topic but I just noticed your link...you have triplets? God bless ya. :eek: :D

[1plustripletsplus1]

Hey Kim, not to go off topic but I just noticed your link...you have triplets? God bless ya. :eek: :D

Happy to go off topic a bit!:rolleyes:

Yes I have triplets plus 2 others.

DD-7

DS, DD, DS-5

DS-2 1/2

[crusinmama06]

Happy to go off topic a bit!:rolleyes:

Yes I have triplets plus 2 others.

DD-7

DS, DD, DS-5

DS-2 1/2

 

I have no idea how you can take 5 kids to the grocery store let alone on a cruise. You are my new cruising hero...lol. ;) :D

 

See I always tell people it can be done...and can be done easily. You just proved that. :)

[Kerry's Girls]

WOW! I can't wait until your little "angel" gets here. You will be in for a rude awakening. Come back and talk to us when you actually have the child and are living in the real world, not some fantasy.

 

This just reminded me that when I was pregnant, I spouted off that MY children were not going to have junk food or watch tv! Boy, was I a perfect parent - until the twins were born! Now I don't know how I'd have gotten through the toddler years without Pirate Booty and Shrek.

 

And Kim - I know lots of twin moms who won't leave the house with theirs - you're amazing getting all those kids out into the world on vacations.

 

Best,

Mia

[CanadianTwosome]

Ok, I tried to ignore this but I just can't.

My family and I just got off the Conquest, unwillingly! We had an absolute blast. I can assure you traveling with children is a lot funner than traveling without them.

"Car trips to see family" is not something that is reasonable to handle. When you have a 14 hour car trip ahead of you there are way too many things to remember. One major thing is a porta potty because you know that the kids have to pee every hour whether you are ready for a break or not.

Your statement that said "it wasn't until we were older and could appreciate where we were going" has got to be the stupidest thing I have read in a while.

Do you, in all your parental wisdom, not think any of my 5 children did not "appreciate" where we were going because they are not in "double digits"?

Isn't it possible that my children were not only appreciative of this opportunity but also extremly excited? My children created a count down calendar to our cruise. We started with 120 days! Those kids knew what we were doing. When we finally got on the cruise they knew where we were, what we were going to do and how much fun we were going to have.

Everyone on our cruise complemented my children about how well their behavior was and how well they acted during the Muster Drill.

Just because you are pregnant with your first child does not make you an expert mother. I have 5 children and I am NOT an expert. However, I am a mother who takes her children out of school for a week so that they can appreciate a vacation that they will never forget no matter how old they are. My youngest keeps telling us he wants to go back on the "big boat" and "go to the beach". I believe he DOES have an appreciation!

Oh by the way... I have a daughter that is 7, boy,girl,boy triplets that are 5 and an adorable son that is 2!!!

Perhaps you plan on being one of those parents that keeps her little one on a dog leash and never really taking the time out to explain things.

That really is a shame because children remember more than you think and if not there are pictures and videos that show every moment. Besides, my husband and I will never forget this cruise and that is just as important!

 

Just to back you up with some personal experience...

 

My first 'big' vacation occurred when I was SIX years old. We went to Disneyland! I remember going to Disneyland, going to Knott's Berry Farm (my first log ride!!), going to Universal Studios (totally different experience then than now!), shopping, and even the neighborhood where we were staying with some family friends.

 

The next 'big' trip came a few years later, when I was NINE. We went to Hawaii. I will never forget the tour of the island we took and how funny our driver was. I still tell some of the jokes he told us during the tour, and the roast beef sandwich I had when we stopped for lunch still comes up in conversation sometimes because I was so vocal about how good it was.

 

Now, these are the only 'big' holidays I was fortunate enough to be on before I hit double digits, but I can say without any hesitation that not only do I remember them over three decades later (damn, didn't want to admit that), but I appreciate them now as I did then. Also, not only did I and do I appreciate the trips themselves, but also helped me to have an appreciation of what I have in my life that I know not everyone has. Being exposed to what hard work can achieve (the ability to travel) also contributed to my drive to work hard and earn those achievements for myself. In fact, I've pointed it out to my daughter. I've explained to her many times that if you want nice things in your life, you have to work for them, and travel is just one of the things I refer to when we talk about it.

 

Back to my personal experience as a child traveller, after the age of nine, we travelled somewhere 'big' every year after that, with the last really major one to Spain when I was 13. Those five trips (Hawaii, cruise, Hawaii, cruise, Spain) will always be a part of the memories that shaped me as a person. Throughout my entire childhood we also took car trips, visited family and friends, and travelled within Canada. Anyone suggesting that my age at any time during any of those travels somehow made the difference in whether or not I remembered or appreciated those experiences has no business speaking for me, or for anyone but themselves. Only I can know what I gained from the experiences in my life, and here I am telling you about it.

 

As I've said, I can only speak for myself as far as knowing for certain whether something is appreciated, but I can also tell you what I've personally observed. I make no assumptions about what the individuals were actually feeling, only what I witnessed. When taking our daughter to Disneyworld when she was five (took her out of Kindergarten for a week!), she was wonderful; she didn't run off (which was the biggest shock, but we'd had numerous discussions before leaving home), was polite to everyone, and did everything we asked. It was a real joy to be with her. We found plenty of opportunities to help her learn through others, though. We saw one young person, who appeared to be a young teen (hard to tell these days, but I would have guessed 16, which could mean anything from 12 up probably), and as the family passed us, with the parents looking extremely stressed, I heard this girl say 'Why didn't you just leave me at home?' So... tell me... which one of these children was 'appreciating' her holiday? Was it the complaining double digit child, or my five year old, who still brings up the experiences there on a regular basis? She even occasionally refers to some of the other children we learned from - 'Mommy, remember that girl we saw at Disneyworld that was screaming at her mom?'

 

I apologize for being so long winded, but I thought it prudent to provide information based on personal experience about someone I'm qualified to actually speak about - Me. As I said in an earlier post, even the best parent cannot predict what their child will do 100% of the time - and that refers to what they will think, how they will react, and whether they will appreciate something or not. (just ask any parent who bought 'the best gift ever' only to see it sit untouched as a child happily plays with the wrapping paper) So when someone says 'Why can't everyone just do it MY way?' that's pretty much the reason. It's because I do things MY way, too. It just all changes depending on whom that 'MY' refers to. :p

[Number 6w]

WOW! I can't wait until your little "angel" gets here. You will be in for a rude awakening. Come back and talk to us when you actually have the child and are living in the real world, not some fantasy.

 

I'm not anticipating an angel...that's why I'm not expecting other people to have to deal with them on vacation. It's rude to expect other people to tolerate misbehaving children. We're going to wait until they have the behavioral skills to handle it and not force our lives on other people. Why should my vacation be impacted by your kids?

 

Why is everyone so up in arms because I'm suggesting that some people wait to take their kids on big vacations? Geez.....

[katerkat]

Another way to put it is most new parents by the big fancy bulky travel system stroller. Then when their child outgrows the infant seat they soon regret that bulky & heavy stroller because when they use it they always bump into everything. I asked my neighbor why she didn't tell me not to get it and she said because all first time moms get it and you would have never listened to me. She's right I tried to warn my friend but she got the same stroller I did just in a different color.

 

Hey now, here's where parenting advice isn't one-size-fits-all. ;) I love my big Graco stroller still. It's not our vacation stroller, but when I want to walk to the grocery store, I can't even fit a gallon of milk under the vacation stroller. Big fancy bulky stroller can fit a week's worth of groceries and Momma gets some exercise walking back and forth. ;)

 

As for not taking them on vacation... Well, gee, Russ's first flight was at 7 weeks old. First road trip vacation was a four months old - that would also be his first trip out of the country (to Canada.) First Disney trip was DisneyLand at six months old, then eighteen months old, then WDW at 20 months old and next week at 2.5 years old. By age 2.5, he'd been on approximately 12 round-trip flights cross country. Three road trips - two countries, I think 26 US states. Road trips are far worse with an active toddler who wants nothing more to get down and run. He doesn't remember anything, of course, but he looks at the pictures from DL when he was six months old and says "dat's Russ wif Mickey!!!" and is very excited about it. He talks about everything he is going to see next week in WDW.

 

I would never let him touch the buffet food. I won't take him to the adult-only pool or the concierge lounge after 5 pm. I plan on bringing plenty of diversions to help him sit through dinner. The renewed presence of Daddy and grandparents will help stave off meltdowns (I just get to deal with him after we get home and he realizes the grandparents are no longer around to give him everything in life.) Even at age 2.5 he's pretty good with manners as long as he has guidance, so I'm not sure why I should be locking him until he's ten. I was worse as a teenaged girl than he is now.

 

Oh, and Mia, Pirate Booty is not junk food. It's totally natural! As long as you ignore the fat content! ;) (Plus, then you get fun statements like, "Daddy, eat my booty!")

[crusinmama06]

I'm not anticipating an angel...that's why I'm not expecting other people to have to deal with them on vacation. It's rude to expect other people to tolerate misbehaving children. We're going to wait until they have the behavioral skills to handle it and not force our lives on other people. Why should my vacation be impacted by your kids?

 

Why is everyone so up in arms because I'm suggesting that some people wait to take their kids on big vacations? Geez.....

 

See why we are all laughing and rolling our collective eyes is because we know HOW you are thinking because we thought the same when we were pregnant. Then the children come and your entire outlook on life DOES change.

 

Did any of us say that our kids are bad, they will be hanging off the chandeliers and we expect the rest of the passengers to just deal with it? Heck no!

 

You are preaching to the choir so to speak when you preach to the parents at the FAMILY board. We know how our kids are to behave. We know there are cruising illiterates out there that allow their kids to dive right into the buffet.

 

But when you come to the FAMILY board and start spouting off on how your kids are going to stay home until they hit "double digits" when you know that none of us believe the same...you were just asking for some to disagree with you.

 

And BTW, thank God my parents didn't keep me home. I went to England for a month every Summer from a very young age on (my mom is from England). We went to Hawaii when I was 9. We always traveled as a family. And they were the ones who instilled the love of traveling in me.

[larronry]

I think I will. I don't have any plans to take my newborn on vacation at 9 months.....

 

My son at two is h*ll on wheels. At 9 months we took him on a plane and visited friends in Detroit. Let me tell you that would have also been the perfect time to take a cruise. He was easy then so don't rule it out. Now I know it will be a challenge, but no I won't put other people out. He tantrums I will remove him. I will make sure I figure out the closest quiet place to the dining room. You may have a child who is not easy in the first year of life but if you do you just may want to take advantage of the situation.

 

When taking our daughter to Disneyworld when she was five (took her out of Kindergarten for a week!), she was wonderful; she didn't run off (which was the biggest shock, but we'd had numerous discussions before leaving home), was polite to everyone, and did everything we asked. It was a real joy to be with her. We found plenty of opportunities to help her learn through others, though. We saw one young person, who appeared to be a young teen (hard to tell these days, but I would have guessed 16, which could mean anything from 12 up probably), and as the family passed us, with the parents looking extremely stressed, I heard this girl say 'Why didn't you just leave me at home?' So... tell me... which one of these children was 'appreciating' her holiday? Was it the complaining double digit child, or my five year old, who still brings up the experiences there on a regular basis? She even occasionally refers to some of the other children we learned from - 'Mommy, remember that girl we saw at Disneyworld that was screaming at her mom?'

The first time I went to Disney World was 1971. Yup the year it opened. And I too was 5 years old. I didn't live in Florida then. We drove, but back then we didn't have car seats so the 20 hour drive wasn't as bad as it is today. I wouldn't have been as good if I had to be strapped in a car seat I liked being able to lie down. Now 36 years later I still remember riding It's a Small World 5 times that first day using E tickets. My poor mother. :D

 

I traveled so much growing up and feel so bad for my DH whose family couldn't afford to travel. I didn't do cruises growing up because my father didn't like to cruise (he still says he suffers from sea sickness but his one recent cruise he was one of the few who wasn't suffering :confused:). I don't remember a time my family wasn't traveling, usually by car, but sometimes by plane, at least once we got upgraded to first class and I was really young, and since a lot of the trips were my fathers business trips many of the restaurants were nice restaurants with long drawn out meals that I would sit through like a young lady because it was what I was taught. I remember in Houston having 7 course Mexican meals. Most of these memories before I was 10. I can't imagine not having the experiences. I think these experiences gave me the ability & confidence to travel both for business and pleasure alone. I am greatfull my parents gave me those experiences.

[CanadianTwosome]

1) So what you're saying is that other people have to endure (if necessary) your child because you want to have fun? That seems rather selfish to me.

 

2) Thanks! No one's called me stupid in a long time.

 

3) After re-reading my post, I didn't see the passage where it said I was an expert at motherhood. Can you please point that out to me? However, I don't believe that taking your child out of school for a week just so you can have some fun makes anyone much of an expert either.

 

4) I don't plan on keeping my child on a leash, in fact I appreciate all the "adventures" that my parents let me experience as a kid. However, I do plan on teaching my child manners and respect. These are the tools they'll need to keep from sticking their hands in everything at the buffet (which the original poster was complaining about), screaming in the pool while others are trying to relax (which happened on one of our cruises), or throwing food in the dining room.

 

I'm glad your children are angels on vacation and I'm sure your fellow passengers feel the same way. But you seem to have missed my point in that there is nothing wrong with waiting until your children older before introducing them to vacationing with others.

 

1) Endure is a strong word. When you actually are a parent, you will find out for yourself that even when you believe your children are being the best little angels you can imagine, there will be people who will treat them (or possibly you) with disrespect, disregard, and rudeness, not to mention making assumptions about what they will or won't do, how they will behave, or what they are capable of appreciating. As far as I've ever observed, nobody has ever had to 'endure' having my child around in our travels. On the other hand, I have received numerous compliments on her behaviour and manners (especially in the formal dining rooms), and I have been extremely proud when watching her pick up litter, offer to help people who appeared to be having difficulty, and give up her seat on transportation without being asked.

 

2) As the poster pointed out, the reference was to what you said, not to you. As a parent, hopefully you will understand that addressing behaviour is not the same as addressing your child, and that any criticism should be directed at behaviour. It will be your responsibility to help your child understand that even when you do criticize their behaviour or punish them for it, that it is not criticism of them personally. They WILL say 'I hate you' and 'You're stupid' to you. It will be especially important to understand where that comes from and address it accordingly.

 

3) Your post did not make any reference to your expertise as a parent, but the way it was worded and came across to most who read it (I base this OPINION on the reactions and replies I have observed) gave the impression that you felt qualified to speak as a parent when you don't yet have actual experience in that area. Those of us who are parents and receive 'advice' and 'expert opinion' from non parents on a regular basis can be a little gunshy about that kind of thing... you'll get there. One day it will hit you and you'll think back to this thread and say 'Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, I get it now!' :p Sadly, we're here on a text forum where nobody can see your facial expressions or hear your vocal inflections, so the written word has to convey everything. It's very difficult sometimes to read our own writing objectively, but when every reply sounds pretty much the same, it might be worth reflecting on your writing style in the future.

 

4) The original post actually was not complaining about children, so your reference to it is mistaken. As for the types of incidents you describe, EVERYONE on this board is in agreement that those behaviours are unacceptable. Not every child behaves like that, however, and what the OP was actually addressing in this thread is that there are people who simply have bad attitudes towards children without knowing them, observing them, or giving them the chance to behave well. I read assumptions in your post that I personally found judgemental and offensive; they're your opinions, but to me they illustrate the closed minded attitude the OP was referring to. (again, this is only my interpretation and I do not profess to know anything of your intention) As for teaching your children manners and respect, you know what they say about the road to hell, right? Good intentions and all that... I actually have done that for my child, though, which is why I do not hesitate to expose her to cruising and other forms of travel where there are other people that she is expected to respect. One of the aspects of respect that I stress to her is that people must be allowed to make their own choices, whether she agrees with them or not. I respect your choice to not take your children travelling until they are older. Do you respect mine to do the opposite? I don't feel like you do. I am not making assumptions about your intent, just saying that your posts have led me to feel this way; my ideas on text based forums are stated above.

 

As to your point that there is 'nothing wrong' with waiting until a child is older to experience travel, I wholeheartedly disagree. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was able to travel extensively as a child, and as an adult, I can reference specific incidents on every one of our family holidays that contributed to who I am today. I remember learning that other children's parents were travelling without them and wondering why their parents didn't like them enough to take them along. Clearly that was a child's perception and I understand now that it's a personal choice, but for me, I wouldn't dream of spending that much discretionary income on my husband and myself to go and have fun while depriving my daughter of the experience. I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself. One of the reasons I work so hard to be able to travel is to give my child the same opportunities to learn through experience that I had. You may 'appreciate' the adventures your parents let you experience, but for me, I not only appreciate the opportunities, but actually credit my travelling experiences with many of the personal traits I am most proud of today. I thanked my mom again just the other day for one of them, in fact, right after describing it to my daughter and explaining how I learned from it.

 

Everyone on this board is expressing their personal opinions and it is so difficult to not take some of them personally ourselves when they don't agree with our own. Another opinion I will express myself is that I think people should reread their own posts a few times before hitting the submit button... let's try not to judge and try to express ourselves as unoffensively and non-aggressively as possible. I apologize if anything I've said has been interpreted in any way as judgemental, offensive, or aggressive. I do my best to express myself and my opinions as being only my own and not right or wrong or 'better' than anyone else's. Again, if I sound otherwise, I apologize.

[Kerry's Girls]

 

Why is everyone so up in arms because I'm suggesting that some people wait to take their kids on big vacations? Geez.....

 

Because you didn't say "some people", you said you didn't see why EVERYONE couldn't do the same as you plan to do. So, everyone is explaining why just because YOU think something should be done a certain way, doesn't necessarily mean that you have the only correct answer. It's good to see you have some flexibility already, changing from "everyone" to "some people". You're going to need that flexibility as a mom :) .

 

Best,

Mia

[larronry]

Hey now, here's where parenting advice isn't one-size-fits-all. ;) I love my big Graco stroller still. It's not our vacation stroller, but when I want to walk to the grocery store, I can't even fit a gallon of milk under the vacation stroller. Big fancy bulky stroller can fit a week's worth of groceries and Momma gets some exercise walking back and forth. ;)

OK you got me. It does depend on where you live. If I could walk to the grocery store (which I would have done about three weeks after he was born when we were low on gas, Hurricane Wilma had come and gone, Port Everglades was open for gas delivery, but the gas stations had no power; but I had a c-section was retaining water, was in a lot of pain, had no phone and couldn't contact the doctor so that was the only time I consider it)then I would use it to do so. I wish I could bring my Big Graco to WDW but my car is to small (Graco or luggage), my friend has an SUV and brings hers - different friend then I mentioned in a previous post.

[CanadianTwosome]

I'm not anticipating an angel...that's why I'm not expecting other people to have to deal with them on vacation. It's rude to expect other people to tolerate misbehaving children. We're going to wait until they have the behavioral skills to handle it and not force our lives on other people. Why should my vacation be impacted by your kids?

 

Why is everyone so up in arms because I'm suggesting that some people wait to take their kids on big vacations? Geez.....

 

As Kerry's Girls has already pointed out, it is indeed all about the wording. As I've said repeatedly, how we say things on a text based forum is vital to people understanding what we really intend to say. In my opinion, this post expresses much more closely what the rest of us here believe.

 

If your children are not capable of behaving well and you're not prepared to stay on top of them to ensure (to the best of your ability) that they won't have a negative impact on others, don't take them. You're absolutely right, some people should wait... in fact, some people should never take their children away. It's all about the parents and the children. I only wish the adults who weren't capable of behaving well would stay home, too!! :p

[ratherBcruizin']

I think I will. I don't have any plans to take my newborn on vacation at 9 months.....

 

I have no idea when you'll take your child on a vacation, if ever. I just figured at around 9 months old you might realize that you don't want your family staying home for the next 10 years.

 

 

Happy to go off topic a bit!:rolleyes:

Yes I have triplets plus 2 others.

DD-7

DS, DD, DS-5

DS-2 1/2

 

Impressive. I'm stressed just thinking about it!;)

[1plustripletsplus1]

A little off topic again!

I have no idea how you can take 5 kids to the grocery store let alone on a cruise. You are my new cruising hero...lol. ;) :D

Your previous posts convinced me to book the cruise. You were my cruising hero. Now, if I could figure out how you get those darn suites.... If you care to share secrets remember I need 2 cabins:cool: .

[1plustripletsplus1]

And Kim - I know lots of twin moms who won't leave the house with theirs - you're amazing getting all those kids out into the world on vacations.

 

Best,

Mia

You must be a part of a multiples group because I know some of those too! Just tell them they can do it!

[wa.mama]

It's rude to expect other people to tolerate misbehaving children. We're going to wait until they have the behavioral skills to handle it and not force our lives on other people.

 

OK, have to agree with 6W on this one, if she's going to WAIT until her child has behavioral skills to take him/her on a cruise that would be an excellent thing.....

 

If I waited till my kids had behavioral skills I wouldn't be cruising either. Manners and public behavior are works in progress, even as an adult, and my hope is that as I introduce the children to a cultured, civilized world, they will learn to actively incorporate these observed social skills into their daily lives. (My DH was raised in Africa, and we're still working on his social skills ;) ) However, I would never force my kid's lives on anyone. They are painfully aware, even as young children, that straying outside the norms of accepted behavior results in being removed from the social situation. No fun being in the cabin with a stern-looking mom, is it?