Question for parents of teens

[cruislovin]

If you leave them with the childrens/teen program people that is fine. The ship and the rest of the passengers are not responsible for your children. I have seen children of all ages just running a muck on cruise ships.

 

Our teens have found the teen program on many ships to be quite unreliable - activities are scheduled but not held if there are not enough participants who attend. Personally, I would not rely on the teen program to watch my teens.

[bnjrsmom]

I absolutely would not expect the employees in the teen club to babysit them. Chances are on port days - there isn't much going on in the teen club anyway. They don't need babysitters. They just need to respect my rules. I do trust them...I just wanted to give added reassurance to my mom who will also be with us.

 

Like I said earlier in the thread, any excursion they wouldn't be interested in (usually involves shopping and tours...) would be early am which means they would be sleeping. Aside from scavenging for food - I don't see them roaming around much.

 

Someone asked their ages - my son will be 15 and my daughter will be 16.

 

On previous cruises - I did force them to go on excursions with us and they did enjoy themselves...but I respect their request to skip it this time.

 

This time we are going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Labadee. We have spent many land based vacations in Cozumel so we aren't planning an excursion there just shopping and lunch - so they can tag along if they want to. If not, they can stay behind. In Grand Cayman, we have booked a snorkeling trip - and they are going. And in Labadee I am sure they will want to get off the boat and go to the beach with all of us. BUT, Ocho Rios is the stop that made us nervous ...because we haven't booked anything yet....and from all I have heard - it is probably one of the more 'dangerous' of the ports if they did venture out. Hence - my mother's concern.

 

I have let them read the responses and they were so offended and indignant that anyone would think they would disobey my rules. I found it funny.....because they just may be offended enough to not try to pull anything...just so they don't look like 'juvenile delinquents...".

 

 

Lisa

[Tranquil Waters]

I absolutely would not expect the employees in the teen club to babysit them. Chances are on port days - there isn't much going on in the teen club anyway. They don't need babysitters. They just need to respect my rules. I do trust them...I just wanted to give added reassurance to my mom who will also be with us.

 

Like I said earlier in the thread, any excursion they wouldn't be interested in (usually involves shopping and tours...) would be early am which means they would be sleeping. Aside from scavenging for food - I don't see them roaming around much.

 

Someone asked their ages - my son will be 15 and my daughter will be 16.

 

On previous cruises - I did force them to go on excursions with us and they did enjoy themselves...but I respect their request to skip it this time.

 

This time we are going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Labadee. We have spent many land based vacations in Cozumel so we aren't planning an excursion there just shopping and lunch - so they can tag along if they want to. If not, they can stay behind. In Grand Cayman, we have booked a snorkeling trip - and they are going. And in Labadee I am sure they will want to get off the boat and go to the beach with all of us. BUT, Ocho Rios is the stop that made us nervous ...because we haven't booked anything yet....and from all I have heard - it is probably one of the more 'dangerous' of the ports if they did venture out. Hence - my mother's concern.

 

I have let them read the responses and they were so offended and indignant that anyone would think they would disobey my rules. I found it funny.....because they just may be offended enough to not try to pull anything...just so they don't look like 'juvenile delinquents...".

 

 

Lisa

 

I had to smile. I would be very surprised if any teen worth their salt had not mastered the innocent, indignant - "How could you think such a thing about me!", "I would NEVER do anything like that!", "You don't trust me!"

 

I know I had it down pat 30 some years ago. Teens these days are no dumber than we were.

 

Wait another 10 or 15 years and then see what they have to say. I would venture that you will hear stories about events/antics that you had no idea happened.......

 

I am not saying your kids will leave the ship. But I will be willing to bet that you hear that they were not always just sleeping or eating when left behind on the ship either. ;) :)

[bnjrsmom]

I found it funny too...since my kids are far from innocent. I still remember hating when people would generalize all teenagers as the root of all evil. It just might work as 'reverse psychology'..."everyone thinks you are going to sneak out.....".

 

I think the worst part is that I can remember what I did at 15, 16, or 17. At 17, I used my first tax refund to take a train to NYC (from VA) to see a Broadway show ALONE. Spur of the moment without telling my parents. Not real smart.

 

But again - thats where you have to have a little faith. My daughter's about to get her driver's license in a month - so I keep repeating that mantra "Have faith in the way you raised her....she will not crash your car..she will not crash your car....."

 

Lisa

[banderboo]

Are you sure? If I hadn't caught my daughter, I would have never thought in a million years that she would have gotten off the ship. She has paid the price for that stunt, I still check everything she says and she is now in her second year of college. I think I must have too much time on my hands.

 

When my girls were teens (they are now 21 and 24)there wasn't much I would have said I was positive about unless I happened to be standing next to them :D . I was very lucky in that they were good kids but of course they did the normal teenage things occasionally. This however is one thing that I am 100% sure of. They knew the consequences for not staying on the ship were far to great to test.

 

P.S. If your DD is in her second year of college you need to start letting go. You've done all you can do and have to trust that she will follow the good examples that you have set. :)

[financialgrl]

This is a tough one. I worked in a HS for 3 years and it never ceased to amaze me the things kids (ALL kids, great kids, juvenile delinquents, etc) could come up with once away from their parents. As said, a ship is like a little city and all that means is that others have the money to cruise, not that they have the same ideals or wouldn't help in your children's "capers" as someone posted further up.

 

I feel for you in that I will be taking my two 17 y/o nieces to Bermuda next year. I have told them and their parents that I expect to give them free reign of the ship while at sea but once we dock and leave the ship we will all do so together, no ifs ands or buts. Maybe it's different for me because neither is my child and I don't want the responsibility of what could happen otherwise.

[Tranquil Waters]

I found it funny too...since my kids are far from innocent. I still remember hating when people would generalize all teenagers as the root of all evil. It just might work as 'reverse psychology'..."everyone thinks you are going to sneak out.....".

 

I think the worst part is that I can remember what I did at 15, 16, or 17. At 17, I used my first tax refund to take a train to NYC (from VA) to see a Broadway show ALONE. Spur of the moment without telling my parents. Not real smart.

 

But again - thats where you have to have a little faith. My daughter's about to get her driver's license in a month - so I keep repeating that mantra "Have faith in the way you raised her....she will not crash your car..she will not crash your car....."

 

Lisa

 

 

OK, I feel better now. ;) :D Sounds like you do, indeed, have a realistic outlook on the teens.

 

As to the driving, always a parents greatest fear. Older DD gave minimal worries. Young DD - totally different child. 2 wrecks before she had her license 6 months. The first an inexperienced driver mistake. The 2nd she was changing the radio station (didn't like the song that had come on) and missed the car in front of her hitting their brakes. Sigh.......... Fortunately both were very slow speed accidents with no injury. But it was about this time that I first started seeing gray hairs show up. :D

[Sue L]

Hey, mine, too, Sue! Some days it's like herding cats, isn't it?

 

And mine HAVE missed ports because of too much "enjoyment" the night before!

 

The night before Juneau, they decide that is the night when they are going to check out the nightclub. The next morning at 7am they were absolutely bleary, I dragged them all over Juneau but by the time we went back to the ship to get ready for our helicopter tour the excitement won out over the tiredness.

 

Mine are both away at college and it is SOOOOOO quiet around here. I miss them like crazy!!