How much freedom for DSs 8 and 10?

[kitty9]

All it takes is one troublemaker to get any child in trouble. There always seems to be at least one kid who becomes the ring leader and can lead any other child into trouble.

[hockeymomof2]

Can you get them onboard..pagers or whatever? We are on RCCL's Independence of the Seas. We have walkie talkies but hadn't planned on bringing them (1. they may not work so well on such a large ship and 2. I don't want to drive other passengers nuts by them....but then again...other passengers can drive anyone nuts by any number of things right!)

 

My kids are a little older than 8 & 10 (they are 9.5 and 12.5)...my 12 year old can sign himself out as far as I know. I totally trust them...it's other people I worry about!

 

ok, gotta go and finish packing...we are leaving today ...:D

 

We're staying overnight with family near the airport so I can check online later. If anyone knows whether I can rent pagers on RCCL, please let me know as my luggage is pretty packed and I'd rather not squeeze in the walkie talkie thingys.

[mjmalino]

I'm only 14 and I really am not trying to be rude but, I think you guys should give kids more credit, we aren't really as bad as some people say we are. haha

 

I understand your comment, and it is duly noted. However, what we did on our last cruise, and will do on this one as well, is have our 2 DS in a cabin across the hall from us (with a walkie-talkie with a monitor function set up so that we can hear if they get loud) so by us not allowing them to wander the ship, we are ensuring that no one follows them back to an empty room, even though they spend most of their time out of camp with us, it is just a safeguard that we feel is necessary at this time.

[beachchick]

I think you should let your sons have some freedom on the boat. Do not give them sign out privleges but, if they are together allow them to go to get ice cream, food, drinks, back to the room etc. Get some walkie talkies maybe so you can check in with them if they are taking a long time. You probably shouldn't let the 8 year old go by himself unless he is with his brother or you trust him enough. The 10 year old is probably more trustworthy though. But really it is how much you trust your kids and how much freedom you want to give them.

I'm only 14 and I really am not trying to be rude but, I think you guys should give kids more credit, we aren't really as bad as some people say we are. haha

 

You are quite articulate and make your points well. It's really not that any of us (or at least, almost none of us) think kids are "bad" or that we give you too little credit. But, you must admit that there is a huge difference between being 10 and being 14. Quite a bit of maturity, experience, and even physical growth occurs during those years. I wouldn't let a 10-y/o out alone at night in our small town, so I wouldn't allow it onboard a ship. Two children, ages 8 and 10, who have shown their responsibility at home and in daily life, and who have proven that they will watch out for each other might be allowed the freedom to go certain places and certain times with each other, but not alone.

 

Walkie talkies are a good idea too, but we must keep in mind that they are not infallible. Sometimes reception isn't good everywhere onboard and sometimes there are so many people using even the sub-channels that it can be very difficult to communicate. (Besides that, it's extremely irritating to others to have 40 children/adults shouting into the walkie talkie, "What? What? Can you hear me?" Everyone should always be aware of good manners when using them.)

 

It really isn't even a matter of being trustworthy either. The sad fact is that not everyone else can be trusted and that no 10-y/o (or 14-y/o either) has the full ability or life experiences to deal with every situation. That's why parents and other adults are there to watch out for and help children and even maturing teens. I agree that incremental freedom is a good way to go. Some parents hang on to their children so tightly with such an iron grip that their children have trouble learning to deal with others and new situations. Every child is different, so our advice to any parent about "how much freedom" to give their children can only be based what we've experienced with our own children. Our DD, for example, was quite trustworthy at a young age, so we gave her increasing amounts of freedom (with the appropriate "punishment" the few times she messed up--you know, no TV or computer or phone or such for a period of time; the usual things that drive teenagers crazy). I'm sure you have earned your freedoms and will continue to do so. By the time you are an adult, you will be able to handle what life throws at you.

 

beachchick

[xocatie94]

beachchick- Ya I understand what your saying and where your coming from, there is a big difference betwee 10 and 14. When I went on my first cruise I was probably 7 or 8, my sister was probably 5 and my cousin was 10. We went to a lot of different places with them like the arcade, to get food etc. but the ships weren't as big then and there weren't as many sketchy people. Haha.

mjmaliano- The next cruise I'm going on my sister and I are getting our own cabin next to our parents. I think our parents were maybe thinking of doing something like that but I'm not entirely sure yet.

[alaskagirl3]

My son is 9 and we just got back from the Eurodam. He wasn't allowed to go very far by himself mostly becuase he got lost quite easily. (the decks look similar etc). I did let him go from the pool to the pizza/snack bar at the end of the ship - stay on the same deck if he was with one of the friends he had met onboard. I also let him sign in/out of Club HAL but he was only allowed to go to the Xbox room - which was next door to the Club HAL room. He loved the little bit of freedom the he felt he had, but he didn't really have much room to get into much trouble.

 

Was there a charge for the Xbox room? Do I need to make sure my kids bring a roll of quarters with them? Are there game rooms they can use for free in Club Hal? I need to be prepared--thanks!

[Onessa]

Just a note - the portable two-way radios that are approved for use in North America work on channels that may not be available elsewhere in the world. If you are planning an Australian or European cruise for example, and you are from NA, you may want to check out the regulations before buying/bringing your "walkie talkies" with you. Just a thought