At what age do you allow your child to check themselves out of the kids club?

[Jennifer777]

I think it depends on the child and what they are doing when they check themselves out. I agree that for most children, 8 years old is a little young to just be roaming the ship but checking themselves out at 5:45 to join the family in one of the MDR could be a different story. We didn't allow our son to check himself out until our last cruise, he was 11. He also did not like the loud noises of the clubs and ear plugs are usually not an answer for someone with a sensory processing disorder. They wouldn't have worked for him. He was never allowed to roam the hallways, he could only checkout with our permission prior to drop off and with a specific place to go. He would either need to come join us adults or go back to the room. He almost always chose the room, where he could sit in the quiet and decompress. There were a couple times this interfered with our room attendant cleaning the room, so whenever this happened, we made sure to let the room attendant know what times the room would be empty and we also apologized and tipped him extra well for his trouble having to come back a second time a couple of those days.

I did see some unsupervised kids running the hallways on both of our cruises who probably should have been supervised due to their inappropriate behavior, although most of them were older, in the 12 - 14 year range (not the younger kids we're talking about). Part of that is knowing and being honest about what your children are truly capable of, not just when alone but with new peers they may feel the need to impress. My son is never going to be that kid who will run up and down the hallways screaming and knocking on doors, he gets mad when the kids at school swear or break the rules, but my daughter is a younger version of myself. I'll be checking her in and out of the kids club until she's graduated from college.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

We were on the 12/13 sailing of the Magic and both my oldest (almost 12) son and my 8 year old had sign out privileges.

For my oldest son I did have an issue as I couldn't find him at one point, but it turned out he went to see a movie at the LBV theater, which is what I suspected, but when I went to look he had already headed back to the room.

This was the first time for my 8 year old and it worked out great...he had to always come back to the room, or meet is at an agreed location (WD theater for the show or our table for dinner). If you had asked me a couple years ago, I probably would have said I wouldn't allow such a thing, but I felt comfortable with it. He knows the ship layout really well (this was nights 29-33 on the Magic, and he has 21 nights on the Wonder), and we were on deck 6, just one floor up from the kids club. If he messed up he knows he would have been back to me picking him up...

But I certainly understand parents who aren't comfortable with letting their 8 year old wander, it's really a matter for each parent to decide.

 

[bumbershoot]

He also did not like the loud noises of the clubs and ear plugs are usually not an answer for someone with a sensory processing disorder.

They work very well for my autistic cousin, and I've seen many people discuss ear protection/covering types of things for their kids with such issues.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Personally I think it's too young. Most of us parents see our kids as angelic and mature. Put them in a group and that can change. For instance the elevator button pushing. Yes, it's a simple prank but annoying to other guests. Also, bad things can happen to good, mature kids even on a Disney ship. We all know that Disney parks and/or ships are not free of predators and crime just because it's Disney.

 

[Lauralaylin]

They work very well for my autistic cousin, and I've seen many people discuss ear protection/covering types of things for their kids with such issues.

But then you have to hope your child doesn't lose the $300 headphones (which are the only ones we found to work at all, even those aren't that great).

 

[Lauralaylin]

How will he be calling you?

The CMs will call to let parents know kids want to leave, but that's for kids that can't go on their own. I'm not sure they'll make that call for a child who can check out.

Picking up a *nine* year old from a ship that holds thousands of strangers isn't, in any way, shape, or form, helicoptering or even hovering.

Ear plugs.

If he's upset enough to leave, will he be in a good mindset to try to find a nice *quiet* place to be?

If he goes back to the room and the room attendant is cleaning, the attendant won't stay. So your room won't be done. They won't be in there when a child is alone.

I'm very confused. Are there no longer two phones in the rooms? Is it assumed that everyone has their cell phones now so they took them out? I've only been on one cruise, two years ago, and I hadn't heard about this change.

I'm sorry you have an issue with the way I parent, but you do not know our situation nor do you know my child. He is responsible, I don't care if my room isn't done all that much honestly, and he is mature and responsible and we've set many rules in place that I know he will follow. I will be checking in on him often (unless the phones in the rooms are gone, then I guess he'll get one of our phones and we will chat and I'll hope he doesn't lose it). Having auditory processing disorder and not liking the very loud noise in the club doesn't mean that he's so upset that he is in a bad mindset. Thanks for your strong concern, but he will be fine.

 

[KristiMc]

I'm very confused. Are there no longer two phones in the rooms? Is it assumed that everyone has their cell phones now so they took them out? I've only been on one cruise, two years ago, and I hadn't heard about this change.

I'm sorry you have an issue with the way I parent, but you do not know our situation nor do you know my child. He is responsible, I don't care if my room isn't done all that much honestly, and he is mature and responsible and we've set many rules in place that I know he will follow. I will be checking in on him often (unless the phones in the rooms are gone, then I guess he'll get one of our phones and we will chat and I'll hope he doesn't lose it). Having auditory processing disorder and not liking the very loud noise in the club doesn't mean that he's so upset that he is in a bad mindset. Thanks for your strong concern, but he will be fine.

The rooms still have two Wave phones.

 

[Cheerio]

We let our children check in/out but only to go back to the room - we had two connecting ones so they knew if someone was in there cleaning to close the doors and stay in the other room. I preferred my kids use a whiteboard in our room vs the wave phones, it worked well for our family. I'd come back to notes from the kids "gone to ride aquaduck" "going to get pizza" it was cute and I could always find them.

 

[jahber]

The rooms still have two Wave phones.

And there are also phones all over the ship (including right outside all the clubs) and every cm has a phone. Given the charge for losing wave phones, we just have our kids use the ship's phones. Once when my daughter couldn't find one, she asked a cm and she showed her where one was. It's not that complicated. (They don't have cell phones.)

 

[alimbrogno]

I worry about this as well. I'm a single parent and my DD will be 11 when we go on our first ever Dis cruise. At home he is very mature and responsible but I don't know if I like the idea of him running all over the ship alone. But if he goes to Edge, I guess i don't have much of a choice if he signs himself out. Do you feel like it is relatively safe for children to be on their own on these cruises?

 

[Krissy22222]

My son's first time in edge, I was very cautious. I would tell him I would meet him at a particular time to pick him up, and if he was not in Edge, I would go in and ask the counselors if they had seen him. He was usually on a scavenger hunt or sports deck and they were always able to help me to locate him. I made sure that if he was on a scavenger hunt, he only went with other kids, not alone. If you introduce yourself and your son the first day, they will get to know you and help you out in cases like this. Maybe explain to them (out of earshot of your son, of course) that you will be a little more protective since this is his first time and he is only 11. Now I am much more relaxed but is is older and knows the ships very well. He even (ack) comes back at 1:00 am some nights all by himself. Why they make the activities go that late, I do not understand.

 

[MUN]

Disney allows kids to check themselves out at the age of 9. Do you think that is too young?

At 10 our youngest joined the Edge for our 2014 Alaska cruise. In 2013 at 9 he was in Oceaneers and didn't have check-out privliges. We felt good about both of those decisions.

MUN