Can You Leave Kids In The Cabin?

[mrsg00fy]

there are a lot of very thought provoking takes on this issue. i, for one, am more convinced than ever, in fact downright scared--to even consider leaving the kids alone.
to me, it is not an issue of what is legal versus not. it is a matter of common sense. children are our most precious blessings and responsibilities. yes, we need to teach them right from wrong and to ultimately exercise their own good judgment. we need to let go at some point. but--on a ship, in the middle of nowhere, with several thousand unknown people, in close quarters, who can see who goes in and out of cabins and with others who have access to your cabins!? why would one ever take a chance of something happening?
i simply cannot understand why anyone would take the risk of leaving a young child unattended. i wouldn't let my child sign out of the club at age 8 , when the ship would have allowed it. i trust my son, but he is a child. i don't trust what i don't know--as in the other people who could hurt him in any way. others have brought up thoughts--choking? sleepwalking? an emergency evacuation? these things are not probable, but they are possible.
when you make your final decision, please take all of this into account.

 

[deedz]

I was wondering - what do people do with their children later evening? Would it be OK to leave the kids (mine are aged 8 and 6) in the cabin on their own? They are not "late birds" and we were wondering about putting them to bed after show and then having an hour by ourselves while they settle and go to sleep. Is there any sort of listening facility on the phone - come to think of it - are there phones in the cabin? I would welcome suggestions.

Can you or Should You?

On a Ship with 3000 strangers! Never.
I applaud DCL for having late night kid clubs, rooms with sofas and verandahs, 24/7 room service, and probably the most Family oriented activities and guests.

I chose this cruise line thinking about when my child needs to go to bed and we want to continue to stay up and enjoy our vacation, hence the extra $$$ for the balcony room!

Think about the "What If's" ...

Life is too Precious. JMO

 

[Cruella]

Cruella

Is your 14 yr Ds happy to sleep in room with parents, i know mine isn't.

Every kid is different. One 14 year old may be more mischevious than another. SO it is the parents choice if they are in your room or not. Maybe your 14 year old son is more mature than mine.

 

[Cruella]

So you co sleep with your kids in case they choke in the middle of the night. Wow! You are a way better parent than I am. I sleep across the hall, and I really doubt I'd wake up in time to perform the Heimlich manuveur.

Where is this coming from? I never said my children sleep with me! You need to re-read what I said!!

 

[flexsmom]

Are you people crazy?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I keep reading the replies on this post, I am absolutely beside myself. I had a friend who threw up in his sleep and choked to death. Do you people actually believe that nothing could happen to your children when they are left alone? Sleeping or not? Well you're wrong. That is why they are called "Children" and "Children" need guidance. We are responsible for them.

Sorry, Cruella, but I interpreted what you said the same way that Crisi did - I think her point was to question what you seemed to suggest - that we "responsible" adults should be with children every single moment since something could happen to them at any moment. But how many of us hang out in our kids rooms every 5 minutes to see if they're choking? Give me a break - we wouldn't know until morning!? That doesn't make me a bad parent. So, while I think I understand the point of your post, I'm not sure I agree with the analogy.

To the OP, we were fortunate and had my parents in the adjoining stateroom to us. They go to bed earlier than us - around 9pm or so, and so once my kids were asleep and mom and dad were ready to settle in, we would go out and leave the door ajar between the two rooms. Of course, my parents went to sleep and weren't monitoring every motion of the kids, but since I'd say that's pretty much the same level of oversight they get when we're sleeping at night at home, I thougt that was responsible enough of us and we went out for a while. Yes, it was a "family vacation", but that didn't negate the value my husband and I put on some quality husband/wife time out - with my kids getting the rest they needed to ensure they didn't have a meltdown the next day. (We were lucky to have mom and dad there, I know.)

 

[GoofyFD]

Wow, when I read this thread I thought it was a joke. As I continued to read, I couldn't believe that it wasn't. I personally would never leave my kids alone in the room for any period of time, whether sleeping or awake.

I don't care how "mature" people think their kids are, 8 & 6 is way too young to be left alone. Again, this is my opinion.

I love my children with all my heart (as I'm sure you all do!) and no "free time" for my DH and I is worth leaving them unattended like that. The chances of something happening is very, very slim but why take the chance? The kids clubs are open until 12 so that parents do not have to leave their children unattended.

I think rather than asking would you leave them home alone at night at this age you should ask yourself, would they be able to get on their lifevests and get to their muster stations without your help and would you want them to?

I know that scenario is a little extreme but there is always the what if. This is my opinion and I don't think less of anyone who thinks it is the right decision for them. We all parent differently. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so worried about them!

Enjoy your trip and you do what feels right for you.

I think you said it all with that SCENARIO!!!!!!
Good job and Amen

 

[Cruella]

Are you people crazy?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I keep reading the replies on this post, I am absolutely beside myself. I had a friend who threw up in his sleep and choked to death. Do you people actually believe that nothing could happen to your children when they are left alone? Sleeping or not? Well you're wrong. That is why they are called "Children" and "Children" need guidance. We are responsible for them.

Sorry, Cruella, but I interpreted what you said the same way that Crisi did - I think her point was to question what you seemed to suggest - that we "responsible" adults should be with children every single moment since something could happen to them at any moment. But how many of us hang out in our kids rooms every 5 minutes to see if they're choking? Give me a break - we wouldn't know until morning!? That doesn't make me a bad parent. So, while I think I understand the point of your post, I'm not sure I agree with the analogy.

To the OP, we were fortunate and had my parents in the adjoining stateroom to us. They go to bed earlier than us - around 9pm or so, and so once my kids were asleep and mom and dad were ready to settle in, we would go out and leave the door ajar between the two rooms. Of course, my parents went to sleep and weren't monitoring every motion of the kids, but since I'd say that's pretty much the same level of oversight they get when we're sleeping at night at home, I thougt that was responsible enough of us and we went out for a while. Yes, it was a "family vacation", but that didn't negate the value my husband and I put on some quality husband/wife time out - with my kids getting the rest they needed to ensure they didn't have a meltdown the next day. (We were lucky to have mom and dad there, I know.)

You were lucky to have your parents right there, and that is something I would have done also, adjoining rooms are the best!
You still don't get what I have posted, Maybe I should re write, because I have got more than a few comments.
One couple had given a 7 & 5 year old room service and they went out for the night and left them alone. I said (my opinion)That I wouldn't have done that, which I meant leave them alone, not only are they to young to be alone but they were eating and could have choked.
Then on another post I had said that I had a friend who had gotten sick in his sleep and choked,
My point is anything can happen. I think people should just take advantage of all the clubs and activities for the kids. They love it and the parents get some alone time., I have not gotten to do these things because I have a young daughter and she goes to sleep very early. But they are there for you to enjoy!

 

[Skywalker]

Cruella, I know what you are saying and just for the record, I agree 100%.

 

[suesings]

I would assume Disney has a policy on this. I know in Vegas there are policies as to leaving a child in a hotel room alone. I don't know if it is a State, Local or Hotel law? Also, here in California when children are left alone and there is a fire or a child hurt, the parents are ABSOLUTELY charged with neglect and various other crimes (unfortunately this has happened too many times in the last couple years)

To the person who had their parents in an adjoining room while they went out - well obviously your kids were not left alone but with their grandparents.

Our neighbor directly across the street is in Prison and has been for Child Molestation. I thought he was a great guy for years. Just because someone is nice does not make them a great guy.

Can you imagine the poor young kids (this obviously doesn't apply to kids over 12!!) in their cabins alone and there is a firedrill or something. Even if their parents make it back to them. Hopefully they haven't been drinking heavily. Wouldn't be able to help their kids much anyhow.

You know the old saying....you can't pick your parents.

 

[married2grumpy]

I am what some may consider an "over protective" parent. I do not let my children play in the front yard unsupervised, I take them to the bus stop, I don't let them go into the restroom or leave the restroom without me. My children are 7,6 and 4. Yes I may be over cautious but it is my job as a parent to protect my children while still allowing them the freedom to grow and mature. It is hard to find that balance.

While a Disney cruise is "magical" there are still real world dangers for unattended children on board. You do not know the backgrounds of the passengers on your sailing. You don't know if any of them are child predators. Didn't someone just post a link to ebay where they are selling Disney cruise line uniforms! Hello, if you are a child molester how easy are we making it for them to harm our children. Like someone mentioned, some of us have our childrens pictures, names and ages listed for all to see on this site. People can view when we are sailing and even what cabin we have been assigned. I'm amazed to see a teens cruising when thread too.

I know from this board the names and faces of some of the children who we will be sailing with us even though these children do not know me. I know their parents names, where they live, what hotel they may stay at prior to the cruise, what flight they took and other personal info about these families. I could easily approach a fellow Dis'ers unattended child and speak with them as if I personally know them and their family. If I could do that so could any predator who wanted to. I'm not trying to scare anyone but it is a scary world.

I have taken many worshops on the dangers of the internet and children, keeping children safe and teaching them to know what is right or wrong. This classes have taught me that there are real dangers out there for children. I sometimes wish I didn't know all this because as they say, ignorance is bliss. The more I know, the less I want to know.

Please, use your best judgement and as I said previously, it is your choice. If you do leave them alone, be sure they know you will be gone and what to do if they need you.

 

[zeke11]

No, I wouldn't do it. On our first cruise our kids were 3, 6 and 7. My dh and I had to go to the midnight buffet separately.

Now that they are 18, 17, and 13 (and a 9yo) cruising is a lot more fun for all of us, I think!

Kris

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Though the law varies from state to state, the minimum age requirement for unattended children is generally 12 or 13 years of age. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign, a national organization dedicated to child safety, recommends that kids not be left alone before the age of 12.

I know that this doesn't apply on a cruise ship, anyway, but the only states with laws governing children babysitting and staying by themselves are Maryland and Illinois. http://www.nccic.org/poptopics/homealone.html

If and when we cruise my children would be 7, 13, 16, and 19. Obviously my older children would be old enough to babysit my 7yo, but since we'd have two rooms, maybe not connecting, I'd need to work through how to handle nighttime situations when my DH and I might want to be out of the room after the 7yo is asleep. I'd probably have him bunk with my older kids and we could pick him up when we return to the room. That's assuming he's not at the kids club, of course.

T&B

 

[suesings]

Last week in my city, there was a Police Officer that was arrested for molesting his 11 month old. YES, I said 11 month old!! Unbelievable, I know. It turns out that the mother had suspicions and set up a video camera. I kept thinking they made a mistake and meant 11 year old, but NOPE it is sickeningly an 11 month old baby. I also saw Ricky Martin on Oprah a couple weeks ago and he is working now protecting children around the world. He said there is a man in prison now for paying $10,000 to have sex with a 5 month old. If that isn't sick, I don't know what is. Sorry but there are just too many freaks in the world for me to ever leave my kids unattended.

 

[dwkwootton]

I've read through this thing twice now and I'm still having a time believing what I'm reading! Leaving a 6 and 8 yr old alone anywhere? Anywhere? Whether there's laws in place or not? And the best ~ how mature are the 6 and 8 yr old? Could someone please tell me that this is a joke and I missed the punchline because I was away for the weekend!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Where is this coming from? I never said my children sleep with me! You need to re-read what I said!!

I think Crisi was just being a bit sarcastic.....

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Ok, don't flame me, since everyone is saying "IMHO"......this is mine. Sorry if it's a little long....

I think each family is unique and different, including children. I think how we raise our children and the decisions we make regarding them have a lot to do with how us parents were raised as children. For example, when I was 10 years old, I was walking home from school a few blocks away by myself, to an empty home, and I did my chores, homework and hung out with my two younger siblings until about 6 pm when my parents came home. Latchkey kids, if you will. I remember being left alone on many occasions when I was even younger. At that age I also knew how to cook simple meals, use a public bus if I had to, use a phone, and other things that in today's world many kids don't have a clue about. My parents both had to work to put a roof over our heads, and they did their best. I would never call them bad parents, they loved us, were wonderful parents and we all turned out just fine. It was a situation that we made the best of and it worked for our family. Someone mentioned in an earlier post that "today's world" is really not much different than it was back then, and it really is true. I think - and again this is only MY personal opinion - that these days our children are so sheltered and coddled by overly paranoid parents that it's any wonder they even know how to wipe their own butts. Now I'm only being sarcastic, but I sort of look at life this way. I'm raising little adults. I want my children to have some street smarts. I want them to be aware of their surroundings and know what to do in situations where I might not be there to handle it or protect them. I want them to be able to learn to protect themselves in case I'm not there to do it. This doesn't mean that I think it's okay to let 5 year old children alone in a room by themselves. But I do want to raise my children to be able to hold their own in the event that I cannot be there. I have 4 children: 9 y/o dd, and three sons, 4 months, 2, and 3. My daughter is a very mature minded child. She helps me at home with her siblings, including her special needs brother. She knows how to change diapers, make bottles, and even change a feeding tube. She knows how to use the phone, and respects all the rules regarding strangers. On our second cruise, she was 7. We gave her a two-way radio, and with detailed instructions - don't open the door for anyone, if she needed anything or felt scared to call us asap, don't leave the room, ect... - we left her in the room for an hour while we saw a show. She watched movies and did homework, and we kept in touch every 15 minutes to make sure she was ok. She did great, and everything was fine. Now I wouldn't leave her at home alone, but mind you, we are on a cruise ship, we were just a couple of minutes away, if the ship was "going down" we could have gotten to our room in plenty of time. She was safe, and fine. The likelyhood of someone getting into our room was next to nil - half the time our own stateroom keys didn't work, and it's not like anyone can barge their way through. We weren't worried at all. My husband is a firefighter/paramedic and he isn't worried about our kids choking in their sleep or on their food when we aren't looking. Maybe our 2 year old, but not the older ones. We are good parents, and our children are our world. Our daughter is 9 now, and we just got back from our third cruise. She was able to check herself in and out of the club, and she and her two same aged friends wandered all over the ship by themselves. They never got into trouble, and most of the time you could find them in the club or the arcade. Late at night, on two occasions, I left her in the room to do her homework and watch over her two sleeping brothers until we returned an hour later. Their grandparents were in the adjoining room, so they did fine. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is a personal decision and what might work for one family may not work for another. That's ok. But it irritates me to see people posting on this topic basically assuming that one would be a bad parent for leaving their child alone. Being left alone in a room on the ship and being left alone at home are two different things and should be viewed as such. And for those dragging legalities and such into it, I think that's going way beyond what the original poster intended. I think some people are being too judgmental and getting a little too hyped up over this. Yes, we all know or know someone who.....you name the scenario here. Bottom line - do what you are comfortable doing. Anyhow, that's just my two cents, and as everyone else has said, IMHO.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

And I almost forgot to add.....

It amazes me how many of the posters lament on the dangers of leaving your children alone and the risk of pedophiles and all that, yet they have their childrens pictures and names on their signatures, and some even put what stateroom they're staying in. All I can say is: Pot. Kettle. Black.

 

[PizzieDuster]

Well, last year I posted a trip report on our 7 day Western.

We had a huge problem with teenagers.

What would happen if someone knocked on door. Then banged on it. Again and again. Ding dong ditch.....

It would scare the crap out of the kids. Would they open the door?

Stuff happens. I wouldn't want to be the first one on a DCL cruise that it happened to.

I'm just saying. Use the kids club. You'd be surprised how cool some kids think it is to lay on a mat to watch a movie with all new friends.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

You said it very well ChrisnSteph.

 

[suesings]

This is a very interesting read...

I always wondered who these people are that we read about who leave their kids alone either in hotel rooms, houses, cars, etc. It is sad to see these parents are everywhere. Makes me want to go hug me kids. I'm sure the people who's houses caught on fire or who have had the police called on them when it is discovered they've left their kids alone in a hotel in Vegas assumed nothing would happen too. What a strange concept to me to ever put my kids potentially at risk. I agree the odds are very low, but the fact that one would take that bet is weird to me.

Just my opinion.