Children's behavior in hotels

[maburke]

On that note, when someone comments on how well behaved my children are they get a treat. So if we are out to dinner and they get a comment we get desert. If we are somewhere else it Sonic or McDonalds ice cream there choice.

Another thing we do is Tinks treasures. Every night when we return from the park they have a gift from Tinkerbell in the room waiting. This helps with the tantrum at the park when they want something we just remind them of the treasure waiting for them. I get sale items from the Disney Store, anything from pjs, stickers, shirts (I would have got for the trip anyway) and little toys. Tink only leaves treasures for little girls who behave and it seems to work for us. Just a few ideas that might help.

What fantastic ideas!! I love the Tink's treasures idea especially. I struggle with how much we buy the kids at the parks. Sometimes I say yes, and sometimes I say no, and I don't think they know why. (You know, too expensive, or we already have something like that, or just they are whining too much and I don't want to reward that.) But I could use the Tink's treasures idea to get them out of the store at that moment, and I could even sneak back and buy that very thing for the Tink's treasure if I were willing, but it was just that behavior that put me off the moment. Tell me, how old are your kids, and when do you put the treasures out -- after everyone leaves in the morning, or before everyone gets back at night?

As for the special needs issues, thanks everybody for sharing and for those who don't have them, for being sympathetic. I can't usually take advantage of any help offered, anyway, but here's what I ask: please, please, just don't give parents that judgmental look or comment. It may be a special needs issue, or it may not, but if it's not, your attitude will surely not make them better parents. Offer help if you want, or if you don't, just go about your magical day.

And for cccdisney and the sleep issue: Melatonin has saved my household from devastation. PM me if you want to know more.

 

[maburke]

I had to sort of laugh when you mentioned about parents ignoring the situation because DS was going through a yelling phase awhile back where he would yell to get a reaction out of us and the only way to try to stop it was to ignore him! It didn't happen too much in public but it was really hard not to at least LOOK like i was trying to stop him instead of just ignoring it since i knew other people were watching. But I know that's not what you meant.

I laughed when I read this, too. If you've done any kind of behavior mod therapy, they tell you to reward good behavior and IGNORE bad behavior. My second child is particularly bad at acting out just for attention. I want a Tshirt that says "I KNOW he's misbehaving. I'm ignoring it. It's a STRATEGY."

 

[cccdisney]

As for the special needs issues, thanks everybody for sharing and for those who don't have them, for being sympathetic. I can't usually take advantage of any help offered, anyway, but here's what I ask: please, please, just don't give parents that judgmental look or comment. It may be a special needs issue, or it may not, but if it's not, your attitude will surely not make them better parents. Offer help if you want, or if you don't, just go about your magical day. Amen!

And for cccdisney and the sleep issue: Melatonin has saved my household from devastation. PM me if you want to know more.

Unfortunately Melatonin no longer works for him. It worked well for a few years - and it will still put him asleep, but he doesn't stay asleep for more than a few hours (even the time release version.) He is now on a combo of two prescription meds. I really should be thankful we are getting mostly good nights of sleep now - we certainly have had worse!

Thanks for thinking of me though!

 

[ykmom]

Unfortunately Melatonin no longer works for him. It worked well for a few years - and it will still put him asleep, but he doesn't stay asleep for more than a few hours (even the time release version.) He is now on a combo of two over the counter meds. I really should be thankful we are getting mostly good nights of sleep now - we certainly have had worse!

Thanks for thinking of me though!

That's the same as our daughter. It still helps her wind down and fall asleep, but she wakes up in the middle of the night almost every night. At least bedtime is no longer a 3 hour battle. Although sometmes 2:00am is so I can also relate

 

[tanyaewa]

"I KNOW he's misbehaving. I'm ignoring it. It's a STRATEGY."

I'd buy one!!!!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

We are getting set for 8+ days staying in a Kid's Suite at the HOJO.

My kids are 3, 4, and 10. Usually in hotels I have pretty high expectations that my kids will keep their voices down in the hotel rooms, not jump on beds, etc. I also ask they walk in the halls and whisper in the halls. While this is something I aspire too, it is hard to always make it happen (especially with young, excited, and tired kids). Sometimes I feel like I'm not having any fun...I'm just reminding kids to be quiet.

For those of you who travel with kids, what are your hotel "rules"? How do you make them work?

For those of you who travel without kids, what are your expectations of the children and their parents in a hotel?

Thanks!

We have the same rules you do- but to avoid feeling like I'm not having fun and just reminding kids to be quiet, we generally just don't spend much time in a hotel. And by the time we're in the hotel, the kids are tired and ready to crash. That's what seems to work for us. LOL