Concerned about kids club

[Chrisey]

I feel bad for the CMs. I think there hands are really tied and there could be a lot of backlash for reporting bad behaviour to a parent etc

On our last cruise I saw a mom speaking with a manager calling a CM a liar for telling her that her kid was misbehaving. The mom said her kid never misbehaves etc.

I think the best thing OP can do is to let the CMs know that you do want to be notified immediately if there is misbehaviour and maybe even come up with a plan of how they can discipline him effectively. I would think if the CM knows the parent will back them up and not report them, they will me a lot more helpful.

 

[lbgraves]

One cruise a 10yo was banned from the Edge the second day due to their aggressive behavior towards other kids & staff, so it does happen. From what our kids told us, this was an extreme case. I don't know if they were allowed in the lab, but I really hope not since if they were too rough for the Edge age group, the kids in the club/lab wouldn't stand a chance.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[KBinCO]

my kids loved the clubs on the ship. It's very kid-led. Unless it's an organized group activity, it is mostly independent play.
We did leave our 4 year old in there on pirate night because our 5 year old wanted to see the fireworks and the 4 year old was not a fan of the early pirate show. It was after 11 when we went to pick her up, and she was curled up asleep in a chair in a room with a bunch of older boys playing video games. As I was waking her, a near fistfight broke out with all the boys screaming at each other. They're kids, it was late, CMs came over and I believe just just to redirect some of the kids. If really worried, I would make sure you keep your wave phone on you and stay within range, so that you can get calls if there are any issues. Or check in every so often. Spend some time at the open houses when you first get on board.

 

[kuhltiffany]

I have a son with ADHD too, we've been on 3 cruises now, the first when he was 7. We did take him to the club during the open house so he could get comfortable, and at first only left him there for short periods so he wouldn't get overwhelmed. He actually did really well!

I have suggestion though, have you tried giving him Omega-3 vitamins? We changed paediatrician's a little while ago who suggested increasing the low-dose I had DS on. Since then we've seen a huge! improvement in his impulsiveness and self-control

 

[CrawfordMomof2]

Thanks everyone here for your responses! We have one child with ADHD (9) and one Autistic child (5) that we sometimes bed to make special arrangements for. We are planning our first cruise for November of 2015, and you have cleared up a lot of my questions

 

[KT2038]

Hi. If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to help you feel more comfortable leaving your son with us °o°

 

[KingRichard]

The nice thing about the Fantasy is there is multiple rooms/area's to play in.

Look for online Pic's.

Go to the open house and stand back. You can become invisible and see how he does.

You can't predict what other children will do, but you will at least get a good feel for yours and increase club time as the week moves on..

My DD started at 3 and now 7 has spent 36 nights onboard and at least 200 hours in the clubs(one sleep over was 15 hours).

You can't drag her out until closing. lol

In all that time we have never seen mobs of kids running around causing trouble as some might have you believe.

We don't just leave her all day and night. She may get checked in 4-5 times a day between all the meals, some excursions and some shows and pools.

Follow the excellent advice many have gave. Talk to CM's at every drop off and start slow.

Your child may get 1 on 1 attention, but it is not guarantied or last for 2-3 hours at a time.

Good luck and have FUN!

 

[NWT]

It's been awhile since our family cruised. My daughters loved the clubs. My younger DD is quite shy and reserved, but wanted to be in the clubs every chance she got. One night, she didn't have us paged for pick up until 11:00 pm!! We had to make a rule with our daughters that the dinner and show were mandatory family time. Otherwise, we would not have seen them on the cruise.

 

[closetmickey]

Well if you knew someone would say it , why post??? If you posted this and then your kid hurt my kid? Hell to pay

This post is upsetting.
To the OP - hope all goes well on your cruise.

 

[lizzi6692]

This post is upsetting. To the OP - hope all goes well on your cruise.

It's upsetting that someone wouldn't be okay with OP's child hurting their child?

 

[jcjen519]

This post is upsetting. To the OP - hope all goes well on your cruise.

I agree. I hope your son is able to be successful in the kids club but either way enjoy your trip.

I think if you talk to the cms when dropping off and ahead they will know to keep an eye out.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[disneydreaminA115]

Well if you knew someone would say it , why post??? If you posted this and then your kid hurt my kid? Hell to pay

She knew someone would say it because people can be ridiculous and thoughtless. You very obviously don't have kids. Almost every child I've ever known has had the capacity to hit, bite, push, etc. They're kids, it happens. We teach them how to handle things appropriately as they get older. A kid pushed one of my girls down at the park a few weeks ago - there was not "hell to pay". The mother handled it and we went on our way. These kinds of questions are best left to people with children. Why would you even bother responding when you have absolutely no experience with this kind of situation and have no reason why it would impact you at all? Just to be rude?

 

[eeyoreandtink]

She knew someone would say it because people can be ridiculous and thoughtless. You very obviously don't have kids. Almost every child I've ever known has had the capacity to hit, bite, push, etc. They're kids, it happens. We teach them how to handle things appropriately as they get older. A kid pushed one of my girls down at the park a few weeks ago - there was not "hell to pay". The mother handled it and we went on our way. These kinds of questions are best left to people with children. Why would you even bother responding when you have absolutely no experience with this kind of situation and have no reason why it would impact you at all? Just to be rude?

I have a child, and I feel that if a parent leaves a child in a situation like the kids clubs where they KNOW their child has the potential to be uncontrollable and seriously injure other children, and they KNOW there is little the adults in charge are allowed to actually do to control unruly behavior that they do bear the responsibility when their child does harm to another child. The counselors in the club aren't going to stop it, they are only going to call the parents AFTER it happens. They cannot punish a child for misbehaving, and won't call a parent unless they are completely irrational, hurt another child seriously, or ask for their parent. It is NOT an environment to leave a potentially violent kid in. She says this kid has seriously injured someone in the past when his behavior wasn't corrected. I don't think the kids club is going to play out well for him, given what I have witnessed there as far as how the counselors are required to handle problem kids. There really isn't anything they can do about misbehavior, it is loud, chaotic, and there is a lot of running, pushing, shoving, ect. Sounds like a recipe for disaster with a volatile child.

 

[ocspartan]

She knew someone would say it because people can be ridiculous and thoughtless. You very obviously don't have kids. Almost every child I've ever known has had the capacity to hit, bite, push, etc. They're kids, it happens. We teach them how to handle things appropriately as they get older. A kid pushed one of my girls down at the park a few weeks ago - there was not "hell to pay". The mother handled it and we went on our way. These kinds of questions are best left to people with children. Why would you even bother responding when you have absolutely no experience with this kind of situation and have no reason why it would impact you at all? Just to be rude?

So if you look back at the original post, it mentions that the posters child seriously injured another child.... I don't need to know the details but, Yes it is safe to say that if my children were seriously hurt by another child regardless of any other factors as was posted "there would be hell to pay". Yes special needs or not children have the capacity to act out... But let me ask you if your child was pushed off of the slide and broke her arm would you have been as forgiving? Or if the mother didn't handle it... And what if you found out this child had done the same thing the week before and the week before that to other kids....Bc knowingly putting your child in situations that could cause harm to others is the parents responsibility if you knowingly know your child has a tendency.

Now this is not to say children of special needs don't deserve to be treated equally and experience things, but likewise that doesn't excuse their actions and demand special treatment from facing the consequences after the fact..... As adults it is the parents responsibility to understand that your right to do something doesn't mean you have the right to but other people at risk. It is the parents job to understand your own child, And to take steps to minimize the risk special needs or not.....Knowing how to introduce a new environment to get the child acclimated as others have mentioned through open houses and talking to the cm's... Is the smart thing to do....

 

[goofyintoronto]

Op: I wouldn't put your kid in kids club. If you KNOW he throws fits and hurts kids why subject other kids to that?? Confused

So it would be best to keep your kid locked up in a room away from other kids? your attitude is disgusting. No sensitivity towards special needs children at all. Wow.

Well if you knew someone would say it , why post??? If you posted this and then your kid hurt my kid? Hell to pay

Again, wow. very sad attitude. nobody wants their kid hurt but really? hell to pay?

It's upsetting that someone wouldn't be okay with OP's child hurting their child?

The issue is the insensitivity towards special needs kids. its how the pp came across, there will be "hell to pay". And also the pp suggested keeping the kid away from the kids club. are you kidding me? they can at least try it (when its not crowded) and see how it goes. if there's issues, then yes, small doses would be appropriate. im sure the mom will figure it out.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

So it would be best to keep your kid locked up in a room away from other kids? your attitude is disgusting. No sensitivity towards special needs children at all. Wow. Again, wow. very sad attitude. nobody wants their kid hurt but really? hell to pay? The issue is the insensitivity towards special needs kids. its how the pp came across, there will be "hell to pay". And also the pp suggested keeping the kid away from the kids club. are you kidding me? they can at least try it (when its not crowded) and see how it goes. if there's issues, then yes, small doses would be appropriate. im sure the mom will figure it out.

I totally understand what you are saying. Special needs kids do deserve to be treated with the same care and consideration as everyone else, but I think it is the responsibility of every parent to know their child's limits and not knowingly put their child in a situation were they are likely to cause harm to others. Yes, if a parent knowingly put their child into a loosely supervised chaotic situation when they KNEW is was likely to cause them to act violently and my child got seriously injured there would be "hell to pay", special needs or not. Sometimes what kids WANT to do is NOT what is best for them or for others. I agree the the PP should try the clubs during open house when she can be there to supervise, and it that goes well, for short periods at low crowd times.

 

[Big Mo]

I wouldn't put your kid in kids club. If you KNOW he throws fits and hurts kids

This is the correct answer, and OP's response was an awful cop out. Kids absolutely do not need to learn to "tolerate" violence. Quite the contrary. It has nothing to do with being sensitive to or accommodating special needs, and the alternative is far from "keep[ing] your kid locked up in a room," as somebody else mentioned. You have no choice but to leave him when you go to work, but on the ship you're not going to work.

Like several people have mentioned, you can just go with him to the open houses. They schedule them every day. He'll be able to do everything the other kids do but with the benefit of you actually being physically present. There is plenty of fun stuff to do elsewhere on the ship (pool, movies, shows, characters, and lots of other activities) when there isn't an open house.