Kids clubs and bathroom?

[Shanti]

Lovewinnie, I completely understand your concern, you and I think exactly the same way. I have not sailed on the Dream so I do not know the restroom set up. What I can tell you is that my 9yo had an issue in the Club restroom on the Wonder. She was using the restroom, sitting on the toilet in a stall when the CMs did a "restroom check" as part of their reaponsibilities and a Male CM came in, looked over the doors of all the stalls and he saw our DD sitting on the potty. When she told me about this I flipped out. I went and talked to the manager of the club, a female, and she was SOOO apologetic. I let her know there was definitely a training issue and that their processes needed to be reviewed with their entire staff. There is no way a male CM should be going into the girls restroom EVER. The manager apologized profusely and promised she would follow up with me again and she did. She called me later that day to say they had a meeting to go over processes and she apologized again.

Not good and very worrisome.

Yes, that is worrisome. Thanks for sharing your experience as a reminder that the clubs are not run by teachers or professionals in child care, but by young CMs who have less experience with kids and are much less thoroughly trained & vetted than those who we typically trust to care for our children shoreside.

 

[bbel]

When was that? In 2015 (on the Wonder) parents were NOT allowed in to the club (beyond the check in gates) during closed programming. There was also no one monitoring the restrooms.

No offence but that's completely wrong. I was a YA CM for the whole of 2015 on the Wonder. I can assure parents WERE allowed in the club/lab during secured programming to pick up (just not in the bathrooms).
And there would have been someone outside the bathrooms during secured programming. It's the one place we have to have someone to open. All other areas can be more flexible but the bathrooms (wash) is a must. On all ships.

Wash is actually the joke of the job. "I'm getting paid to stand outside a bathroom".

Even as a CM I cannot go in the bathroom alone. If you come and your kids in the bathroom and you want me to go in and get them, give me a minute to get another TWO, yes two counsellors. Two, so one can come in with me and another to stand outside the bathrooms while we're in there because there always has to be someone outside...

 

[bbel]

Yes, that is worrisome. Thanks for sharing your experience as a reminder that the clubs are not run by teachers or professionals in child care, but by young CMs who have less experience with kids and are much less thoroughly trained & vetted than those who we typically trust to care for our children shoreside.

Wow. Thanks.

Also not true and slightly rude. Have you ever looked at the requirements to be a YA Counselor? They ask for a degree or equivalent in childcare and at least two years working with children.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

When my dd was 6 yrs old we were on the Wonder. I went to check her out of the club. They let me in the club to get her, just before we reached the exit she went running back and went into the restrooms. I knew she was just going in there because she didn't want to leave the club. Before I could get close to the bathroom entrance, several CMs appeared and blocked me from entering the bathroom. I told them that I was just getting my dd, but I wasn't allowed in. They had a CM stationed right by the door, who went and got her. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Thanks for posting this.

Everyone should really talk to their kids about the bathroom and make sure they know who they can go to if they need help. Just don't assume that the kids understand that they can ask the adults if they need something.

This is a great suggestion. DS will be 6 and has been potty trained and is independent, but things happen. I can see if my DS was to have an accident that he would be embarrassed and not sure what to do next if either my husband or I weren't there. Adding it to our "safety plan"

I do not think you are being mean.
My apprehension would be that it is unsupervised. No, I do not think she would be assaulted in the bathroom. However she will be in the kids club with boys up to the age of 12 correct? I just want my child to be safe and I am just questioning the procedures in place to ensure that she is. I would not let my 5 yo child go to the mall restroom here at home without supervision

You make a great point! It's sad to say this, but we don't know the stories of the other children in the club. Please understand, I hate saying that, but it's true. We can only do our best to keep them safe!

OP, you are a VERY good parent.

I agree! While I have a son, this post has brought attention to some things I did not think about! Thank you.

 

[Shanti]

Wow. Thanks.

Also not true and slightly rude. Have you ever looked at the requirements to be a YA Counselor? They ask for a degree or equivalent in childcare and at least two years working with children.

What is "equivalent" to a degree? In my field of working professionally with children, there is no "equivalent". You either have a degree or you don't. Also, the fact that the club CMs are quite young and not highly professional has been true in my experience. My son had a negative experience in a club last week related to one of the CMs, prior posters on this short thread have described a few unprofessional incidents involving club CMs, and in general, I have not experienced them to be highly engaged with the children playing in the clubs. There is a lot of hanging out and socializing with fellow CMs while the kids play, instead.

I'm not saying there are no good kids' club CMs, but as I said before, the overall standard of care is not professional to the degree that most parents would expect shoreside.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

No offence but that's completely wrong. I was a YA CM for the whole of 2015 on the Wonder. I can assure parents WERE allowed in the club/lab during secured programming to pick up (just not in the bathrooms).
And there would have been someone outside the bathrooms during secured programming. It's the one place we have to have someone to open. All other areas can be more flexible but the bathrooms (wash) is a must. On all ships.

Wash is actually the joke of the job. "I'm getting paid to stand outside a bathroom".

Even as a CM I cannot go in the bathroom alone. If you come and your kids in the bathroom and you want me to go in and get them, give me a minute to get another TWO, yes two counsellors. Two, so one can come in with me and another to stand outside the bathrooms while we're in there because there always has to be someone outside...

Thanks for posting this. I appreciate knowing the process. It is also good to know that Disney watches out for their CM's and the children in the clubs.

 

[bumbershoot]

12 year olds babysit.

My son will be taking a babysitting course and we know families who will hire him.

What is the problem with 12 year old boys? Why are you guys so scared of them? My gosh; they are big goofy puppies. My guy played nerf war for hours yesterday with his 8 and 10 year old friends while pausing to take ridiculous selfies (that are just for him as he doesn't have social media) as is voice cracked repeatedly. This is not dangerous behavior.

 

[bumbershoot]

...that's completely wrong. I was a YA CM for the whole of 2015 on the Wonder. I can assure parents WERE allowed in the club/lab during secured programming to pick up (just not in the bathrooms)

Yep.

And they watch the parents to make sure they are in and out.

One evening DS was having such a great time in the dance floor he was "not hearing" me when I was telling him needed to go. So I was there a moment too long and the cms were on top of it.

I have not experienced them to be highly engaged with the children playing in the clubs. There is a lot of hanging out and socializing with fellow CMs while the kids play, instead.

I do agree with this on disney. Unless a kid really gets noticed by them, they take care of the kids en masse, not individually. DS remembers ONE cm who spoke to him as an individual, who chatted with him as a human, because they had dance in common. All the rest just herded the kids like cattle with no real interaction (other than using that condescending "I'm sreaking to children" tone which he is not impressed by).

Of course we've had that issue at the YMCA too. Even gymnastics teachers (who NEED to be truly present) just leaning on things staring off into the distance instead of being with the kids. Come to think of it I'd rather have a 12 year old in charge than a bored 24 year old.

He far prefers the kids club on Royal because they truly interact and play with the kids. Alas he's aged into the teen club there, which he didn't love.

 

[bbel]

What is "equivalent" to a degree? In my field of working professionally with children, there is no "equivalent". You either have a degree or you don't. Also, the fact that the club CMs are quite young and not highly professional has been true in my experience. My son had a negative experience in a club last week related to one of the CMs, prior posters on this short thread have described a few unprofessional incidents involving club CMs, and in general, I have not experienced them to be highly engaged with the children playing in the clubs. There is a lot of hanging out and socializing with fellow CMs while the kids play, instead.

I'm not saying there are no good kids' club CMs, but as I said before, the overall standard of care is not professional to the degree that most parents would expect shoreside.

Equivalent because CM come from many different countries and not all education is classed as the same from different countries...

You're experience? How many CM have you sat down with and discussed they're educational and work background with?
The majority of YA CM are mid 20s and older - pretty much the same age as those on land within the same field. Most of us have worked as teachers, educational professionals, nurses, social workers, managers, mothers before working for disney. But no, I'm not good enough to look after kids on vacation with my education degree and management background...

Yes there is a lot of socializing. That's How We become a team, learn who's good at what so we can direct children with specific needs to the counselors who will do best for them. I challenge you to keep 100+ children entertained and engaged 11 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don't think there's many people that can work 11 hours a day with hundreds of children. I'm yet to work with a counselor who is uneducated, doesn't know what they're doing and doesn't honestly care for the kids. Just because you saw 5 minutes, you don't know what's gone on the other 10 hours that day.


"I'm not saying there are no good guests, the overall standard of care is not professional to the degree that most care providers would expect shoreside."

 

[bbel]

Yep.

And they watch the parents to make sure they are in and out.

One evening DS was having such a great time in the dance floor he was "not hearing" me when I was telling him needed to go. So I was there a moment too long and the cms were on top of it.



I do agree with this on disney. Unless a kid really gets noticed by them, they take care of the kids en masse, not individually. DS remembers ONE cm who spoke to him as an individual, who chatted with him as a human, because they had dance in common. All the rest just herded the kids like cattle with no real interaction (other than using that condescending "I'm sreaking to children" tone which he is not impressed by).

Of course we've had that issue at the YMCA too. Even gymnastics teachers (who NEED to be truly present) just leaning on things staring off into the distance instead of being with the kids. Come to think of it I'd rather have a 12 year old in charge than a bored 24 year old.

He far prefers the kids club on Royal because they truly interact and play with the kids. Alas he's aged into the teen club there, which he didn't love.

I'd love to be able to have more interaction with kids. Unfortunately it just isn't possible. If you're choosing a cruise line that is going to have hundreds of kids on bored then you've kind of got to expect it. If you want one on one go on a smaller cruise line or hire a nanny. On a three day cruise I'm not going to remember 800 children. You do one craft and 30+ children want to join in. You turn on the wii and everyone wants to play. My time is taken making sure the kids are rotating around I pads so everyone gets a go and doesn't complain. I'm trying to find a ball game that the majority of children shed 3-12 can and want to play.
Then there's the way our schedules work. Every half an hour we rotate around and move to somewhere else, so you just get into something and it's time to do something else...

 

[NDFAN89]

I was on the Dream Oct 2016 and there was a kids club counselor standing at entrance of restrooms. every time I went to find me daughter in the club 1-2workers on watch out ar restrooms.

 

[Lovewinnie]

I was on the Dream Oct 2016 and there was a kids club counselor standing at entrance of restrooms. every time I went to find me daughter in the club 1-2workers on watch out ar restrooms.

Thank you!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Someone asked how kids go to the bathroom in their land schools. My kids' school requires all kids to go with a buddy. There are always two kids together, never just one alone. But those kids know each other well. I wouldn't expect one child that's in a club to have to find a buddy for the bathroom when they don't even know most (or any) of the kids very well.

I like the idea that a CM stands outside the bathroom (thanks for that, bbel) to make sure all is well. For a 12 year old, it's probably unnecessary, but for a 3-9 year olds, it can be helpful.

As for the counselors, like anything else, there are probably good and bad ones. Even teachers in a school can be perfectly qualified, but immature... or not. But in fairness, I think Disney could curb the idea that the CMs are not just babysitters with a first aid course, by giving them a title that reflects their education. If not a better title, then at least in the marketing materials from DCL, there could be something about the high qualifications of the CMs in the clubs.

 

[tlprice]

When I was on the Dream(2015) and the Fantasy (2016) there was a cast member outside the bathrooms every time I walked by to pick up my daughter. I think the counselors are great. I spent quite a bit of time in the clubs waiting for my daughter to be ready to leave when I picked her up. I watched the cast members interact, organize, check, clean up, etc. and never saw any of them just socializing with each other which I HAVE seen in all of my experiences in other child care settings. I completely understand working with kids (I started babysitting when I was 12, worked in a daycare center 2 years, was a nanny for 8 years, and have been a teacher for 16 years). I appreciate the youth counselors. It would be like being a substitute teacher all the time. You never REALLY get to know the kids because of the short time with them and so it is very hard to make those personal relatable connections. I had some GREAT interactions with the youth counselors at the whale dig at Castaway Cay.

 

[MunFam]

No offence but that's completely wrong. I was a YA CM for the whole of 2015 on the Wonder. I can assure parents WERE allowed in the club/lab during secured programming to pick up (just not in the bathrooms).
And there would have been someone outside the bathrooms during secured programming. It's the one place we have to have someone to open. All other areas can be more flexible but the bathrooms (wash) is a must. On all ships.

Wash is actually the joke of the job. "I'm getting paid to stand outside a bathroom".

Even as a CM I cannot go in the bathroom alone. If you come and your kids in the bathroom and you want me to go in and get them, give me a minute to get another TWO, yes two counsellors. Two, so one can come in with me and another to stand outside the bathrooms while we're in there because there always has to be someone outside...

No offense taken, but perhaps you were not the counselor that specifically told my husband that he could not enter the club to find our DD (whom the club had "lost"). Turns out...she was moved to the other club. Policy vs what actually happens can be two very different things. I think its pretty ballsy of you to tell me that my experience was wrong. Unless you were in BOTH kids clubs at the same time, every single minute that the kids clubs were open the entire 2015 season, you do not have room to make say "I can assure parents WERE allowed in the club/lab during secured programming to pick up" because was NOT my experience.

I also agree with the others that say that some counselors were just there to provide mass child care...I never saw them actually "playing" with the kids...does that mean it didn't happen, no. But IN MY EXPERIENCE, I never saw it.

 

[bbel]

No offense taken, but perhaps you were not the counselor that specifically told my husband that he could not enter the club to find our DD (whom the club had "lost"). Turns out...she was moved to the other club. Policy vs what actually happens can be two very different things. I think its pretty ballsy of you to tell me that my experience was wrong. Unless you were in BOTH kids clubs at the same time, every single minute that the kids clubs were open the entire 2015 season, you do not have room to make say "I can assure parents WERE allowed in the club/lab during secured programming to pick up" because was NOT my experience.

I also agree with the others that say that some counselors were just there to provide mass child care...I never saw them actually "playing" with the kids...does that mean it didn't happen, no. But IN MY EXPERIENCE, I never saw it.

"parents were NOT allowed in to the club (beyond the check in gates) during closed programming. There was also no one monitoring the restrooms."

I was saying that no one monitoring the bathrooms was wrong (as that was the original point of this thread)! BELIEVE me - there is always someone there! Thats the one thing I can guarantee you, fleet wide!
And if your daughter had been moved to the other club then she was far from 'lost' - and that would be why your husband wouldn't have been let into the original club - because there was no need for him to be in there because your daughter was over the other side. 2015 was pre dry dock for the Wonder so there was no cut through, so the CM could have let your husband in, to look around, to confirm she wasn't there, to leave and go to the other club.

And your point about 'mass childcare' that is the point of us! Look at the spaces, our policies, programmes, they're designed for 100+ children in care at one time. I already mentioned that in a previous post! Thats just how it works and the CM on the floor have very little control over it!

Sure, share your experience, but don't twist it to make people sound bad.

 

[MABrentwood]

I had a great experience with the kids clubs on our last cruise three years ago. My DD, who was four, and alone (no other kids in our party) had a fabulous time. When I went to go pick her up, she was recognized by name by several CMs. I was really impressed that they remembered her name with all the kids in the clubs. I do also rememer noticing that it seemed like CMs were placed at different stations to keep an eye on things - including outside of the restrooms, and that it all seemed very organized.

I also want to say that I appreciate CMs chiming in and offering great insight into how things work in the kids club - we really appreciate you posting on your time off!

 

[TestingH2O]

My almost 4 year old had a blast at the clubs last time. Two things we did that I think helped were taking her for specific activities and talking to the CM's at drop off about making a connection with her. By doing specific activities, bathrooms weren't an issue. Telling the CM's that she might be nervous being a solo kid at least made me feel better though I don't know for sure that it chaged how they interacted with her.

I'm excited for our next cruise after such a positive experience last time.

 

[bbel]

I had a great experience with the kids clubs on our last cruise three years ago. My DD, who was four, and alone (no other kids in our party) had a fabulous time. When I went to go pick her up, she was recognized by name by several CMs. I was really impressed that they remembered her name with all the kids in the clubs. I do also rememer noticing that it seemed like CMs were placed at different stations to keep an eye on things - including outside of the restrooms, and that it all seemed very organized.

I also want to say that I appreciate CMs chiming in and offering great insight into how things work in the kids club - we really appreciate you posting on your time off!

Thank you!
One thing Ive learnt on DCL is how to remember names and faces quickly haha!
I think that one thing people don't understand is that we are stationed somewhere, and we really cant move (unless a major emergency) without the threat of getting in trouble. If Im in Andy's room, Im in Andy's room - if I see something happening on the main floor, I have to try and get the attention of the person stationed on the main floor...
I love my job. Im on vacation right now, but unfortunately, Im pretty sure Im not going back

 

[bbel]

When I was on the Dream(2015) and the Fantasy (2016) there was a cast member outside the bathrooms every time I walked by to pick up my daughter. I think the counselors are great. I spent quite a bit of time in the clubs waiting for my daughter to be ready to leave when I picked her up. I watched the cast members interact, organize, check, clean up, etc. and never saw any of them just socializing with each other which I HAVE seen in all of my experiences in other child care settings. I completely understand working with kids (I started babysitting when I was 12, worked in a daycare center 2 years, was a nanny for 8 years, and have been a teacher for 16 years). I appreciate the youth counselors. It would be like being a substitute teacher all the time. You never REALLY get to know the kids because of the short time with them and so it is very hard to make those personal relatable connections. I had some GREAT interactions with the youth counselors at the whale dig at Castaway Cay.

Thank you! Your comment made my day (small things haha). We're always doing something and have to have a good excuse if we're caught not being busy. If you ever come in to pick up your kids, have a chat to us, we're normal(ish) people, especially if your kids busy doing something, that way your probably gonna get more that the 5 minutes we're meant to allow you, and we love adult conversation with people other that those we literally spend all our working, eating and sleeping hours with haha!