Leavings kids in room alone at night

[honeymo78]

Only you know your child well enough to know how they would handle waking up alone. I don't think 9 is too young to be left alone for a short period of time.

I guess I had horrible parents since my brother and I were often left at home, particularly during the winter when my mom needed to make a quick run to the corner store. When I was 10 I was a latchkey kid and walked home from school, most days with a friend or two, and was home alone for a few hours depending on my parents' work schedule. I also was allowed to ride attractions at disney alone at that age, and we never had walkie talkies. I had behaved properly and earned that freedom.
I plan on allowing my children the same freedom if I believe they can handle it.

 

[stephe1987]

The legal age to be left alone is actually age 12. This law isn't one that is regularly enforced (people don't report each other, and I know lots of people who had their kids be alone at younger ages), but a friend of ours had to arrange childcare for her 11-year-old son last year while she was at work, or she wouldn't have been allowed to continue with the work experience program she was in, and her aid would have been cut off. (The son's school was a little over a quarter mile from their house.) The childcare program the son was in would actually allow him to stay until he turned 13.

My family always had 12 be the age where a kid could stay home alone anyway, so we weren't surprised. I would say older for being alone overnight, but you're going to be on the same ship and come back to the room, so that doesn't really apply.

If you decide to leave the child in the room, I suggest having someone stay with the kid, or just have the kid do the activities until midnight and then you all go to bed at 12:30 or so.

 

[noahdove]

I am another vote for NOT leaving the child alone...too many things can happen...inside or outside the cabin. I guess that is why the kids clubs are there and open late..

 

[mistyandbenjamin]

If something happened would you feel bad about being away? If you want to go clubbing leave the kid with a babysitter at home. I agree with previous posters, neglect. I would also be the person that would report it to the police. It takes a village to raise a kid. Throw flames!

 

[Anjelica]

Another vote for no - I think 9 is to young even if she is a very responsible person. I wouldn't worry about her per se but what if someone tried to get into the stateroom when you aren't there? If there was a older sibling that was 13+ and responsible I would say fine.

Like others have posted - you may be surprised at how much time you and your husband will have without the kids as many times our kids never wanted to leave the kids clubs.

Enjoy the cruise!!!

 

[HappyontheLake]

Our two little ones (who were 6 and 8) stayed LATE in the kids club. The 6 year fell asleep watching a movie and the 8 year stayed up and played. Both actions were true to their personalities. Our 11yo and 14yo didn't come back to the room until 2 or 3am each night ... they had lots of new best friends that cruise. But they ate breakfast with us each morning because they had too -- their gluten free breakfast (all four kids and myself have celieac disease) was only being served in Lumiere's by our head server.

Leave them in the kids club -- it is their for a reason and your pager exists for that reason.

 

[Dicecatt]

The legal age to be left alone is actually age 12QUOTE]

I believe it varies by state, actually, it isn't a federal law. That may be the law in your state, but it isn't in Missouri.

I'm not arguing pro or con for the 9 year old in the cabin, FYI...but some states don't even have laws that are for minimum age to be left alone. I'm also fairly certain no law like that exists in the Bahamas, lol, where the ships are registered. Although they do enforce 21 as the drinking age onboard while it is 18 in the Bahamas so who knows

 

[bailey3131]

I agree 1000%---------NO way!!!! I would be terrified the entire time that something would happen. We have to remember that they are still little kids and no matter how responsible they are, accidents happen. Kids are curious and could have a DUH moment!! What if they decided to wake up and really wanted to take a bath and then fell asleep in the tub and drowned??? Or they were thirsty and wanted a drink from the drink station and left or they wanted to find you cause they were scared??? No kids are that responsible 100% of the time.

Just my 2 cents

 

[JenKatt]

The legal age to be left alone is actually age 12. This law isn't one that is regularly enforced (people don't report each other, and I know lots of people who had their kids be alone at younger ages), but a friend of ours had to arrange childcare for her 11-year-old son last year while she was at work, or she wouldn't have been allowed to continue with the work experience program she was in, and her aid would have been cut off. (The son's school was a little over a quarter mile from their house.) The childcare program the son was in would actually allow him to stay until he turned 13.

My family always had 12 be the age where a kid could stay home alone anyway, so we weren't surprised. I would say older for being alone overnight, but you're going to be on the same ship and come back to the room, so that doesn't really apply.

If you decide to leave the child in the room, I suggest having someone stay with the kid, or just have the kid do the activities until midnight and then you all go to bed at 12:30 or so.

There's no such law in Florida. In fact most states there isn't such a law, just "word of mouth".

 

[latinqt]

Another vote for No. I would think the kids club would be better.

 

[clawmachine]

What kind of concerns me is that on this open forum, for all the world to see, people are frequently posting all kinds of photos and identifying information, including their vacation date, kids' ages and sometimes even their room number. I've done some of that myself.

I'm pretty trusting generally speaking, but it only takes one sick individual to take advantage of this information for illicit purposes...

 

[paceyswife]

What kind of concerns me is that on this open forum, for all the world to see, people are frequently posting all kinds of photos and identifying information, including their vacation date, kids' ages and sometimes even their room number. I've done some of that myself.

I'm pretty trusting generally speaking, but it only takes one sick individual to take advantage of this information for illicit purposes...

I was just thinking that myself. I recently read a thread that made me wonder who really wrote it. It was from a twelve year old girl looking for other girls her age who would want to be friends on the cruise. You really don't know who is reading or writing these posts ( I tend to be quite trusting) but you just never know.

I would have to say NO as well. Would you feel comfortable leaving your child in a hotel room and go out? It only takes a blink of an eye for something to happen.

 

[tiggspring]

That is how I feel too, I don't want to do it. But DH does and thinks she will be ok. She doesn't wake up afraid and is pretty responsible. But I will probabaly just put her in the kids club and she can fall asleep in there if she gets really tired. I will feel much more comfortable doing that.

My question is would you leave your child sleeping in a locked car in a busy town with a population the size of a cruise ship? That is basicly what you are doing. There are alot of stangers on the ship and it only takes one to hurt your child. Children sleep soundly my dont even wake up with an alarm clock. Are you sure she would wake up if somone entered the room even if it was just to do some sort of service like turn down? I wouldnt do this until she was old enough to stay home alone unless she had a buddy. The ship may have a rule about this as well. I know our local family theme parks states anyone under 12 cannot be alone at all.

Just a thought.

 

[JenKatt]

My question is would you leave your child sleeping in a locked car in a busy town with a population the size of a cruise ship? That is basicly what you are doing. There are alot of stangers on the ship and it only takes one to hurt your child. Children sleep soundly my dont even wake up with an alarm clock. Are you sure she would wake up if somone entered the room even if it was just to do some sort of service like turn down? I wouldnt do this until she was old enough to stay home alone unless she had a buddy. The ship may have a rule about this as well. I know our local family theme parks states anyone under 12 cannot be alone at all.

Just a thought.

Straight from a cast member, at WDW it is 7. Anyone over 7 can be along in a park.

 

[LaurenLC]

No, I wouldn't leave a child that age alone.

 

[Super*Mum]

7 at WDW???????? I really can't believe that. Crazzzzy.

On my last cruise (not DCL) I would only leave my 9 year old in the morning while brushing his teeth to go up to the buffet (we were the floor below and our cabin was right by the stairs that led directly into the buffet) to grab a couple items. If I was in the buffet and he was standing outside the cabin, I could hear him scream (I know this because there were kids who were yelling their requests up to their parents every morning). I was gone less than 5 minutes each day but it was nerve wracking. My child is, hands down, the most responsible child in the world. If there were no outside crimes in the world he would be the one to trust implicitly. However, if I was nervous for those 5 minutes... I would be wayyyyyyy too nervous to go to a bar and enjoy myself.... and if I'm shelling out that kind of money for a drink... I want to be undisturbed and HAPPY!

The kids club on our last cruise was terrible. There were 10 kids on the ship TOTAL. A couple were teens, three were toddlers, and the other five were from 5-12 years old. Even with that shabby of a club my son still loved it and would often ask to go. I would imagine DCL would be 100 times more fun and your child will be begging you to go to the club for the night and stay up well past his bedtime! That is the fun of trips for kids: relaxed rules on bedtime, treats, and swimming.

 

[mhsjax]

The legal age to be left alone is actually age 12. This law isn't one that is regularly enforced (people don't report each other, and I know lots of people who had their kids be alone at younger ages), but a friend of ours had to arrange childcare for her 11-year-old son last year while she was at work, or she wouldn't have been allowed to continue with the work experience program she was in, and her aid would have been cut off. (The son's school was a little over a quarter mile from their house.) The childcare program the son was in would actually allow him to stay until he turned 13.

My family always had 12 be the age where a kid could stay home alone anyway, so we weren't surprised. I would say older for being alone overnight, but you're going to be on the same ship and come back to the room, so that doesn't really apply.

If you decide to leave the child in the room, I suggest having someone stay with the kid, or just have the kid do the activities until midnight and then you all go to bed at 12:30 or so.

Maybe in Ca but in Florida there is no law, it has been a topic on the news on several occasions, it is left up to the parent. Obviously, not a baby or toddler, but within reason the parents decide.

 

[PizzieDuster]

After watching Lovely Bones on my TV today...never! That movie scared the day lights out of me. I usually pick up my daughter from school at the sidewalk by the buses but today - rain and all I was in front of her class room. And she's 12 I was going to let her check herself out of the club if she met a friend, but now, no way!!!!

 

["Got Disney"]

My take is leave her in the club...by the time everything winds down so will you and at that time the club will be closing. When my kids were young we had to drag them outliterally

I dont know if they still do this but the ship also use to be able to recommend babysitters that would come to your room and babysit....they were cast members and such and those that worked in the kids clubs but were off for the night . They charged like 12 bucks an hr. But that was a long time ago. when you get there you can ask at the desk. Also let me mention that at that time my one son was to young to go into the kids club...before they had the nursery.

I always found that by the time the kids clubs closed I was so done after such a long day. Not to mention by late night the ship is empty.

I dont recall....have you been on the DCL before?

my boys have had run of the ship since they were 11 and 14...own keys..but they are DCL grown....they know the ropes. And we had a white board in the cabin that they needed to check in at every 2 hrs but DH and I were always seeing them sooner than that. This is the first year they will have there own cabin.....but they will be 14 and 17.

So i say wait another year or so till she is around 11 or 12....than she will be a little older...have a great awesome cruise!

 

[Susie22]

According to Disney cruise lines 8 year olds are free to check themselves in and out of the clubs as they see fit. I would be MUCH more comfortable leaving my 9 year old in a locked room by herself than allowing her to wander the ship as she pleases. If she had a walkie talkie and I wasn't far away, and she was asleep, sure I would do it for an hour or so. Flame away. I know plenty of 9 and 10 year olds who babysit (not my kids, I think it's too young, but I know lots of people who do it). I really don't think it's a big deal.