parents with active kids please ease my fears!!

[ruttie]

Ok i leave in 2 weeks and i was up all night worrying... My 4 year old boy is very active. I am starting to worry that he will fall overboard etc.. please help ease my fears. I know i know he is not that bad but he does have his moments like yesterday he woke up said he was stitch all day and his mission was to destroy and he proceeded to nock down anything he could growl and roar in public and even jump into teh dsiplay bouncy thing at BJs wholesale club. I was right there I am not one of those parents that does not supervise and he got out after a minute but.. hey he just jumped in how was i suppose to know.. so I guess I am just worried that the kids club will not supervise him well and he will get away. He goes to day care and we have never had a problem but.. i guess i am just really worried that the imp in him will come out.. any one out there who has and active toddler can you please tell me how it went. I would not even worry except that it is a boat and all. I mean he is not bad well he can be sometimes but he is all boyoh i will be quiet and go to worjk hopefully when i come home you guys will have eased my fears a litttle or told me to psck it up and leave him with grandma.. (can't shge is coming)
Oh by the way we are disney passholders go all the time so he know how to behave in public hold hands not run away etc.. I hope no one tells me to get a leash for him because that snot what i mean by being bad he doe s not run away or anything lie that he just welll.... parenst I ma sure you knwo what i mean.

 

[musicgirl]

It sounds like you have what my mil says about her boys (6 total) when they were growing up. They were house devils but street angels! You just might want to make sure you skip the Stitch character greeting!!! LOL

Just make sure you stay on top of him and set the rules (and stick to them!). Tell him that if he doesn't behave in the club, they will call you. I have heard of this happening. I love my sister and my godson, but he almost ruined our trip with all the whining and not listening. He should have been taken out of many situations immediately. Perhaps if this had happened right away, it would have set a standard.

Don't just let up because "he is on vacation", everybody else is too! I'm sure you know that already. If he likes arcade games, perhaps this can be used as a reward.

And don't worry about him falling overboard, although I worried even with my ds when he was 11!!! The railings are pretty high.

And don't worry about him growing up and behaving, because as the songs says...Then they do! My ds-13 was just like yours-all boy!!! We had to stay on top of him every minute!!! Well, he never knocked anything over in a store. (LOL) But he had his moments! He has turned out to be a very nice young man. We do see the ugly teenager rear it's ugly head every once in a while. We still keep on him, but it does help that dh and I teach in his school!

Relax and Have fun! Lorie

 

[plutospup]

...Hmmm...I don't know who would win that contest.

Your son will be fine. As mentioned above, just keep an eye on him as you normally would. Remember, it's a Disney ship. They are use to seeing young boys and girls. There's not much tht would surprise the CM's.
Even though we're at dinner with linen napkins, and more forks than usual it's quite acceptable to have a chocolate covered child after a Mickey Ice cream bar dessert.
Have a great vacation!

 

[MrsPete]

I was worried about my two daughters falling overboard too, but once I actually saw the ship I quit worrying. On Deck 9, the main outdoor deck, the entire place is surrounded by ceiling-high plexiglass walls so that you can see the ocean but literally cannot fall off. Up on Deck 10, the railings have plexiglass on the inside, so climbing on them is impossible.

In a moment alone, my husband and I actually walked around the ship looking for a place where you could fall off. We decided that there's one spot on Deck 4 (near the lifeboat gates) where an adult could climb over the rails and jump on purpose. We didn't find anyplace where a child could accidentally go overboard.

 

[momm2four]

Oh my! That is so funny b/c I was awake the other night around 1 am and I was lying there thinking about my boys. My then 10 year old will probably be allowed to check himself out, and I will prob. let his 8 1/2 yr old brother walk around with him, but I kept having this horrible vision of them having some hair-brained idea, like "Lets see if we can stand on the outside of the railing".

I realize this is really silly b/c they're smart boys and haven't done anything like this before. It does make me feel better to hear about the plexiglass, though

Lori P.

 

[kcashner]

There is no way that anyone could accidentally fall overboard--the railings are all high and most/many have plexiglass in addition to railings. There are some places on decks 10 and 4 where one could theoretically climb the high railings intentionally, but this would take some serious intent....and decks 4 and 10 are not normal "kid" areas. Deck 4 has the running track and lifeboats, and 10 has the sports deck, adult restaurant, etc. My DD likes to go up on 10 to feel the wind, but I do require supervision up there.

As to rowdy kids...there is a behavior standard to be met in the club/lab/stack. The kids are nicely told the rules, and then expected to comply. There is a "warning" system, and then a child will be not allowed back. However, the issue isn't on the level of being "all boy." The issues are things that involve health and hygeine (like biting, inability to control bodily secretions), foul language, and refusal to obey the counsellors. The counsellors are great with kids.

So...stop worrying and have a great trip!

 

[4nana]

Our family traveled with 7 grands, ages 1 - 15. I had my reservations how all the excitable cousins would be on the ship for one week also. We talked about the rules beforehand. However, to my surprise they did exceptionally well, especially at dinner, shows, etc. We did make sure the little ones (and old ones) LOL, got a rest period during the day.

Enjoy, have fun, do not stress about your 4 yo. You will be among many excited children and adults,
all having the time of their lives!!

~ Sandie

 

[clarabelle]

Another idea in addition to all the good posts you have gotten. Bring along some small toys/ coloring books for waiting in lines, bus rides on excursions etc..
I love Dover Publications: www.doverpublications.com
They have all these little activity books for about 1.50$.
Stickers, mazes, coloring books. Before I go on vacation I order some and keep them in my purse (they are small) then I whip them out when the kids are getting restless.

 

[Billinaz]

I was worried about the same thing.

After I saw that all the railings were covered by tempered glass (at least the ones on my veranda was real glass, not plexi)

I did not think any kid could get over the side without pushing a chair up to a rail then climbing it.

 

[Gupsmom]

You'll be fine...once you see for yourself how safe it is.

I have 3 small children. We had done a Carnival Cruise with them when they were 2, 3 1/2 and almost 5. I was a wreck. Then we did DCL last year (kids were 3, 4 1/2 and 6). It was so much better. The pool deck was so safe that I was able to sit my kids at a table and walk 20 feet away (with them in sight) to get their juice from the beverage island. Believe me, I wouldn't have done it if there was absolutely any chance they could have fallen overboard. The plexiglass is literally higher than some of my ceilings.

Before our DCL I actually had nightmares about the kids onboard (because I was so uncomfortable with Carnivals railings). Now were approaching our Easter cruise (kids are 4, 5 1/2 and almost 7) and I'm totally relaxed about it.

As for behavior.....nobody has perfect kids. I would think that as long as you're on top of your child and make sure he isn't interfering with anyone else's good time, he'll be fine. This is Disney, so those councelors are dealing with all sorts of kids. I don't think they're going to be uptight about normal child like behavior. Plus, as you said, your child acts fine for others (usually a good sign of some positive parenting).

Jess

 

[ruttie]

Thanks you guys i am starting to feel better already.. he really is a good kid but... he has his moments. I guess should consider myself lucky he will behave at dinner in lines etc.. its not that but if waiting in line he has an oppurtunity to climb,jump, DESTROY like sticth, he will try to takle it and he is quick he stops but.. usually the damage is already done.

 

[plutospup]

Originally posted by ruttie
.. he really is a good kid but... he has his moments.

Funny...my DW says the same thing about me!