My 3 yr old is new to kids' club - have questions, any tips/suggestions?

[annimal]

Hello,

 

My family is headed back to the Mediterranean this coming May, this time on RC's Liberty of the Seas. My son turned 3 in December and so he is finally old enough to attend the ship's kids' club on his own. On previous cruises, we accompanied him to play with some toys in the club and attended babies & tots classes.

 

Anyone have suggestions for how to integrate a child into the kids' program? Should we stay with him for a few days, hours, etc. at first to see if he likes it? I figured introducing the program to him is probably like introducing him to daycare.

 

Also, my son is generally potty-trained except for naps & bedtime, but he can be shy about speaking up especially with strangers. I am planning to have him use the toilet at the club when we get there as a routine, but I'm not sure what will happen if I leave him there for several hours and he needs to use the toilet. At home, he does not go to the toilet on his own. Rather, he will tell us when he needs to go and we escort him, get up on the stool, help undress him, etc. At school, the kids go in groups with a teacher's assistance. He also knows to tell his teachers if he has to go potty, but who knows if that has actually happened since they take potty breaks often. Do how do I prepare him for going to the restroom on his own? Or would the kids' club staff members help out? For example, if I explained that my son still needs some assistance with using the toilet, would they help him if he tells them he has to go? Or would my son not be allowed to attend the program on his own since he doesn't go to the toilet on his own yet?

[deniuh]

Hello,

 

My family is headed back to the Mediterranean this coming May, this time on RC's Liberty of the Seas. My son turned 3 in December and so he is finally old enough to attend the ship's kids' club on his own. On previous cruises, we accompanied him to play with some toys in the club and attended babies & tots classes.

 

Anyone have suggestions for how to integrate a child into the kids' program? Should we stay with him for a few days, hours, etc. at first to see if he likes it? I figured introducing the program to him is probably like introducing him to daycare.

 

Also, my son is generally potty-trained except for naps & bedtime, but he can be shy about speaking up especially with strangers. I am planning to have him use the toilet at the club when we get there as a routine, but I'm not sure what will happen if I leave him there for several hours and he needs to use the toilet. At home, he does not go to the toilet on his own. Rather, he will tell us when he needs to go and we escort him, get up on the stool, help undress him, etc. At school, the kids go in groups with a teacher's assistance. He also knows to tell his teachers if he has to go potty, but who knows if that has actually happened since they take potty breaks often. Do how do I prepare him for going to the restroom on his own? Or would the kids' club staff members help out? For example, if I explained that my son still needs some assistance with using the toilet, would they help him if he tells them he has to go? Or would my son not be allowed to attend the program on his own since he doesn't go to the toilet on his own yet?

 

Hello there, my daughter just turned 3 and was able to use the kids club on Allure a few weeks ago. I suggest you practice, practice at home so that he will be ready for the cruise. They have a strict policy about kids being potty trained and they try to not to go to the bathroom with them - it's a liability issue for RCCL. Oneday I put my 3 yr old in a pull up because the kid's club staff was taking the kids to a pirate parade in another area of the ship and I was worried if she wanted to go to the potty, they wouldn't be able to stop with so many kids and take her to the restroom. She didn't have an accident but when they saw the pullup they left me a stern message about making sure she was potty trained. So basically, I would work really hard at home to get him to go to the toilet on his own without alot of assistance from you.

 

In terms of integrating your son, you will know if he needs it when you drop him off for the first time. My daughter was clingy the first time but the staff was able to distract her while we were leaving. After that she was volunteering to go to the Kid's club.....good luck!!

[jam82]

If your son is used to daycare, I wouldn't think he'd have any problem adjusting to the kids club. I'd make the expectation clear from the beginning that he will go there on his own.

 

From what I understand, they do need to be totally self sufficient in the potty. If you practice it from now until then, I'm sure he'll be ready. We were in the exact same situation a year ago and I thought my DS would never be ready to go on his own for our May cruise, but he proved us wrong. (DS just turned 4 last month.) It's amazing how much they grow in six months.

[mjkacmom]

Practice at home. It sounds like he's your first - I have 5, and I realized with each next child, how capable children can be. Most 3 year olds are completely capable of dressing and undressing themselves (this was pointed out to me during my first child's 3 year old well visit by the pediatrician). My youngest were able to take care of all of their potty needs before the age of 3, including hand washing.

 

I've also found, especially with some of my clingier kids, it's better not to linger when leaving them places.

[Kerry's Girls]

 

I've also found, especially with some of my clingier kids, it's better not to linger when leaving them places.

 

This was true in my experience. I took the good advice I found here and after assuring my girls I would be back to get them and that I could be reached if needed, I did the drop and run. I've also seen at preschool that the kids will keep crying as long as the mom is there and only stop and join in once the mom leaves. Clearly, it's not something that all moms are comfortable with, but it did work for us.

 

Best,

Mia

[annimal]

Are the restrooms inside the kids' club or are they outside of the club? If they are inside, are they child-size or normal-size? If it's child-size, my son should be able to walk up, pull his pants down to stand up and pee or sit down (do they provide stools to stand on?). However, if it's a normal-size toilet, he would need a stool to get up and a child seat top to sit down and may possibly need assistance.

 

If I or a family member were to stop by at least once an hour to check in on him and escort him to the toilet, would that be frowned up by the staff?

[cb at sea]

You will not be allowed to "linger"....and parents aren't allowed into the club...that's for every child's protection. You wouldn't like it if other adults were "hanging around" your child, would you?

 

You can come and see if and when he's ready to go...if they REALLY need you, they will find you...never fear!

[amistad]

Are the restrooms inside the kids' club or are they outside of the club? If they are inside, are they child-size or normal-size? If it's child-size, my son should be able to walk up, pull his pants down to stand up and pee or sit down (do they provide stools to stand on?). However, if it's a normal-size toilet, he would need a stool to get up and a child seat top to sit down and may possibly need assistance.

 

If I or a family member were to stop by at least once an hour to check in on him and escort him to the toilet, would that be frowned up by the staff?[/quote

The toilets are small, and I think the best thing is to make sure they are wearing elastic waist, nothing to hard to get open or pulled down.

[alj1208]

There's hope your child will be more independent in the bathroom by May. My D.S was trained at 3.5 years old but still needed help with his pants for the first few months. To help him with bathroom independence, I stuck with loose pants or shorts.... elastic only. No buttons or zippers. Nothing cute, unfortunately, just sweats and gym type shorts. Maybe throw in some candy rewards if he takes the initiative and does the pants himself?