Allowing Kids to Check Themselves In and Out of Kids Club

[Quincella]

My family (DH, DD16, DD10, DSD9 and I) are going on the NCL Epic in April.

 

NCL allows kids to sign themselves in and out of the Kids Club at 8. When DD10 was 8 I did not allow her to sign herself in and out. However, now that she's 10 I really have no problem with it as long as she abides by the rule, which is if she's not in the club she's in the cabin. Period. Unless she's with her sister (DD16), in which case as long as they leave me a note (or text me with the Epic app) where they are I'm fine with them milling about. They are experienced cruisers and I think they'll be fine. DD10 has also already been on this ship before. It's no different to me of them wandering around my neighborhood or walking up to the store or whatever.

 

That said, DSD9 is not an experienced cruiser, or experienced anything, really. She's quite sheltered, and said she thinks she might be scared to leave the Kids Club, or leave the cabin to go to the club, without an adult anyway. That tells me she's probably too young to do so.

 

Certainly I'm not going to force her to do it, but I don't really want to penalize DD10 and force her to stay, either, when I think she's responsible enough to come and go within the confines of the rules. DH wants them to stay together so we don't have to keep track of two kids in different places. I don't really think it's a big deal, honestly. The club is one deck about our rooms, on the same end of the ship.

 

I think we should allow DD10 sign-in/out privileges but not allow it for DD9 (she doesn't really want it anyway). DH thinks we either need to allow it for both and force them to stay together, or allow it for neither. I see his point, but if it were just me with my girls, I'd allow it for DD10 by herself.

 

Before you give your opinions (and yes, I want them), I do know that it's a big ship with thousands of people and anything could happen. I've considered the risks, just like I considered the risks when I decided to let DD10 walk home from the bus stop by herself. I think that odds are they'll be fine.

 

So, what would you do? Have you been in the same circumstances yourself?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

It sounds like the 9 year old doesn't necessarily want to hang out all the time with the 10 year old. So don't force it by making them a team. I don't think you should give both of them signing out privileges because if one wanted to leave that would force the other to leave.

 

The 16 year old shouldn't really factor in. A 16 year old probably isn't going to want to be a built in babysitter for the other two. Give her room to breath and take this responsibility off her.

 

You and your husband can easily check on the younger two periodically (every couple of hours) to see how they are doing and if they want to leave.

 

You would either be checking out the kids club or the room- so just go and check to see how they are doing at the youth program.

[Quincella]

It sounds like the 9 year old doesn't necessarily want to hang out all the time with the 10 year old. So don't force it by making them a team. I don't think you should give both of them signing out privileges because if one wanted to leave that would force the other to leave.

 

The 16 year old shouldn't really factor in. A 16 year old probably isn't going to want to be a built in babysitter for the other two. Give her room to breath and take this responsibility off her.

 

You and your husband can easily check on the younger two periodically (every couple of hours) to see how they are doing and if they want to leave.

 

You would either be checking out the kids club or the room- so just go and check to see how they are doing at the youth program.

 

Actually, it's opposite. The 10 year old doesn't always want to hang out with the 9 year old! Either way, I don't think we should force them to be together all the time if they don't want to, but DH thinks it would be "easier" for us if there were. Probably, but still....it's their vacation, too, in my opinion.

 

The 16 year old won't be forced to hang out with the youngers, but she doesn't mind it sometimes and actually offers. I should have made that more clear.

[mjkacmom]

Won't they be in different groups anyway?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I checked the NCL site and the 9 year old will not be able to sign out. The 10-12 year olds can.

[Quincella]

I checked the NCL site and the 9 year old will not be able to sign out. The 10-12 year olds can.

 

Really? Oh! Well I had it wrong all along anyway! I could have sworn they could at 8. I'm 99.999% certain they could in 2010, but if they can't now then it's a moot point anyway.

[Quincella]

Won't they be in different groups anyway?

 

Well...ummm...yes. :o

 

As of the time I booked this cruise they would have been in the same program. I just looked at the website, and you're correct...they have changed the age groups so they won't be in the same one anyway.

 

I guess that solves that.

[dsrdsrdsr]

I shouldn't worry about the 10 year old. At 10, I was able to go to school 15 miles by train, with a 1 mile walk at the other end, and get home again at night. And for double points, in winter I could do it in the dark. A cruise ship would be a doddle by comparison. A child could do it. :)