Share a good story involving kids for a change!

[stargate fan]

It is very hard for me to read all these "horrible kid" stories on this website.

Surely someone has come across a kind child, a well behaved child, etc.

We have two sons who are now 17 and 14.5. They are very good boys. We are very strict parents. The two go hand-in-hand. They have been on two cruises and are going on their third next year.

On one of our sea days on Rhapsody, my husband and older son went to the dining room for lunch for a change. They came back an hour later complimenting the meal. Our 11.5 year old then told us he was going to the dining room himself. He did not want any company. He came back an hour later, also complimenting the meal.

As we were laying on deck, and elderly couple came to us and asked if the boy was our son. We replied that he was. They proceeded to say such nice things about him...he had great table manners, he held up conversations with the other guests seated at the table, he said "please' and "thank you" to everyone. Of course we were thrilled and proud. This happened two more times to us in the course of the afternoon.

So, let's hear some good stories about kids for once. Surely there are others that know how to behave. Other people must have good experiences.

[Bonnie&Rob]

A few years ago DH & I were waiting in a restaurant for a table when we overheard a young, familar voice offer his seat to a someone. My son, 17 at the time, was there with friends and had gotten up to give the seat to the older woman with a cane, just like he had been taught. The woman had walked through a hord of adults who looked the other way, and was happy to tell my son what wonderful manners he had.

 

The best part is that he had no idea we were there, we were around a wall in the bar area when we heard him and peeked around the corner just in time to see his bright pink face as the woman patted his cheek.

[boondocks]

My group of 4 adults were put at a table of 8 on a cruise. We assumed that it would be 4 other adults sitting with us, but to our surprise it was a family with 2 kids, ages 12 and 15. We expected the worst (of course, seems like all you hear are the bad kid stories) but were pleasantly surprised by the behavior of the boys. They were polite and very well mannered, and I must say quite likeable! We even found ourselves playing shuffle board with them by the end of the week.:) I think it was a nice break for them away from their parents, and a nice break for us since kids of that age seem to know how to have a lot of fun no matter what!

[PVDCruiser]

Well you see...I am just so awesome that...

 

Oh wait...stories about OTHER people. :-D

[Rik2084]

Congratulations to Stargate and to Bonnie & Rob. I've always believed that children are a reflection of their parents and you should all be proud. I have two daughters Amanda (9) and Kayla (5) and always get glowing reports on how well behaved they are. Although I'd like to take credit for this, I have to admit that most of the credit is due to my wife's hard work as a stay at home mom (one of the hardest jobs around). And if you don't believe that parents affect their kids this way, the next time you see unruly kids around, watch and see how their parents act. They're usually the ones cutting lines, cursing, throwing their garbage on the ground, treating the staff like third class citizens (all behavior I've witnessed on previous cruises).

 

Rick

[Travelgrrl]

I have caught my kids having nice manners on cruises too - they hold open doors, let adults into elevators first, give up seats to elders, etc. Can't think of a recent story, but a cute one comes to mind: took my then 11 year old daughter and her friend to London then on a transatlantic cruise; they bought tiaras in London and wore them on the formal nights; the Cruise Director's staff just loved them and called them "Princesses" all week. They certainly looked sweet - and at that age when they would still wear a tiara!

[alw1977]

This didn't happen on a cruise, but at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Usually, people let their kids run wild in Mexican restaurants, I guess because they assume the atmosphere is "festive." Usually, these sorts of children go far beyond "festive" into "obnoxious." Recently, we saw a table of four adults with six children. Though outnumbered, these parents had an eagle on their kids... and everytime the decibel level went above a normal speaking voice, the kids were quickly and quietly reprimanded. They were also promptly told to sit down when they got the restless desire to run around the restaurant. My husband and I are relatively young working professionals without kids, and knowing we'll likely have them in 3 to 4 years, we always watch and admire parents who realize that their kids aren't cute to everyone... especially when they're loud.

[ThysFamily]

We will be cruising in November with our 4 year old and have no hesitation bringing him with us. Parents have to set the example - rude parents=rude children. My husband and I try to set good examples and our son knows that manners are important. Now, mind you, he is four and there are some lapses but nothing a stern look from Mom or Dad can't cure.

 

Happy cruising!

Nadine

[imsulin]

Well....guess I'm known for preferring cruises with as few kids as possible, BUT....On a Christmas cruise on the HAL Zaandam a few years ago, I noticed a lady with three young daughters...the oldest being about 3 1/2. Of course, my first thought was..."Oh, dear!" Well, these were three of the cutest and sweetest things! Mom walked them all over the ship, I saw them in the Lido, they ate in the dining room a couple of nights, went swimming, and not a peep/squawk/tantrum/non-stop crying ad infinitum anytime I saw them! Other passengers also commented on how sweet these little girls were, and Mom was as nice as could be...Dad, too, as he did his share of holding and cuddling. I was very impressed (and jealous, trying to remember a single day when three of my five were that good!)

Man...I can't believe I posted this!

[knothead]

I'm so glad to hear about well behaved children! We chose not to have children, so we try to plan our trips when most children are in school! It's not that we dislike kids we are just not used to been around them so they tend to get on our nerves a bit. I was taught manners and it seems that kids now days do not even know what the word means much less how to go about doing them. So from someone without kids thanks for raising your kids with manners! Hope to enjoy your kids on our next cruise!

[harrodsfan]

Our son John's first cruise was the seabourn Legend Greek Islands when he was 12.

He and a darling English girl were the only children aboard. John made friends with everyone. He loves sports and would watch espn and update the men on the sports scores when he was in the Jacuzzi. The owner of the Pittsburg Pirates was on the ship and asked to have John and us sit with him on formal night. .

The last day the Captain had heard so much about the two wonderfully behaved children that he had them for lunch. (Not us..them!) They had a delightful time.

(Of course we started traveling and going out to nice places with John when he was very small. He loved dressing up and is quite a gourmet eater.)

[rfische1]

I have two experiences from my cruise on Mariner of the Seas last October.

 

My DW works nights and the when she is off, she goes to bed early. Anyway, I was out walking around the ship and I noticed a large group of "pirates" around 6-8 years old making lots of noise on their way to the dining room during late seating. I happened to know some of these pirates, so I followed. What I observed next was too precious for words. The pirates had gathered on the steps near the captain's table and were taunting him and his family. They then "pirated" the ship from the captain. This was all part of the Adventure Ocean program.

 

My other experience started when I saw came across some young teens making lots of noise outside cabins (ours included) on deck seven. I was annoyed and let them know that it was 1:00 and that they were making way too much noise. One of the boys was even playing around with a wheelchair he had found. End of situation, or so I thought. The next afternoon I heard that some young girls were looking for me. They had come to appologise for last night. I was choked up by this and said that all was okay. Totally unexpected.

[Murphy]

A few years ago we were sailing on the Celebrity Galaxy and it seemed like every night when we left our cabin to go to dinner, the family of 3 down the hall from us were leaving too and we all got on the elevator together. The little girl was about 6 or 7 and was always dressed to the nines and was just adorable. Their table wasn't really close to ours, but you could see it from our table and I noticed the wine steward had really taken a shine to her. He led her in the parade around the dining room one night and was always teasing her. Well after I saw that, the next time we met at the elevator, I asked her if the wine steward had taught her about wine tasting yet and she giggled. We had been to a wine tasting that afternoon and had a couple of those wine tasting cups on a chain (can't remember the name of it) and asked her parents if it was ok for her to return to our cabin and I would give her one. She was so polite about it and wore it into the dining room that night. Needless to say, the wine steward made another fuss over her and her tasting cup. It was just nice to see such a well behaved child enjoying the company of adults.

[VACruzin]

This happened on my recent Mariner cruise. One day I encountered the dreaded "elevator riders". These 5 teens were hanging out in the elevator riding up and down but weren't loud and had not pushed all the buttons so I didn't think too much about it. As the week went on, I encountered those same teens several times riding the elevators. Usually I was either alone or with one or two other people. One afternoon, again I was on the elevator with these kids, however, it was a busy time and the elevator was getting quite full. We stopped on a deck and more people wanted to get on but would obviously not fit. These teens very politely said "excuse us, we will get off so that family can get on". :) What a nice gesture. I don't understand the appeal of riding the elevator but at least they knew when their behaviors were impacting others and acted appropriately.

[Soxfan05]

This happened on my recent Mariner cruise. One day I encountered the dreaded "elevator riders". These 5 teens were hanging out in the elevator riding up and down but weren't loud and had not pushed all the buttons so I didn't think too much about it. As the week went on, I encountered those same teens several times riding the elevators. Usually I was either alone or with one or two other people. One afternoon, again I was on the elevator with these kids, however, it was a busy time and the elevator was getting quite full. We stopped on a deck and more people wanted to get on but would obviously not fit. These teens very politely said "excuse us, we will get off so that family can get on". :) What a nice gesture. I don't understand the appeal of riding the elevator but at least they knew when their behaviors were impacting others and acted appropriately.

 

All of these stories are great and I commend the parents but this one and the one about the kids making noise in the hall and coming to apologize are especially so. These are instances of kids being kids and not perfect angels. That's the sign of a healthy kid, with a healthy upbringing who is able to self regulate but still has a spirit of adventure. Nothing wrong with that!

[didan]

I wanted to add a couple of stories myself. Several years ago, when my nephew was about 6 or 7, he and my niece started running ahead of me. Seeing an older woman struggling to step up onto a little platform, I was about to yell at them to slow down and be careful, when my nephew came to a stop, turned to the woman and offered her his shoulder to push on if she needed help. The woman was taken aback, but grateful and took him up on his offer.

 

Later in the day, my 3 nieces, 8, 6, and 4 at the time, were playing in the pool and being kids, started splashing a bit and splashed a couple of older woman who promptly got out of the pool. My BIL spoke with the kids and scolded them. They had not realized what they had done, but didn't they get out of the pool on their own and go over and apologize. The women were just beaming and my nieces made new friends that day, climbing over their chairs, sitting in their laps and admiring their nail polish and jewelery! When you teach kids manners and good behavior, they can still be kids and have fun while being respectful.

[Ella2]

I absolutely love reading stories like these, they always bring a smile to my face. :)

 

I DO love kids, even have one of my own ;) and have a pretty high tolerance level for "normal" kid behavior. That said, it is SUCH a joy to run across children like those listed above, especially ones that are polite, well-spoken and actually interested in talking to adults. I can talk to kids like that FOREVER.

 

Kudos to those kids AND to their parents for raising thoughtful and considerate children, no doubt by example. :)

[cincicruisers]

I love when the kids come to formal night dressed up in tuxes and long dresses. They feel so grown up and it is just adorable. A mom who was traveling with her kids was there on formal night a table away from us and she had to go to the restroom. The older son who was maybe 12 told mom he would watch his sister (maybe 4-5). Her napkin fell off her lap and he got up and placed it back on her lap. They were very sweet and obviously enjoyed the night.

[WeLuvVacation]

This happened on my recent Mariner cruise. One day I encountered the dreaded "elevator riders". These 5 teens were hanging out in the elevator riding up and down but weren't loud and had not pushed all the buttons so I didn't think too much about it. As the week went on, I encountered those same teens several times riding the elevators. Usually I was either alone or with one or two other people. One afternoon, again I was on the elevator with these kids, however, it was a busy time and the elevator was getting quite full. We stopped on a deck and more people wanted to get on but would obviously not fit. These teens very politely said "excuse us, we will get off so that family can get on". :) What a nice gesture. I don't understand the appeal of riding the elevator but at least they knew when their behaviors were impacting others and acted appropriately.

 

Maybe if they were boys they were hoping some girls will get on!!

 

Sounds silly but boys will do unusual things to get girls to notice them LOL.

 

And the other way around too!

[rfische1]

All of these stories are great and I commend the parents but this one and the one about the kids making noise in the hall and coming to apologize are especially so. These are instances of kids being kids and not perfect angels. That's the sign of a healthy kid, with a healthy upbringing who is able to self regulate but still has a spirit of adventure. Nothing wrong with that!

 

Soxfan05, I agree with you completely. When I spoke with the teens, I was tired and possibly upset about a stupid baseball game (redsox had lost a playoff game). I understand that at that age developementally the world revolves around them and the well raised child may need prompting to realize that their action(s) are impacting others. After all, they are on board to have fun along with us adults. I have to also comment that some of the adults on the cruises are less courteous than the kids onboard.

[Travelgrrl]

OK, now a story about my son. Our first cruise was on the brand new Carnival Destiny; we had the furthermost cabin forward ("upgraded" to a porthole, though the room was an upper and a lower and TINY!) but we were happy as clams.

 

Even as an 11 year old, my son loved to dress up and eat in the dining room, to go to the Captain's party, and so on. He also decided he LOVED to dance. He would dance between the tables at a cocktail party (people were encouraging him and giving him dollars (!); at a street dance in St. Croix, with the Mockie Jumbo dancers; on a snorkeling cruise that included a steel drum band, you name it. He was a dancin' fool!

 

We were at the Captain's party, and he was having his little Roy Rogers, and he decided to get up and dance. The dance floor was more like a raised stage, with the band and the dancers elevated above everyone in the lounge. So here he is, dressed in his black suit, just boogieing away. No one else was dancing. Some very pretty women were giggling and oohing and aahing over him, so I went to the side of the stage to tell him to ask one of them to dance. He first didn't want to come over to where I was (thinking I would drag him off stage), then he did come, but did a kind of pelvic thrust dance move as he shuffled over to me.

 

Everyone was just laughing and enjoying his joie de vivre! Anyway, when I finally was able to speak to him, he thought it was a great idea to ask one of the women to dance and he went over and picked the prettiest one. She happily accepted, and eventually other couples joined them on the dance floor.

 

Now he is is 16 and he wouldn't dance in front of people (much less alone on a stage) for a million dollars!

[janrj7]

... I have to also comment that some of the adults on the cruises are less courteous than the kids onboard.

 

On the Splendour a year or so ago, my husband and I were cruising with my 87-year-old father. Our tablemates were two young couples, related to each other, who also ran a family business together. One couple's 7-year-old daughter was with them; I'll call her Emily.

 

Well, Emily was the saving grace at that table! The adults barely spoke to us, and never to my father, as if he were invisible. We made several attempts at conversation, but it was soon clear all they wanted to do was talk business and hometown gossip amongst themselves.

 

Emily was also being ignored by her parents and aunt & uncle, but she seemed used to it. When we asked her questions about school, her favorite things, etc. she just blossomed. We ended up having all kinds of interesting dinner conversations with Emily, who by the way ALSO made a point of including my father in HER very civil questions and remarks. When we'd see her elsewhere on the ship, she'd come over to us to say hello, calling us each by name and asking about our day! We really enjoyed hearing Emily's "take" on her first cruise, too. She was having a blast in the kids' program.

 

Our guess, later, was that Emily was being raised at home mainly by a grandparent or other caregiver whose gracious and civilized manners she was incorporating into her own sparkling little personality.

 

I've really enjoyed reading everyone's stories in this thread; thanks for sharing!

 

Jan

[Desertbelle]

Many people thought we were crazy bringing our 20 month old grandson on our cruise last November but we had a wonderful time with him.

 

He's quite unusually forward and talkative, having been talking very clearly since he was about 15 months old. He was the hit of the ship. I had people on several occasions stop me and say, "Aren't you Tommy's grandmother? He's such a sweetheart!" Yep, pretty soon we were all reduced to Tommy's mom, dad, grandpa, grandma. :D

 

On the last day of the cruise, while we were packing up and putting suitcases in the hall, papa was on Tommy duty, and they were wandering around the hall outside our cabins. Tommy found one of those cages that the crew move luggage around with and got into it. I grabbed the camera and got this perfect picture of him, he looks so forlorn that it just cracks us up....I show it to people and tell them this is how we get our kids to behave while cruising!! :D :D

 

[LurkerTurnedPoster]

I must admit, my spouse and I were on a New Years Cruise on the Vision of the Seas over New Years a few years ago and for the most part, while most children on the ship were not the epitome of 'horror story' that you hear about, many were; but that is not the cruise lines nor the children's fault, it was very cold, there was little to do, and we took it with a grain of salt that children were running around the solarium all day; as I am not that far removed from childhood, albiet it's been over 30 years, I can still remember wanting to swim on vacation.I can not hold the children responsible for being children.

 

On the other hand, I CAN hold the parents responsible for the teenagers holding up the elevators to attempt to sneak into the Viking Crown Lounge all evening, as the parents were arguing with the door person that their 16 year old should be allowed in the area for the adults that evening due to them wanting to celebrate New Years with their child;why the parent could not make the exception to leave the lounge if they wanted it that bad was beyond me, but, once again, I will not judge, the teenagers were kept out, the parents were mad, I was uneffected.

 

Regardless, I'll get on with my 'better behaved than we were' story re: children. We were at a table with another couple, his grown son and his

fiance. The table next to us contained a family of 6. Two adults and 4 small children (ages from about 3-8 or 9 I would guess). We did not think much of it, as not much bothers us on vacation.

 

The children could not have been more well behaved. I was actually feeling sorry for the children at one point, as our table, as well as the old man we met on an excursion at a table across from us, as well as a another group we all met across the dining room, proceeded to have quite a good time. At one point, the 70+ year old man at a nearby table, dressed in his tux, looked innocent as a stray piece of dinner roll came out of nowhere and hit my husband's cheek. The whole table of older people were laughing and giggling when we all looked up when it happened. They wouldn't fess up, but I could tell it was them by the gleam of their eye off their silver hair the little devils. Needless to say, our surrounding dining area was very relaxed and fun, tables talked amoungst tables although noone knew each other well.

 

Anyway, the children at the table next to us would sit there every night, dressed in their best, on their best manners, and you could tell they were just dying to 'get in on the fun' with the rest of the area. We commented many times to the parents how polite and well behaved the kids were.

 

On the 2nd to last night, the children had saved up some of those 'poppers' that spit confetti that they give you for new years, and just as all the tables in our area were about to eat their appetizers, one little child showed up next to each table and popped their popper all over all of us. It was such a joy to see the parents finally let the children 'in on our fun' of the section. We all laughed and thought it was the cutest thing, and the kids thought it was the best (as they got to 'let loose').

 

I admit some parents do not parent, but, I also think that sometimes parents need to read the people around them and know that not all of us are old farts that don't enjoy children, especially well behaved ones. I'd take a well behaved child 'cutting loose' over a spoiled child 'behaving' any day. I am glad the parents finally let the kids have some fun, as they were so good, and even when they were 'bad' (doing the poppers), they were as polite and cute about it as can be.

 

Now don't ask me about the spoiled teens wanting to get in the lounge or having to ride the elevator all the way up and down without letting any teens on (but making sure they all got off as the elevator was full) (we had to go all the way up and down due to them pressing every button previously) so that a nice old couple who waited for over 15 minutes to get an elevator due to having a wheel chair could get on (the only reason I knew how long they were there was I asked as I had gone to the restroom and back and they were still there, so I told them I would take care of the problem since RCCL wouldn't):mad: . I wasn't unhappy to go out of my way to help the older people, but, I was upset that we should have to do that to make sure that older people got the respect they deserve and that I was certainly raised with.

 

But like the OP recognized, the thing that sticks out most is the good memories of the children next to us, the other stuff is neither here nor there.

[jamandamn14]

QUOTE knothead It's not that we dislike kids we are just not used to been around them so they tend to get on our nerves a bit. I was taught manners and it seems that kids now days do not even know what the word means much less how to go about doing them. Thanks if you are going to generalise kids then do it somewhere else just coz you chose not to have kids doesnt mean you can have a dig at them.