Misbehaving Children

[kryos]

Our cruises heretofore have been parents only (Mom's time off!). When we take them on their first cruise, we will not be going on HAL or Princess. We will be on a line with more active things to do.

Consider one of the large ships of RCI. I have a friend here at work, three active kids, who swears by them. If your kids are very young, I think Disney could be a good option, however, I hear they are a bit on the pricey side. I think the older the kids get, though, the more they would probably appreciate RCI.

 

Then, when you want a mom and dad's vacation, choose one of the heavenly ships of HAL.

 

Can't go wrong that way!

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[JerseyJaguar]

Anytime someone has corrected my children's actions I always tell them to ignore the person loud enough for that person to hear.

Well, now we know how a parent reinforces bad behavior.

[sp2]

A word to parents - supervise your kids onboard. It's not a free for all and the staff are not your babysitters. Yes, I know it's your vacation too - and even if you'd rather be in the slot tournament or at the spa, they ARE your children and your responsibility. It's as simple as that.

 

We did it, you can too. :)

 

Hear, hear!! And, I'd just like to add, your fellow passengers are not your babysitters either. So its not their responsibility to go and seek out a crew member to control/assist your child if they are misbehaving or in danger in the pool or hot tub or someplace else they shouldn't be unsupervised. Your fellow passengers are on vacation too; not just you and your family.

[oats]

We have 6 children and many times people have told how will behave our children are. Children to not need to be taught how to be bad but they do need to be taught how to be good, habits are formed at a young age and we live in a very Narcissistic world and this produces unhappy children because its all about them.Our children who focus on others needs are simply the ones with the most joy.I have cruise a dozen times and have witness mostly good kids, however I had problems on a occasions with rude kids on board and if the parents have not taken care of it I did. It is not the child's fault that the parent have not invested the time and discipline to produce a child that can function as a decent person and sooner then later these children will live in a world that will not tolerate their no no stage.So If the parents to not want to prepare them for reality maybe society can. By the way everybody likes a will behave happy child but allot of folks to not agree on the method.I am 46 years old and can fully appreciate the world war two era folks and their character and contributions that they have made to this country its allot different then the attitudes we see today on sacrifice and duty maybe the difference was on how they were raised maybe they had seen a wood shed.

[scopewest]

I think I need to explain the "parent berating me" incident. I was walking down a crowded convention hotel corridor and two little girls were running around. One of them almost ran into me and I just avoided tripping on her. I looked at her and said two words: Behave yourself. I then walked off and went to the ladies' room. When I exited the stall, the mother and child were standing there in the bathroom, waiting for me. The mother immediately jumped on me for talking to her kid. I wonder if they would have stood there if I had spent half an hour in the stall....

 

Just what did the kid tell her I did? How did she know to follow me into the ladies' room? I almost left the hotel instead of going to the ladies' room, would she have followed me into the street? And do you think she listened as I tried to explain what her darling was doing and then thanked me for watching out for the kid? I couldn't get a word in edgewise. She refused to listen to me.

 

And if I had followed that kid back to her mother, gee, do you think the mother would think I was a stalker?

 

Now I just tell parents with well-bahaved kids they're doing a wonderful parenting job. So far they've all thanked me and nobody has told me off for complimenting them. Although there's always a first time for everything.

[babyher]

I think I need to explain the "parent berating me" incident. I was walking down a crowded convention hotel corridor and two little girls were running around. One of them almost ran into me and I just avoided tripping on her. I looked at her and said two words: Behave yourself. I then walked off and went to the ladies' room. When I exited the stall, the mother and child were standing there in the bathroom, waiting for me. The mother immediately jumped on me for talking to her kid. I wonder if they would have stood there if I had spent half an hour in the stall....

 

Just what did the kid tell her I did? How did she know to follow me into the ladies' room? I almost left the hotel instead of going to the ladies' room, would she have followed me into the street? And do you think she listened as I tried to explain what her darling was doing and then thanked me for watching out for the kid? I couldn't get a word in edgewise. She refused to listen to me.

 

And if I had followed that kid back to her mother, gee, do you think the mother would think I was a stalker?

 

Now I just tell parents with well-bahaved kids they're doing a wonderful parenting job. So far they've all thanked me and nobody has told me off for complimenting them. Although there's always a first time for everything.

 

 

A couple years ago I was walking my dog in the neighborhood. I have a pit bull . She is very good with people and is a huge attention junkie, loves being petted and fussed over, but does not do well with other dogs.

 

While we are walking a little girl down the street is walking across from us. She is barefoot, holding an ice cream cone and a little dog , little Yorkie or something like that. NO LEASH

 

The girl lets the dog down and it immediately runs over to me and my dog. Now I have mine on a leash and a harness because she is a powerful dog and now she is going nuts. To my dog this Yorkie is a mignight snack. The little dog wants to play and she is getting closer and closer. i can't keep my dog reigned in and shoo this little dog away .

 

So I tell the girl please come and get her dog. She ignores me . I ask her again she starts taking her time walking over. I tell her again "honey please come get your dog, she is supposed to be on a leash and if my dog gets her she will hurt her, please come pick her up"

She finally comes and gets her and walks away. my dog and I continue our walk.

 

On our way back home as we pass the same corner , like you said the mother and daughter are waiting for me.

 

Did I threaten to sic my dog on her?

Did I tell her daughter my dog was going to kill her dog?

I shouldn't even have a pit bull in this neighborhood

 

Whoa Whoa *LOL*

 

Same as you she just rattled on, didn't want to hear me.

 

I finally said "Maam, keep your dog on a leash and have a nice day" and off I went"

[DizzyDallasDi]

I can't hold my fingers any longer. My kids are all grown up now but throughout the years I've always known when they were misbehaving. Yes, they did it in public but more often (thank goodness !) at home. They were always disciplined appropriately. They knew that mom was always watching them. When they'd act out, they'd always look my way to see if I'd noticed because they knew they'd acted up and were going to be corrected.

 

It's not easy raising children. I was a single mother. Mine were both a real handful (my son had ADHD :eek:) and I knew they were not always angels in the eyes of those that had not given birth to them. Even if I could have afforded it, I would not have taken a cruise with my kids. I knew their temperaments and their limits...I also knew mine. :) There's no way I could have sat back and relaxed like I'd have wanted to on a cruise while trying to keep track of my kids and what they were doing.

 

If a parent is allowing their children to run amuck on the ship, then this is the kind of behavior they obviously think is appropriate. Words to the child or the parent will be futile and fall on deaf ears. It's a foreign concept to them. They don't think they're doing anything "wrong."

 

We see this everywhere, in the grocery store or in the park. We have no power over parents and their children or their behavior. We just have to put up with it and keep our mouths shut. I agree, it's a sad state of affairs that there's a generation of parents who believe in "free range" raising of their young. But, you're just shooting yourself in the foot if you try to correct a badly behaving child or his parent.

 

There, I've said my piece. Whew!

 

Diane

[ekerr19]

Wow.. where have manners gone?

 

My kids are pretty well behaved; always have been.

 

If someone else EVER felt the need to bring their behavior to my attention, I would have DEFINATELY listened.

 

Just think - those who stalk, confront, get so angry and confrontational - they are the ones who are truly lacking as parents.

 

It's their way of trying to justify their own deficits.

[DizzyDallasDi]

If someone else EVER felt the need to bring their behavior to my attention, I would have DEFINATELY listened

 

Me too!!

 

Diane

[ekerr19]

Me too!!

 

Diane

 

Diane -

 

We're on the same page...!

[PenelopeCorelli]

This was probably on page 2 of this looong thread. (I did read through the whole thing, so as not to be redundant):

 

We were on a NY to Bermuda cruise once (another cruise line) and were on line to check in. In front of us was a family with a teenage boy, maybe around 15. I was absolutely stunned as I heard the mother tell her son, "I don't want to see your face except at dinner for 7 days." She told him, "This is my vacation too, and I want to have a good time."

 

OMG! What grieves me worse than bratty kids is a cruel parent who would ever say such a thing!! Can you imagine what it would be like to be this boy, hearing those words? His parents probably took him along because there was nowhere else to put him. Grrr. I think I would risk the parent's wrath and stand up for this boy. Makes me want to cry. Parental Love? NOT!

 

That said, here's the next quote:

 

"very sad that many of you can only seem to find "fault" with children's "apalling" behavior instead of looking at the light shining in their eyes as they see the clear water for the first time in their life, or hearing the joy in their laughter as they only begin their quality in life's experiences."

 

No flaming, but this is funny!

 

We're going on our first cruise - HAL - w/ our 13 year old dd, who is thrilled to be able to visit Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia (w/ an earlier stop in Poland). She's well-behaved, being our fourth & last. ( I had her at 46! Just the way it worked - no career then, former teacher, also had children at 25, 37, & 40! - menopause hit after the last one, lol!)

[COLLEYBERRY]

]:[/font]

 

we're going on our first cruise - HAL - w/ our 13 year old dd' date=' who is thrilled to be able to visit Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia (w/ an earlier stop in Poland). She's well-behaved, being our fourth & last. ( I had her at 46! Just the way it worked - no career then, former teacher, also had children at 25, 37, & 40! - menopause hit after the last one, lol!)[/quote']

 

 

Have a wonderful cruise. Your daughter sounds like one lucky young lady. My hats off to you at your journey through motherhood ,amazing !

Best wishes to you all.:)

[Parrot57]

Too many parents today want to be their kids friends, not their parents. We were on a cruise and in the main dining room (late seating) with seats near the stairs. There were several kids who kept running up and down the stairs and jumping up and down. If one of them had fallen it could have been a disaster as there was no carpeting. The dining room staff went over to the parents several times to no avail. Finally, myself and another couple said very loudly that if there was an accident we would immediately take the side of the cruise liner in the ensuing lawsuit. Two sets of parents got up, gave us a few choice words but took their darlings and left.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Ah yes, it was just yesterday that the thought occurred to me that there haven't been any threads here lately discoursing on juvenile behavior. Thanks for resusciting an almost six-month-old thread which will no doubt enliven this board.;) I say, let those "dam" kids break their necks, and I say this as a parent who is surrounded by swarms of children all day every day (you take one child and add the next-door-neighbor kids, plus any assorted friends they've picked up, and hey presto, you're feeding an army of children on pasta and popsicles. Yeesh, I just love summer.)

 

Any kid misbehaves around me, they get one warning, and then a swat on the rear. And that's all I have to say on the subject. Really.:p

[dandro]

I will probably get flamed for this, but I would never take my children (when they were young) on a cruise. Period.

 

 

Just my two cents.

[Boatdrill]

When I was a kid and cruising with my parents (starting in 1962) on every ship I can remember (Matson, French Lines, Italian Lines, Swedish America Line, etc.) there was always a children's table in the dining room.

 

On one ship - the Italian Lines' Cristoforo Columbo - the Children's Dining Room was an adjacent room to the main dining room. The chldren were all expected to eat in there, and did. There were big round tables of eight, and we had waiters. My parents had to get special permission in order for my sister and I to be able to eat with them at their table with other adult passengers...becasue it was a privilege to do so.

 

I have often wondered why cruise ships don't bring back the children's table (or a dedicated dining room). Most of the passengers would be eternally grateful.

[Salt air hair]

I work in the courts (criminal and family) and I can tell you, the parents that think little Susie or Joey is so cute and never does anything wrong and takes to task anyone who suggests differently, will someday be explaining to a Judge why it's not their "baby's fault" it was the other kid that did it. They'll have all the time in the world to reflect on "what happen to our baby" when they have to sit in the lobby why baby is visiting with their probation officer.......or worse. Not all will head this way, but more than should....do.

[chrispb]

It's lazy parenting - they just can't be bothered to correct their kids.

 

Many's the time I was exhausted when mine were young and didn't really have the energy to discipline them yet again but you have to keep on top of their behaviour.

 

I have no hesitation in telling anyone's child "Behave yourself" in a sharp voice, although I do give them "the look" first. I think if I have to suffer their bad behaviour then I also have the right to tell them about it.

 

Sadly, the days are long gone when any neighbour or friends of parents would also keep an eye on and correct neighbourhood kids. We knew darn well it would get back to them.

[kryos]

Sadly, the days are long gone when any neighbour or friends of parents would also keep an eye on and correct neighbourhood kids. We knew darn well it would get back to them.

That's because when we were kids, our parents appreciated a neighbor correcting us if we did something wrong out of our own parents' sight. But today, holler at a neighbor's kids and you might find yourself with a major disturbance, requiring the police to quell, as a result.

 

It's not worth it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[cruisecrasy]

That's because when we were kids, our parents appreciated a neighbor correcting us if we did something wrong out of our own parents' sight. But today, holler at a neighbor's kids and you might find yourself with a major disturbance, requiring the police to quell, as a result.

 

It's not worth it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

If no one says anything and others who might are encouraged not to, isn't this partly why we are now dealing with poorly brought up children - the future adults & will be even worse 'parents' in the future!!...?

 

Seems IMO anyway, its more than worth it because the more that do speak up & complain & YES if necessary, cause a commotion, that more will 'change' - slowly perhaps BUT if no one complains then its guaranteed nothing will change and may get worse!

 

Have happy cruisin'!

[ROZO'SBEAU]

FWIW: We were on a Christmas / New Year's 14 day So. Caribbean on Rotterdam 4 years ago. The 11-15 year olds were running amok for two weeks. The older ones were grabbing the New Year's Eve free champagne and some were noticeably drunk. They were (noisily) roaming the stateroom corridors after midnight. Some were put off the ship it got so bad. As much as it would be a treat, never again will we ever take a holiday cruise. From all I've heard from other cruisers (both here and in person), this is not a rare isolated case during holidays.

Bob

[suse]

Wondering how the human race survived with all this sentimentality toward the children. Not sure, from reading this, that there are any good children in the world anymore. I like kids. There was this kid, who was in my office today, who when asked what he wanted his soon-to-be born brother's name to be, took a long drink of a look at me and said, "Car Wash". I kid you not. This is why I find life so funny.

[Copper10-8]

Got popcorn?

[mudscraper]

Got popcorn?

Are you near Fenway?

 

 

Rich

[Copper10-8]

Are you near Fenway?

 

 

Rich

 

We were inside Fenway two hrs ago. Got a tour of the place! Pressbox, Grn Monster, Awesome!:)