jetskigrl
No mumbojumbo here
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2007
We had a very similar experience on our cruise. The kids "programming" was a big disappointment on our cruise. Even if participation in the structured activities (which are advertized to be taking place) is not mantatory, the CMs should be encouraging/inviting kids to participate. If they tried to make the activities exciting and acted like they enjoy working WITH kids rather than ignoring them more kids probably would be doing structured activities. What I saw was more like a free for all, with CMs just standing around "watching" the kids. Unfortunately, the parents who just drop their kids off without actually observing what is going on rely on the infomation given to them by their kids and may not understand how the clubs really operate when no one is looking. Of course kids are going to tell their parents they had a great time in the club if they are allowed to run wild.
What is wrong with just letting them run wild for a bit? Isn't that the point of having "their" space to play? It isn't a classroom or a daycare center. It is basically a playground, with CM's that will watch them and play with them, whether it be group activities or just watch over them as they play on their own.
I will be honest here and say what you described is exactly what my DS loves about the Lab. He spends all day at school doing structured activities. That is the last thing that he wants to do when he is in the lab, on his vacation. He loves going back and forth between the Wii games, the computers and the simulators. He usually doesn't want to bake cookies or do science experiments or be stuck in a group project (he gets enough of that in school, LOL) but if something appeals to him, he will join.
So in that respect, I have no problems with the CMs just hanging back and being there if he needs them. That is his space to play, his one area that is totally his choice. And some times when I would pick him up, I would find him doing something with a group of kids or just him playing cards with a CM. And other times he was sitting at a computer and that is fine because he is happy.
A couple times when I saw something that looked really fun (like flubber), I asked him if he participated in it and he said no. I asked if he knew about it and he said yes, he was invited to join but did not want to. I'm fine with that. He was invited, he declined. I don't want the CM's pressuring him to join something that he doesn't want to.
But my DS is a bit older and I can see how those with much younger kids (3-4) would feel better if the CMs tried harder to get them to participate. My thought is that the CM's should be able to tell the difference between a child who is shy, unsure (but might want to join) and a child that is happy just playing on their own. But I don't expect them to be teachers and I don't expect them to organize my child's playtime.
I have also never seen CM's sitting around or looking apathetic. Any time we were at the clubs, they were either doing group activities with the kids or playing one-on-one or in small groups (coloring, playing cards, etc). I never saw a CM not involved. I wonder if the changes in the policies could be having a negative affect on them as well. I guess we will find out soon enough.