What would you do? (Kids behavior)

[TonyYOW]

I'm a father of two kids. I'm usually watching how they behave and teach them to be respectful. 

So here I am, on Oasis right now. I was standing next to the main pool earlier today, just watching my kids swimming as some teenagers start showing a "looser" gesture to the lifeguard after he made a warning about some basic safety in the pool. 

I have a very low tolerance for this kind of things so I couldn't just keep watching this. I called the teenagers (about 12 yrs old girls I think) out and told them this is absolutely disrespectful and they have no right to act like this. I asked where their parents are. 

15 second later their father has approached to me. I told him the same thing. He didn't seem to care much about it and told his daughter(s) to ignore this. 

Some people are just PoS.

The staff are not their slaves. I just can't stand this kind of behaviour, considering how hard those people work. 

Here. I vented out a bit. 

 

 

[Cakemeister]

Makes me want to sail on Virgin, lol.

[Ryan79]

20 minutes ago, Cakemeister said:

Makes me want to sail on Virgin, lol.

Yeah, but that won’t solve the problem of the parents who created the issue. They can be just as bad, if not worse. 

[teddy]

While I agree with you, I also know what a disaster confronting other people’s kids can be, especially when parents get involved.   Since I know my tolerance level and how I tend to react, I keep my thoughts and words to myself. I suspect that security onboard won’t play around, and I have no desire to end up in the brig…..not to mention I would like to keep cruising with Royal.

[USFFrank]

It's best to either report this to security or just walk away. As much as I'd like to say something to them and/or the parents, I don't want to deal with any repercussions. Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.

[WAAAYTOOO]

I agree with @USFFrank.  Let security handle it.  

[Ampurp85]

I too agree that security should have been alerted.

Unfortunately, behavior has changed in what it acceptable. I mentioned that children do not bother me at all but the behavior of them and their parents do. So, I avoid saying anything to parents in this sense, but I have no issue with telling security. I try to avoid telling the average crew member because I don't want them to have anything taken out on them by entitled folks. 

But aside I take huge issue with people (children and adults) who insult others when they are just doing their job. I hope karma/universe gets their butt. 

[KJ777]

My kids are grown (29 & 25) and we've taken them on many vacations.  If I ever caught them or heard them treating someone like that, they would have gotten a "what for".  IMO, I feel some parents don't parent as much as they should these days.  I would like to think that teaching respect isn't a thing of the past.  

[OCSC Mike]

31 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I agree with @USFFrank.  Let security handle it.  

+1

[Jamesszy94]

The apple never rots far from the tree. Unfortunately, some kids just can't be taught because their parents act the same way. It's just the reality we live in these days when things like Twitter (X), TikTok, Vaping etc exist. Best we can do is just report it and let security deal with it. 

[Bowen]

I would never correct someone else’s kids, it can just get way too messy too fast. It is very upsetting that anyone would treat any member of the crew that way.

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

Makes me very nervous of getting old and having to have these younger generations take care of my generation!  Ughhhh

[Xaa]

What would I have done?  If one were my kids I would have addressed them immediately and directly about the issue. 

For the case where they are other 12 yo girls throwing up the "L" gesture, I would do nothing to or about them, but I would talk about it in a passive way as a teaching moment to my own.  Something like "Do you see this?  Here's a person working hard to keep us all safe and provide for their family and these 2 have nothing better to do than try and insult them.  Who's the real loser here?"

I don't attempt to parent other people's children.  I don't believe that I have authority over them.  There was no danger created so my intervention would not be needed.  If I was offended as a guest, the course of action is the same as when an adult's behavior is intolerable.  Address it with the crew.

This could have escalated quickly and you would have bore some responsibility for that escalation.

[Crown&AnchorEsq]

Call your kids over and (loudly) show them the example of bad behavior and that you expect them to never show that kind of disrespect to someone working hard to keep them safe.

Good teaching moment for your kids and you make sure they never emulate the teenagers.  Teenagers/parents of the teenagers should hopefully be ashamed and if they're not, they cannot really complain because you did not engage with their kids at all.

[BrianB]

I’ll never try to correct someone else’s kid. Unless there’s an obvious imminent danger. If so, then I do it politely. I never want to get involved with helicopter mommy or daddy bear swooping to the defense of their sweet little cub, who’s never, ever, ever, ever, ever…did I mention ever?…ever wrong. Of course I’m exaggerating. Most parents are entirely reasonable and try hard to raise their kids as responsible, caring and respectful children. I know it’s not easy.

In this instance, the lifeguard is a big boy and can take care of himself. I’m sure they have to deal with this sort of disrespect regularly and are trained to ignore it. But I’m also sure that they also have significant power as the nature of their job deals with saving lives. I mean it’s even in their title!

If a lifeguard determines someone is doing something which can be dangerous to themselves or others…they can act just as security does under similar circumstances and initiate the review process which can ultimately result in the offending person and, if underage, their travel party being disembarked. 

[Pattycruise]

A few kind words of appreciation to the lifeguard would likely make his/her day.

a teachable moment of  “how to not behave” to my own kids and I’d likely also warn  my kids if I ever saw/or heard of disrespectful behavior they’d be sorry. 
 

I know I’d have a difficult time keeping my mouth shut to the kids

[JFCruise]

Personally, I wouldn't have said anything to the kids. But what a jerk of a parent they have...

Also, this is a bit offtopic, but lifeguards in the pool area are, literally, the best. I have nothing but respect for them. In a previous sailing, I was hanging out in one of those pools that have a 'water step' before the actual pool, and a kid, maybe 10-12, slipped and fell into the pool. The lifeguard jumped into the pool and pulled him out of the water in about - and I'm not exaggerating - 3 seconds. The kid was alright, nothing bad happened...but...wow at the lifeguard's response.

Pool rules are there for a reason, and I'm sure any lifeguard in the ship is less of a 'loser' than any of the paying customers.

[Florz]

On 10/6/2023 at 4:53 PM, TonyYOW said:

I'm a father of two kids. I'm usually watching how they behave and teach them to be respectful. 

So here I am, on Oasis right now. I was standing next to the main pool earlier today, just watching my kids swimming as some teenagers start showing a "looser" gesture to the lifeguard after he made a warning about some basic safety in the pool. 

I have a very low tolerance for this kind of things so I couldn't just keep watching this. I called the teenagers (about 12 yrs old girls I think) out and told them this is absolutely disrespectful and they have no right to act like this. I asked where their parents are. 

15 second later their father has approached to me. I told him the same thing. He didn't seem to care much about it and told his daughter(s) to ignore this. 

Some people are just PoS.

The staff are not their slaves. I just can't stand this kind of behaviour, considering how hard those people work. 

Here. I vented out a bit. 

 

 

Was on Oasis at the end of August. The amount of kids running around out of control was shocking.

[Xaa]

1 hour ago, Florz said:

Was on Oasis at the end of August. The amount of kids running around out of control was shocking.

I know, it's as if there were a pool deck, waterslides, mini golf, a zipline and an arcade right there.

How was the behavior of the adults all cruise?  Any drunkeness, foul language, berating of the staff, chair hogging, seat saving at the shows?  I'm sure that was less shocking though, because we kind of expect that of adults on cruises.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

We've all seen kids act up like this. They're the kind that probably treat their parents horribly and like crap, almost to the point that you feel sorry for them. Almost.

[CrimsonCruiser]

Hmmm...I feel like I'm a little bit in a minority here.

1 - I don't have kids BUT...I do believe in proper discipline and treating others with respect. So, that said...

2 - I don't think I would have done anything but tell my own kids that what the others were doing was inappropriate and rude.

3 - I don't feel that what the kids did was even worthy of calling security. Kids, especially kids around other kids that they are trying to impress, do things like this. It's not okay, but they weren't endangering themselves or others.... Heck..I was a pretty square kid. I followed the rules, was the favorite of teachers everywhere, shy and read more than I played. But I had those pals that I wanted to be "in" with that would dare each other to pretend we were drowning to see if the lifeguard would come over (VERY DUMB  I REGRET THIS) or I'd join in and roll my eyes at said lifeguards if they blew their whistle at us for playing too much and then bad mouth them to my friends because it was "cool" to be "bad".

It is quite literally what teens and preteens do and I think the comments here that are acting like this one action of preteen girls is enough to be afraid of a whole generation are going a bit bigger than the situation calls for.

To reiterate - i am not giving them a pass with a "kids will be kids" thing. They were rude and it would be GOOD if their respective adults told them as much. But such an action isn't a sign of a failing generation....it's a sign of them doing the same thing every generation has ever done before them and will continue to do after them...

[Ditchdoc]

It takes a village....at the same time....you are not the parent. 

 

I would be real hesitant to correct some one else's child unless it were to prevent injury.

 

Never the less... I understand. Sometimes I just want to strangle the kid, the parent, or both.