Question for parents....

[Wolfclan Dan]

We are to leave for WDW three (3) weeks from this Wednesday. The trip is paid for and we are good to go. I am personally in desperate need of a vacation.

However, my question to the parents is would any of you be willing to cancel a trip to WDW due to bad behavior from your kids. Or have any of you done this with success in teaching a lesson?

 

[marcriss]

We are going for the first time for DD & DD in June 2010. DD is now 3 3/4 and still not potty trained. We've told her Mommy & Daddy are going to Disney World and we're leaving her here unless she ______-pees and poops in the potty all the time like Mommy and Daddy. She understands that but still won't potty train! She'll dirty her Pull-Up and them cry and say "You're gonna go to Disney World and leave me here!" We're not REALLY gonna leave her, but I just figured it might speed up the potty training since she has no sense of time right now!

I feel your pain, my son was closer to 4 by the time he was trained and it's making me insane that my 3 year old has no interest. But we forced the issue with my son and I regret it. He's seven now and it took a long time for him to not hold it in. He used to get stomach aches because he didn't want to go. I just want to caution you from potentially making a mistake I made. Hang in there!

 

[Gucci65]

Go without them and enjoy a nice quiet vacation.

Teach them while they are young or you will suffer the consequences as they get older (especially the smart mouth).

My daughter is now 17 and yes, I have cancelled on her before. I did not go, since I would have been going alone. But I threatened and I had to carryout the punishment.

Good Luck

 

[VivianDigi]

I just went through this last month. 2 days before our trip, DH and I decided that dd could not go due to her behavior at school DH stayed home with her. I am not sure if she learned her lesson but she now knows that when we say we will cancel something we will.

Luckily I had booked the trip through AAA and the very nice travel agent, made all of the changes for me (the day before we departed). We even decided to change hotels and cancel the dining plan and she took care of all it and I even got a refund on DH and dd's portion.

Now this was a very hard decision for me. I couldn't even talk about it without crying, but I did it.

 

[Wolfclan Dan]

Well folks, thanks for all the responses. After speaking with my wife, friends, family and a psychologist, we decided to keep to our trip.

We discussed with the kids how we would now have to decide if we would still be going on our trip and they straightened out. Perhaps I was too drastic to suggest a vacation cancellation. My girls are well behaved at school and for the most part elsewhere. They just have not been getting along with each other and all developed a very smart mouth.

What tipped our thinking in the direction of not canceling the trip was a conversation which pointed out the trip was not planned as a reward solely for good behavior. If we had set those rules to begin with, that would be another story. (Which in the future, perhaps we will).

Long story short, I am somewhat relieved because the wife and I need a vacation.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts.

 

[KristieLC]

I'm glad you didn't cancel! Have a great time.

 

[marcriss]

Maybe you all need some stress-free family time, our yearly trip is important for us because it's the only place we can get away from all of the external stresses. Have a great time!

 

[Katybug]

I'm happy you get to go on your trip! I will warn you though and I'm sure you already know this having 3 girls. GET READY!! Most all girls go through a stage where they have smart mouths and I feel bad for you with 3 back to back!! :hammer:You will get through it though. Also, with the girls being so close in age and having 3 there is always 1 of them that will feel left out that will lead to them all fighting. I don't think you and your wife should ever have to suffer for their behaivor. You 2 deserve this trip and don't deserve to loose money for your kids behavior. I hope your family has a great trip!!

 

[WhatJaneSays]

There have been more than a few times when some of my cousins were either left home or nearly didn't get to go to Disney for various reasons. I know of at least 4 or 5 trips that have been at least one person short due to behavior/grades.

I've found that they shape up faster when you threaten to spend the money it would have cost to take them on the other kids. And always, always, always follow through on the threats, but give them the chance to make up whatever they've done.