Reflections on Parenting from a Disney Cruise
April 10, 2012
Of all the funny, loud, and cartoonish moments on board the Disney Dream, one of my takeaways will be the impression of other parents and children. And guess what? I was very pleased with what I saw!
Now you might imagine that such a large group of
parents and kids would display all sorts of inappropriate and rude behavior–both by the children and their parents. I was expecting it. But from all I saw and heard, that was not the case! Whether we were standing in a 45 minute line to ride the “AquaDuck” waterslide on deck 11 or getting in and out of elevators or eating a meal, children were wonderfully polite and well-mannered!
I must admit that I needed such a refreshing. I have been admittedly discouraged when meditating on the future of America as seen in the behavior
will not even raise their voice when their toddler wanders into the street. Other times it is the brutal parent who curses at his or her child. What I expected on the cruise was a bunch of rude kids, but I didn’t meet them. I met polite and well-behaved kids. Hallelujah! And I saw the sort of parenting (affection with disciplined boundaries) that fosters those kinds of kids.
The future of America may not be so bleak after all…
