Great Debate - To take or not to take the 6-year old

crasherino · Post by **crasherino** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 9:16 am

Jumbiegirl wrote:We took our daughter down when she was 2½ and I'd never do that again. Misery!!!

We took her down again when she was 4 and it went so much better. No big problems at all.

She's 6 now and we'd dying to take her back again but have to wait until next year - she'll be 7. I think 6 is a super age to start a kid on St John. I say go for it.

I'm sad to hear that. I think your post of "a plea for toddler suggestions" is where I first found this site. I used your thread for a lot of ideas when we were taking our son down when he was just short of 2.

We had an opposite experience - it was terrific. He loved all the different beaches and riding around the island. We stayed at the Westin Villas so we also made good use of the pools after getting back from the beaches in the morning. We went down with friends (who love our son) and we all traded off staying with him during nap time in the afternoon while everyone else was down by the pool. Also made liberal use of babysitting, which helped tremendously.

We are now taking down both our boys next week. Jonah is now close to 4 and Spencer is almost 1. I'm sure it will be challenging, but a lot of fun as well. The part I'm really nervous about isn't the baby - its the rest of the newbie family members who we are dragging down with us. They are used to the all inclusive hotels - a far cry from renting a villa away from the water.

Connie · Post by **Connie** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:32 pm

CariBert wrote:We have finally decided to take our son with us next year to the Islands. He is about the right age now, 31. I told him this weekend so he can start saving his money for the trip. We are going to have such fun!! Can't wait!!

-Bert

THAT is an excellent response. LOVE IT! lol

Bigcheeze · Post by **Bigcheeze** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:33 pm

CariBert wrote:We have finally decided to take our son with us next year to the Islands. He is about the right age now, 31. I told him this weekend so he can start saving his money for the trip. We are going to have such fun!! Can't wait!!

-Bert

I spit my Ice tea allover the screen when I read that. Well, you have a buyer and a driver

CariBert · Post by **CariBert** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:50 pm

Connie and Big Cheese....I thought about it a long time. It's a win win situation. I couldn't send my 6 year old son for another pain killer at Soggy Dollar without Child Protection helpling him bring them to me. He is a pretty decent chick magnet, being young blond and buff.....and the young guy eye candy he hangs with sort of pleases his Mom, too......

He has a job, earns a pretty good living, and we have a lot in common...DNA for example.

So I say, wait to take them to the Islands......it pays off big time..

-Bert

Greenskeeper · Post by **Greenskeeper** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:20 am

My perspective is from someone who is seeing those family vacation days come to an end. We started travelling with our kids when they were 5. DH and I went to Bermuda without them when they were 4 and I was miserable 1/2 way through the trip and we decided to bring them along thereafter. They have always been great on the plane but they also are the type of kid you could take to a nice restaurant sans electronic devices and they could sit through a long dinner. We did Dizzy World twice before we did a beach resort vacation....and they told us 2 days into that vacation: THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN DISNEY! They are beach bums and will spend the day doing beach board sports. It was a pleasure to be with them because they were in the element and we have not travelled without them since. We did not go to STJ this year as we took them snowboarding and have a trip to Bermuda planned later this year. They are now 15 and my husband and I know that it is only a few short years before they will be doing their own thing so family vacations, in a place that seems to melt away the stresses of daily living are coming to an end. I am very happy we took these vacations together.

Need2GetAway · Post by **Need2GetAway** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:15 am

It all depends if you also take a family vacation.

Our kids loved beach vacation on the Outer Banks of NC. Much cheaper, house RIGHT on the beach, no painful airplane rides...

If you do both kinds of trips (alone and with kids) everybody is happy.

StephJones · Post by **StephJones** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 2:14 pm

I had to chime in. We visited STJ with our 4 yr. old son and had a nice time. We came back again when he was 6, last summer. It was fantastic! The memory of him learning to snorkel and using fins for the first time has kept me smiling through this rotten winter. One of the greatest moments of my life so far was feeling his little hand work its way up my leg and then hold my hand as we snorkeled in Christmas Cove. When I pointed to a spotted eagle ray, I could hear him yell cool through his snorkel tube. When you can share that kind of moment with a 6 yr. old, it is worth it. Your son will get over being left behind this time but make the trip with him before he is too old to really be thrilled by the adventure.

Bigcheeze · Post by **Bigcheeze** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:40 pm

CariBert wrote:Connie and Big Cheese....I thought about it a long time. It's a win win situation. I couldn't send my 6 year old son for another pain killer at Soggy Dollar without Child Protection helpling him bring them to me. He is a pretty decent chick magnet, being young blond and buff.....and the young guy eye candy he hangs with sort of pleases his Mom, too......

He has a job, earns a pretty good living, and we have a lot in common...DNA for example.

So I say, wait to take them to the Islands......it pays off big time..

-Bert

Stop it already... I'm thirsty and my ice tea is all over the screen again

Heather-in-MA · Post by **Heather-in-MA** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:48 am

I'm not sure the answer is "now" but "when".

We are about to go on our second "alone" trip in July. We needed the first one badly. I need the second one just as bad. (long story involving autoimmune disease) This time it happens that my best childhood friend is going the same time we are-as a solo traveller. This time is to make last time even better.

We camp at Maho/Concordia when we go as we don't need much but a bed to rest our heads at night. However when we do the family trips to Disney we as parents need much more and stay at the deluxe resorts. I don't think this will be true for STJ.

The oldest of our 3 girls is now able to babysit the younger two. Life is so much different now that they are all getting older. More freedom for mom & dad. The youngest os 4 and we are entertaining the idea of taking them next time we go. Which will be in about 2 years as we have plans to go back to Disney next summer before middle child turns 10, so most likely when they go to STJ they will be 13,10&6. Way different than when we went to grand cayman when they were 8, 5 & 1- which was not really a vacation for us. It was difficult to keep them all happy.

traveler22 · Post by **traveler22** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:30 am

I have to agree with most of the post here because I have seen it from different ages, to me, its more of an age of your child thing.
Ages 1-4 IMHO-they really didn't know where they are or were old enough to appreciate it but "Moms" for the most part have a hard time leaving them especially the first time. Challenging travel too!
ages 5-12 My kids, Girl now 17 and two boys 12 really start to appreciate how special St. John is. They learn to snorkel and just loved the clear warm water.
ages 13-17 This is where I started to lose my daughter,even with a friend coming along, St. John was now boring. She would sit under a palm tree and text her friends how bored she was and complain to us what she was missing at home (damn cell phones). She also complained when we went without her too

We have also done 3 trips with just couple and it does help re-connect with your spouse again.
So I probably didn't help you, sorry, I love the trips with the kids and without but for totally different reasons but it is awesome to see it through you childs eyes.
But if Mom's not happy, no one will be, I also think you answered your own ?

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:11 am

My kids have been going since before they were weaned. 5 months is a great immobile age, just keep the mongoose away and don't put them under a hanging coconut. I had my oldest on island at 6 when my youngest was 5 months old. This lead to one of my favorite all-time moments as my 6 year old (now 19) said, as I was getting #2 settled on her blanket, "Hey, I see stingray, a turtle and a tube-thing, I'm going snorkeling." She pretty much learned to swim on that trip and went from floundering to Dad trying to keep up on long snorkels. Bring flotation.

6? Perfect.

Cheers, RickG

PatrickMcc · Post by **PatrickMcc** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 11:27 am

We started in 1983 with our two daughters age 1 and 3 and continued with them until 1997 almost every year- first at Cinammon Bay and Maho for several years and then houses and condos- always had a great time. What kids don't love the beach and water sports. End of story- this year at ages 29 and 32 they want to return with us and their husband/partners and grandchild who will be almost 2 when we go. Better yet everyone will pay their own way. I just hope the experience lives up to their childhood memories. My vote is bring the kids.

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