Messy eater in the dining room!

[charliegirlac]

Hi all!

In 12 days we leave on our first cruise with our 13 month old. In previous cruises we have ate in a mix of the windjammer and the dining room but I am getting a little worried about how messy my 13 month old is! She likes to throw food over the edge of the high chair (the dog dutifully sits underneath her!) and I am worried about the mess she will make. I have bought a splash mat that I can put under the high chair and at the end of the meal scoop up the contents and put on a plate - has anyone used something like this on a cruise? I'm particularly worried about the dining room because of the carpet - the waiters are going to hate us!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Carly

[Geldhart]

A few thoughts

 

1. You only have 12 days, can you try doing some gentle training to keep the food on the tray? Won't be perfect, but make it a game to keep as much off the floor as possible.

 

2. Request a table just for your family. While I would understand, not everyone is as patient with toddlers.

 

3. Waiters love the kids, especially the ones with little ones back home, so they won't hate you, and it is part of their job.

 

4. This isn't the first 13 month old that's ever been on a cruise, and probably not the messiest. Just go with the flow.

 

 

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[notentirelynormal]

Hi all!

In 12 days we leave on our first cruise with our 13 month old. In previous cruises we have ate in a mix of the windjammer and the dining room but I am getting a little worried about how messy my 13 month old is! She likes to throw food over the edge of the high chair (the dog dutifully sits underneath her!) and I am worried about the mess she will make. I have bought a splash mat that I can put under the high chair and at the end of the meal scoop up the contents and put on a plate - has anyone used something like this on a cruise? I'm particularly worried about the dining room because of the carpet - the waiters are going to hate us!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Carly

 

My first thought was "really!". Then I had a flashback moment. I remember distinctively when my DD was young and in a high chair I had to take that dam*n thing outside once a week to hose it down. She was a dropper. I think you've considered the alternatives and "let's see how it works". The crew is used to working with kids. Go for it. It will all work out wonderfully. I promise.

[Kerry's Girls]

There are disposable paper floor mats you can buy - I brought enough for each meal. That way at the end of the meal, I could just pick it all up and it was ready to be tossed. I was glad to have them - the first couple of meals I would get down and pick up stuff off the floor and the waiters kept telling me not to. I thought they were just being nice, so ignored them, but then one finally told me he would get in trouble if he let me clean up.

 

One nice thing about the dining room is that they do a clean up between seatings (unlike a restaurant where they want to seat another party immediately), so they bring out the little sweeper and change the tablecloth, etc. The dining room was one of my favorite parts of cruising with toddlers.

 

Best,

Mia

Edited November 18, 2013 by Kerry's Girls

[charliegirlac]

Thanks guys. Yep we have been trying for a while t get her to keep stuff on her tray, but very little seems to work. We have found putting one thing at a time on the tray helps, but she still does toss! She does it with lots of things - toys and her pants we give her to hold while changing her nappy get flung across the room! She is only just 13 months so still doesn't understand that we are not happy about it. We can't find any disposable floor mats, but have found a large plastic one that we can take with us to meals and then use antibacterial wipes to clean it afterwards. At the moment we have been assigned traditional dining, but our TA is trying to change it to anytime so that will make it easier to be seated by ourselves.

Thanks!

[Kerry's Girls]

I don't know what line you're on, but I was always given a table for 3 of us in traditional dining (on Princess and Carnival). Traditional is nice with a toddler because the high chair is already set up and the waiters will get to know what to bring out right away for your little one. If you go to the dining room on embarkation and request a small table, you shouldn't have a problem - they know other passengers generally don't want to be seated with a toddler either :).

 

Best,

Mia

[itsmecarrie]

My son used to be a messy eater too. If we were at a restaurant or food court, I would just clean up after him as best as I could. Pick up all the larger pieces and wipe up any spills. They will vacuum or sweep the crumbs. It used to drive me nuts when my sister in law would just get up from the table and walk away after her son made a complete mess. Yes, it's the dining room staffs responsibility to clean up but it's also our job as moms to clean up after our kids when they aren't able to do it themselves. Don't stress about it. Kids will be kids.

[itsmecarrie]

Thanks guys. Yep we have been trying for a while t get her to keep stuff on her tray, but very little seems to work. We have found putting one thing at a time on the tray helps, but she still does toss! She does it with lots of things - toys and her pants we give her to hold while changing her nappy get flung across the room! She is only just 13 months so still doesn't understand that we are not happy about it. We can't find any disposable floor mats, but have found a large plastic one that we can take with us to meals and then use antibacterial wipes to clean it afterwards. At the moment we have been assigned traditional dining, but our TA is trying to change it to anytime so that will make it easier to be seated by ourselves.

Thanks!

 

We were originally booked for my time dining but thought it might be better if we had the same waiter every night who become accustomed to our son's needs. I sent an email and it has been confirmed that we will be seated by ourselves. Maybe you could email ahead of time too.

[charliegirlac]

We are travelling on Royal Caribeean. When we go out I always try and pick things up as best as I can - which is why I thought the splash mat would be good as the dining room floor is carpet and this would help protect it. We are travelling with my parents so we should be able to get a table with the 5 of us so we don't disturb others - although my mum had a dream/ nightmare the other day that my daughter threw her food and it hit another passenger! Worst nightmare!!

[alreadypacked]

My son used to be a messy eater too. If we were at a restaurant or food court, I would just clean up after him as best as I could. Pick up all the larger pieces and wipe up any spills. They will vacuum or sweep the crumbs. It used to drive me nuts when my sister in law would just get up from the table and walk away after her son made a complete mess. Yes, it's the dining room staffs responsibility to clean up but it's also our job as moms to clean up after our kids when they aren't able to do it themselves. Don't stress about it. Kids will be kids.

 

It's really commendable that you have this view!

 

I know it takes some time to train a toddler in table manners and kids will certainly be kids...

 

But I have been in public places--restaurants, cruise ships, airplanes, food courts--where parents let their little one create a royal mess (with no attempt at parental guidance/correction) and then simply leave it for the staff to clean up.

 

Kudos to you!

[oncruisecontrol]

Hi all!

In 12 days we leave on our first cruise with our 13 month old. In previous cruises we have ate in a mix of the windjammer and the dining room but I am getting a little worried about how messy my 13 month old is! She likes to throw food over the edge of the high chair (the dog dutifully sits underneath her!) and I am worried about the mess she will make. I have bought a splash mat that I can put under the high chair and at the end of the meal scoop up the contents and put on a plate - has anyone used something like this on a cruise? I'm particularly worried about the dining room because of the carpet - the waiters are going to hate us!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Carly

I wouldn't worry about any mess, though I would try to my best to keep it to a minimum. I also would not bring the splash mat thingy--that's more work for you, and you're on vacation. What I would do (and this is just my opinion) is give extra cash tips to the service staff if the mess is particularly bad. The staff will appreciate it.

Edited November 21, 2013 by oncruisecontrol

[crusinmama06]

Oh I had one of those tots! I still have stained streaks down the back of my custom made window treatments from some flying pasta!

 

Those were the days ;)

 

I don't remember if she did the same thing in restaurants though. I think I was able to redirect her attention to keep it ON the tray because everything was so new. She didn't behave the same.

 

Good luck!

[charliegirlac]

I hope she doesn't behave the same, but alas even in restaurants she has done it! Someone has said it means she isn't hungry if she does it, but honestly she will throw a couple of bits and then devour more! And gee has she got an arm on her! Hopefully she will soon realise the dog isn't on the cruise and there is no one to eat the food she throws!

[itsmecarrie]

We are travelling on Royal Caribeean. When we go out I always try and pick things up as best as I can - which is why I thought the splash mat would be good as the dining room floor is carpet and this would help protect it. We are travelling with my parents so we should be able to get a table with the 5 of us so we don't disturb others - although my mum had a dream/ nightmare the other day that my daughter threw her food and it hit another passenger! Worst nightmare!!

 

Here's the email address to make the request for you to sit by yourselves rcldining@rccl.com. You may feel a bit more at ease if you have it arranged before hand. I know I do.

 

That is a nightmare but if that happens you just apologize profusely. Kids behave badly at times but I find people are more understanding when they see that you're at least trying to correct the child and when either the child apologizes or you apologize for your child. The fact that you're so concerned makes me believe that you will be fine eating in the dining room with your daughter.

 

Maybe you could put food like bread, fries and chicken fingers in front of her but feed her messy foods like pasta.

[Waterloomarc]

Kids behave badly at times but I find people are more understanding when they see that you're at least trying to correct the child and when either the child apologizes or you apologize for your child.

 

Indeed. While I'm the first to admit it absolutely infuriates me when I see someone ignoring their child screaming/throwing/acting out, I am equally forgiving when I see that the poor parents are doing the best they can. There's a world of difference between a child behaving poorly and parent behaving poorly!

 

Relax, clean up as best you can, and if she really out does herself give the wait team a little extra $$ to compensate. Remember, most of us have been there too.

 

 

 

 

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[Blk_Amish]

Hi all!

In 12 days we leave on our first cruise with our 13 month old. In previous cruises we have ate in a mix of the windjammer and the dining room but I am getting a little worried about how messy my 13 month old is! She likes to throw food over the edge of the high chair (the dog dutifully sits underneath her!) and I am worried about the mess she will make. I have bought a splash mat that I can put under the high chair and at the end of the meal scoop up the contents and put on a plate - has anyone used something like this on a cruise? I'm particularly worried about the dining room because of the carpet - the waiters are going to hate us!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Carly

 

The dining room is a formal setting and might simple not suitable for a 13 month old who does this. The crew working with kids, slows the already lengthy dining process down and a bit unfair to them. Cute in the dining room I can deal with, a bit fussy I can tolerate but a messy, not so. Yes, I have children (18 and 15) and had stain marks on the roof of our minivan from him throwing his bottle once he was finished. Under the best of circumstance, formal dining can be a challenge for young children, mush less babies.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[queenL]

Oh I had to smile when I read the topic of this thread. My 20 mos old picks up a bite, then drops a bite on the floor. If you don't catch her the second she is tired of eating then she will dump whatever is left on her plate. Table train a toddler? An exercise in futility for us. :)

 

Our last cruise this summer I was on my hands and knees cleaning up the mess she made in the dining room. The dining room staff was understanding. They told me that kids made messes all the time not to worry about it. I was bothered though- my kids my responsiblity. I wasn't going to leave that mess. I do carry the disposable placemats with me to help keep the table cloth clean. Had I known about the disposable floor covers I would have taken those too. Definitely a good idea. We ate more in the casual dining than ever before on our last cruise. Don't worry too much though, they are used to it. Clean up what you can and leave the rest.