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This will be our first big trip with our 1 year old son and we like the idea of the day care option, I think they call it baby club med. But neither of us have been to a Club Med before.
My sister went on one of those all-inclusive island vacations - it was Hedonism though, not Club Med. Same idea, different company. Hedonism definitely was -not- for kids though. Adults only, no day care facilities, children not welcome. Club Med has family-oriented vacations, AND they have adults-only vacations. So if the one you select has facilities and activities for children and advertises that children are welcome, then you should be fine. If it's "mostly adults but we allow you to bring kids and put them in our daycare," you might be better off with a more family-oriented vacation. I know Club Med definitely has them.
I would not leave a child who could not speak in the care of strangers while on vacation. Instead we have brought our sitters/nannies with us on vacations to provide us some assistance.
Sorry, can't help you. The one and only time I've been to Club Med was when it was the spot for the DINK yuppies. I wouldn't have taken anyone under 18 as there was a lot of going on if you were so inclined to take part in such things.
I know that since then they've re-vamped to attract a new demographic.
I would not leave a child who could not speak in the care of strangers while on vacation. Instead we have brought our sitters/nannies with us on vacations to provide us some assistance.
Agree here 110%
Or even one that could talk for that matter!
Wow so y'all wouldn't ever send your kids to summer camp, if you had the opportunity and the means? That's kinda sad. I had the most extraordinary experience in my life, climbing mountains and bicycling through mountain trails across the country for 6 weeks, with 30 other kids I'd never met before, 6 counselors, 1 cook, 1 assistant, and 1 licensed nurse, none of whom my parents had ever met until the first day of camp.
Minimum age was 15, maximum age was 18. It was an adventure of a lifetime and I'll be forever grateful that my parents wanted me to experience it. Prior to that, my sister and I went to summer camp every year from the time she was around 9 (I'm 3 years older). And prior to that, I'd been going to YMCA day-camp and Girlscout overnight camps since I was maybe 6. With complete strangers - and without my parents. There's nothing like running a stick through a double-strung bow to get it to catch fire, to teach a kid how to live independently.
^^ What does Club Med have to do with summer camp?
DewDrop, I also experienced Club Med when it was a wild and crazy option. I had a very good time, but wasn't impressed with the food. I wonder if that has improved as they look to attract families.
I'm with the posters that wouldn't be comfortable leaving a very young child with strangers. One place I have heard good things about is the Franklin D resort (Jamaica?). A nanny is assigned to your suite for the duration of your visit. A friend raved about it, and her daughters adored the nanny, but this was a few years ago.
Letting a 6 year old attend the local day camp for a few hours a day with friends is a whole lot different to leaving your 1 year old with strangers in a foreign country.
I know lots of people who do leave their kids with the onsite daycare on vacation, just as they do at the gym. I personally wouldn't but it's a personal choice. Taking a 1 year old on vacation doesn't mean you will be tied to the room or that you have to have a boring time. Some of our best vacations have been the ones we took with our kids.
My post was in response to LK, who extended stillthesame's opinion about not allowing a child who can't talk yet, be taken care of by strangers while they were on vacation. LK said he/she wouldn't let even a child who COULD talk be taken care of strangers while they were on vacation.
Which surprises me, and makes me feel bad for the kids.
From what I understand, Club Med now predominantly caters to family travellers, not like 10 or so years ago. We haven't used their kid facilities, but we have quite a few friends who have, and they all raved about it. In baby med they had puppet shows, and took the babiies for walks, etc. My kids have been in the Hilton kids programs, and they had a blast. The people working in the program were young college-age women who were very nice and full of energy. We don't make use of those facilities very often, but my kids have always enjoyed them when we have.
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going on if you were so inclined to take part in such things.
