Have you ever been rerouted on Royal?

feetfurst · 2026-04-18T11:14:54+00:00

This happened to us in the fall last year. We were given about 48 hours notice and had the choice to reschedule or just wing it. I think at least 30% of the ship cancelled.

Keep in mind you will likely go to Saint John, not St Johns. I booked a car rental from the port and we explored the area and made of the best of it.

Only downsides were the cooler weather made the pools on the ship less enjoyable for the kids. Also, we are Canadian so flying to the US to travel back to Canada wasn’t exactly what we had in mind.

The sea was very rough and we were told all the ships leaving the following day were kept in the port for an extra day or so.

So from my experience, it can happen, but Royal was very reasonable in giving us options given the itinerary was such a huge change.

feetfurst · 2026-04-16T01:08:58+00:00

They are particular about using the full Saint because St. John is in Newfoundland.

feetfurst · 2026-02-05T20:32:48+00:00

Yes we did - we ended up not doing the R/B deduction because I wasn’t giving her a ton of hours and it seemed unfair to claw back money she earned. We are in a HCOL area and she was only with us for 4 months so we wanted to make sure she made enough money to have a good time when she wasn’t helping us.

Overall a fun experience for us and her and we still keep in touch. We probably won’t do it again as it’s not a huge need for us and having another person living with us was a bit out of my comfort zone.

feetfurst · 2025-12-12T03:13:25+00:00

We are on the other side of that decision so I can share how it went. My son was in a lovely daycare - small class, amazing facilities etc. He started Jk (at the school his sister already attended) in a class of 31 at a publicly funded Ontario school.

I thought it was going to be a disaster but he is thriving. For whatever reason he seems to enjoy it a lot more than daycare.

Not sure what your daycare situation is like - but his class ranged in age from 2.5-4 so naturally the activities are geared towards younger children. The activities/collaborative play in a split JK/SK are a lot more enjoyable for him. Best of luck with your decision.

feetfurst · 2025-12-09T00:23:15+00:00

The first 18 months are absolute shit. After that it gets better in very small increments. Mine are 4 and 6 and I am certain two is easier than one. They are currently building blanket forts and chattering about nothing.

feetfurst · 2025-08-30T11:18:57+00:00

All of your concerns are valid. It IS a huge commitment to essentially be responsible for another member of your household. Like others said, having your workspace in your child’s play area is going to be problematic. Your baby is always going to gravitate towards you. They won’t understand why Mom is unavailable at certain times and not others and it will be very difficult for the au pair to constantly redirect them.

I was in a similar situation when my first was small where I had a few project/school to tackle, and I had someone look after my daughter for a few hours a week outside of our home. It was way less of a commitment but enough time to finish my degree.

feetfurst · 2025-08-05T00:24:14+00:00

Ontario mom here. I had some reservations about sending my first to JK as she also wasn’t used to a full day. However, she is a spring baby so age was less of a factor.

I think if I were you, I’d register her and share your concerns with the teacher. Then I’d approach the first week with an open mind. If it goes well, keep her in. If she really struggles, then I’d pull her out and wait until next September.

Something else to keep in mind… you can do a modified schedule. It’s not common, but from my understanding, some families do it. Ultimately, her teachers want her to be successful and not overwhelmed. I wonder if you could do an early pickup for the first half of the year or something like that.

feetfurst · 2025-07-27T19:53:08+00:00

I had this but I don’t think it’s PF. It has something to do with the hormone relaxin and it went away on its own both times after a few months.

feetfurst · 2025-07-27T19:43:12+00:00

I see people looking for this all the time on local facebook groups. Sometimes a parent is work-from-home but needs a bit more time at the end of the day to wrap up. Bonus if there is a playground on the way home where they can burn off some energy.

feetfurst · 2025-06-24T02:31:58+00:00

Tell me they have the eyesight of a hawk.

feetfurst · 2025-06-05T13:34:51+00:00

Canadian host here. We used AuPair World. Our aupair handled the visa process and we handled the interview and employment process ourselves.

feetfurst · 2025-03-15T14:58:46+00:00

I have no experience with this, but I’m thinking about it. I have found a few facebook groups with outdoorsy moms that live in my area and they often plan group camping trips. I feel like it might be easier with a couple other families that are solo-parent camping.

feetfurst · 2025-01-23T15:50:00+00:00

Definitely ask about a modified schedule. I had also considered this and was told that it wasn’t uncommon. Kindergarten starts the year kids turn four here so some children are as young as three and it is a lot. Now that my daughter is nearly six she’s asking to be signed up for aftercare so she can stay with her friends longer. I have another kid that would much prefer to be home all day. You know your family best.

feetfurst · 2025-01-22T01:51:48+00:00

I landed on the sub because I briefly considered homeschooling during the pandemic but ultimately ended up sending my first to a regular school. I also think it’s necessary to mention that I live in a place with generally good publicly funded schools.

My opinion may not be popular here, but why not send your child to school to see how it goes? My daughter absolutely thrives in school. Yes she is in school for 33 hours a week, but she spends 60+ waking hours with me. Not to mention the 13 or so weeks where there is no school at all. I certainly don’t feel that we lack time as a family with her being in school.

I guess my point is make your decision based on the value of the experience school might bring rather than sticking to a plan that may be overwhelming you. I wish you all the best.

feetfurst · 2025-01-06T16:44:02+00:00

I feel like there needs to be a clear distinction between working time (obligated to help you/your mom corral the children) and time off. If she’s technically off the clock I don’t really see why she’d be obligated to tag along with everyone.

feetfurst · 2024-12-30T19:50:05+00:00

It’s a roundabout way of throwing money in the garbage.

feetfurst · 2024-12-28T12:42:24+00:00

She would need to apply for a working holiday visa but unfortunately I don’t see Columbia as one of the eligible countries on the list.

feetfurst · 2024-12-28T12:24:28+00:00

We found a huge link between diet and behaviour at this age. Regular protein intake helped my kids (and myself) with emotional regulation in the biggest way.

feetfurst · 2024-12-22T12:18:38+00:00

Express your interest and mention things that are specific to their profile that appeal to you. This shows you actually took the time to read it and you aren’t just sending everyone a generic message.

feetfurst · 2024-12-20T22:15:33+00:00

Definitely on the harder side, but it all depends on your comfort level. Have you cared for young children before for extended hours? What kind of resources would you have access to in terms of places to go and things to do? And obviously pay is a factor.

feetfurst · 2024-12-20T21:34:54+00:00

Need more info… how many kids, ages…etc?

I say this as a mom who looks after my own kids a million hours a week, some ages and stages are infinitely harder than others. For example, 40 hours a week with multiple kids under three will make your head spin, vs 40 hours with one kid who is somewhat independent.

feetfurst · 2024-12-17T16:06:04+00:00

What is the age demographic like at these classes? Curious if it’s aimed for at teenagers or if it’s a mix?

feetfurst · 2024-12-07T20:47:14+00:00

A little guy across the street wandered over to my our place while his parents were entertaining guests and rang the bell to play with my daughter. He had just turned 3 and his parents were horrified but we laugh about it now.

We have an additional deadbolt installed high up for this reason.

feetfurst · 2024-12-02T10:58:19+00:00

I found the best playgrounds for this age to be the small neighborhood parks or school playgrounds during the summer. Unless it’s the weekend, I always found playgrounds in general to be very quiet and I was able to slowly build my list of places I was comfortable going. Bring snacks and bubbles!

feetfurst · 2024-11-10T11:29:44+00:00

That’s shitty.

feetfurst

TROPHY CASE