RIVERBOATING WITH A TWO YEAR-OLD.

How long is the trip?

Lots of things to consider. Is the child adaptable? How does she behave when she is frustrated? (Will she make it miserable for the rest of the passengers?) Will it be just the two of them, or is your son going? If so, how helpful is he in dealing with the child? How will the child stay entertained?

There is no single answer to this. I think that the feasability of considering such a trip really has to do with the child's personality and level of frustration tolerance.

I suspect it will be 3 to 5 days. Can we assume there will places to go within the ship other than the decks and the dining area? The child is happy as long as a parent is around and there are things to explore.

As Phoenix says, it depends a lot on the temperment of the kiddo. But if we're talking 3-5 days, what I would worry about is exercise. The sozlet needs to just full-out run and climb and generally be a monkey at least once a day, or there's trouble. I looked at the site for the Delta Queen:

http://www.deltaqueen.com/DQSC-dq.htm

And I can't decide if "strolling the decks" would work. As in, would all-out running be possible, or is there a danger of falling? (God forbid.)

It looks like they stop off various places, too, though, and with that, I'd say they could do it with an amicable 2-year-old. Some time in a park or wide lawn and I could imagine it would go just fine.

http://www.deltaqueen.com/DQSC-steamboatin.htm

It also depends on the temperement of the parents. Are they willing to give the child the attention it needs during it's more "fussy" periods.

Mapleleaf--

Personally, as a woman of mature years with an excellent imagination and finely honed adult preferences, if I took a two-year-old on a boat, it would be for a half an hour in a rowboat--and All Three Generations would be wearing life jackets.

The young may not have better sense than we do, but they have a great deal more energy. I assume they love your grandchild enough to guard her life with their lives.

Further, I'm sure that the Delta Queen--and all other riverboats--has all manner of precautions to keep every single toddler aboard rather than treading water in the Mississippi.

Will the two-year-old have a wonderful, memorable, character-forming experience? Probably not. Will the parents have a happy time? Probably, if they are happy people.

I'm sure arrangements can be made with a chambermaid or waitress to babysit so the parents can have a bit of night life. I'm also fairly certain that there will be a safe place for a toddler to run and climb--after all, toddlers don't need acres and acres for happy, tiring play.

If the Riverboat company will accept two-year-olds as passengers, they have facilities available.

Have you read Mark Twain, "Life on the Mississippi"? Twain will have you itching to book passage as well.

Hold your dominion.

There will be four adults and one child. Divide and conqueror is our motto...or something like that...or is it take turns supervising the kid before you are exhausted???

I hadn't thought about the riverboat accepting two-year-olds. We need to ask that question.

Boy...do I love the editing function.

I wouldn't even dare! The two's are not always
terrible, but they can surely be trying on your
nerves and they require constant attention and
motivation toward something or other. If not,
they get into all kinds of mischief. Mine did, at
any rate. At two, they are so busy exploring their
boundaries and stretching their wings now that
they can walk fairly well. My children were FAR
more hospitable for something like a slow river
cruise by the ages of 7 or 8. Perhaps some of
the river cruises might be geared toward family
cruising, with some child oriented activities and
helpers to keep the little ones busy - so your
vacation is not like Nightmare on Elm Street.

Noddy, you are an absolute riot.