Indeed, that was EXACTLY the case and the intent of my question.
Maybe some of the parenting advice I received was from people who don't live in Las Vegas, but FYI, a large percentage of dining, entertainment, etc. in this town requires transiting a casino floor. For example, my family of three likes to go to breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi, and the casino lies in-between the restaurant and the parking garage. No need to call CPS - we're just wheeling the stroller from point A to point B, and there happens to be a casino in the middle.
I'm not planning to drop a 9 month old at the arcade by herself so my wife and/or I can go gamble. I'm not planning to park her stroller next to a machine (which is illegal here, anyway). In fact, the intent behind my question was to make sure there were things to do that DID NOT require spending time in the casino. Having never been to Tahoe before, I wasn't sure there was anything to do there besides gambling and jet skis. So, I just wanted to make sure there were non-gaming, family friendly activities we could all enjoy together. So, thanks again to everyone who responded with some very useful information.
And, to the rest of you, thank you for knowing how to raise my child better than I do. Good for you.
Cheers.
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On 04 Jul 2012, at 00:31, Queen of Comps wrote:
I am surprised at some of the extreme views given here on this subject. I don’t think the person who originally asked about taking a baby on a Tahoe casino vacation was thinking about parking said baby in a stroller beside a video poker machine while the parents played for hours. I think the question asked – and many did give logical thoughtful helpful ideas – was what could the adults with a baby do in the area as a family activity during the non-gambling time. People – please read posts here with some logical understanding and a non-critical attitude.
I have had my daughter with me on casino trips since she was a teenager – some 26 years ago. And the now-teenage grandchildren have been in and around casinos since they were in strollers. They have not and do not linger in the actual casino, but have walked through them – or been “strollered” through or held in our arms – to go to a pool or to a hotel room or to a restaurant. They have thoroughly enjoyed casino childcare centers when they were the appropriate ages. They have enjoyed the arcades, with the same close supervision that we would give them in any non-casino arcade. As they grew older they have enjoyed shows that were chosen as appropriate for their age. They weren’t in danger of being murdered in a casino bathroom because they were supervised there just as they would be in non-casino facilities. Actually casinos may be safer than many other vacation spots.
Some of our best family vacations have been spent in and around casinos, enjoying the luxurious amenities and interesting activities together. This might not be the way you want to spend any of your family vacations – and of course we also do many family activities in non-casino areas – but we need to be broad-minded enough to realize that not everyone has the same likes and interests. And it seems unusually judgmental to “attack” someone who simply wrote one short e-mail asking for advice about one simple family vacation, implying that they are unfit parents when one doesn’t know anything about them.
End of rant!!!!
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Jean $¢ott, Frugal Gambler
http://queenofcomps.com/
You can read my blog at
http://jscott.lvablog.com/
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