Share how your child staked their claim for independence with Royal Caribbean - you could win a 4 day trip for your family on Independence of the Seas! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

To help celebrate both Independence Day and the news that Royal Caribbean's cruise ship, "Independence of the Seas" will be sailing from Southampton again next year, the team there would love to hear your stories of toddlers and children staking claims of independence.

Royal Caribbean say "we know that once they've mastered a few key words, your little ones are keen to do things their way! From Great Cot Escapes to Fashion Showstoppers, we want to hear about these mini adventures and, in return, one lucky Mumsnetter will win a family holiday on board our luxurious and innovative ship, Independence of the Seas (the UK’s favourite cruise ship), in 2016." This is worth approx £2,200!

"Independence of the Seas will be sailing on a selection of voyages from Southampton to Europe and the Mediterranean and is packed with great on-board experiences to keep every member of your family entertained. From the FlowRider® surf simulator, a rock climbing wall and ice-skating rink to cantilevered whirlpools and complimentary Broadway-style entertainment – there’s something for everyone.

The beautiful ship also offers a complimentary Adventure Ocean® Youth Program, Royal Babies® and Royal Tots® programme, Teen lounge areas and disco and H20 Zone™ kids’ waterpark. Itineraries include an exciting selection of three to 14 nights sailings from Southampton- including three and four night mini breaks to Paris and Bruges, seven night cruise itineraries to France and Spain, and a number of 14 night breaks from Southampton to the Mediterranean with its wonderful beaches, historic cities and idyllic coastal towns".

So, please post on this thread the most memorable stake for independence claimed by one of your children - everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter - picked at random - will win a family holiday on board Independence of the Seas in 2016. Subject to MN Insight T&Cs as well as the additional T&Cs from Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean sails to over 260 amazing destinations around the world. From Barcelona to Barbados, Australia to Alaska – via their fleet of 23 ships - for further information about Royal Caribbean’s award-winning holiday experiences, please visit www.royalcaribbean.co.uk, or visit them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

My DD was very proud of herself the other day when she went up to the counter with her 50p, and asked for a strawberry mini milk and paid for it... all by herself. I was also very proud of my formerly shy little one!

My DS2 has just turned 3 but from the moment he was old enough he has insisted on choosing his own outfits. At the moment there's only one pair of (very old, tatty hand-me-down) shorts that he'll wear and one pair of sandals - convincing him to wear anything else takes so much negotiation that if I ever want to leave the house I have to give in! His little sandals have really seen better days and could do with a wash, but I can only do it at night as he goes to bed with them :)

We live in a town, with busy traffic.

My ds's pride, aged about 5, when we spent a holiday in Rye and he was able to go by himself to Woolworths (one door down!) and buy a Magnum, will always stay with me. (Of course, we hung out of the windows watching every step).

I really mourned the passing of Woolies just on that account!

My Daughter has the ' anything my brother can do I can do better' attitude even if she really cant! The other day she walked in with her tights on inside out, a too small dress & a cardigan & said ' see mummy, I can get dressed too'

Independent!!

My daughter refused to be spoon fed and went on hunger strike until I realised what the issue was and gave her a spoon. She also held her own bottle when we introduced it at 4 months!

Making a bowl of cornflakes in a colander that was pretty funny even with a lock on the fridge

my 17 year old daughter choosing her own prom day choosing a fire engine limouisine to get to the place and what salon for hair and makeup very independant i would say i just had to make sure that i had the money

Just before my 5 year old started school I was trying to explain to him that he would have to go my himself and I wouldn't be there with him. On the morning of his first day I asked him what he was doing as he picked up my car keys and tried to open the front door. His reply "I am off to school now mummy I will drive myself there if you tell me where it is" :)

Daughters first phrase at nearly 2 was 'don't want it' about anything she wasn't happy about. If I did anything she didn't approve of I would get 'don't want it. Naughty dog. Mummy.'

My 2 year old son wanted independence for his baby sister.
Early one morning, when myself and my husband were both still asleep, 2 year old son, who slept in the same room as his 9 month old baby sister, decided to liberate her. Baby daughter slept in a cot and toddler son unscrewed the cot screws and completely removed the cot side. When I came into their bedroom to get them up, I found baby crawling around the floor and toddler sitting in the cot laughing.

My sons first show of real independance was when he came and asked me if he could make himself a drink rather than me doing it for him. When I saw the amount of squash he poured into that cup I cringed! I have since stocked up on squash but told him to try and go easy on it. Hes since moved on to helping me cut the veg for our dinner and even changed his own bed! Hes going to make somebody a really lovely husband one day by the time I've trained him up lol

Our youngest has always been confident and determined. Aged 12 months he was vaulting out of his cot wearing his sleeping bag! When he turned 3 he started riding a pedal bike without stabilisers and was rather fast and escaped from us on a few occasions, but we've all survived to tell the tale!

When my 4 year old daughter wanted to use my phone to text her older sister, i said to her i had to unlock it, she turned around and said "I can do it" and then typed my password in. It amazed me

My DD likes to pack her own suitcase for holidays. I detest packing, so it's much appreciated.

My little boy likes to do tea and cake with mummy but a babycinno just doesn't cut it- it's a peppermint tea please!

My daughter, who isn't quite 2 yet, packed her bear into a little toy suitcase, the other day. She asked for the keys, pointed at the door and said, "we go", I asked if I was allowed to come too, she said, "no mummy" very firmly. Then asked for the keys again. I think she was planning on taking the car

when my daughter was 6 she decided to get up in the morning before anyone else, and bring up to me bed in breakfast, it consisted of squash, bread and butter and a penguin biscuit lol x

My son took off on his wee bike, to see some diggers at work. He blamed the bike so we had to speak to the naughty bike. He's never been off his bike since, now 14!!!

DD is the youngest in her school year (a 31st August Birthday). She started school 3 days after her 4th birthday and whilst lots of children were clinging to their Mum's on the first day of school, DD wagged her finger at me in the playground and told me very directly 'don't come in with me'.

I didn't and left her to it!

When my son insists on wearing those same Dinosaur pyjamas for the fifth night in a row thinking he is a Palaeontologist

When he wont allow me to lift him into the car seat, insisting that he climbs in himself , thinking he is a mountain climber

My daughter has ASD and is still preverbal at 4 and a half, so every scrap of independence is utterly precious to me. Recently, she's been showing a lot of interest in preparing food, but my favourite moments are when the kettle boils and she runs into the kitchen to make me a cup of coffee: mug out of the cupboard, spooning the instant granules into the mug, and she always, always insists on stirring. Now if I could only make sure she was safe to pour the hot water and carry it to me we'd be sorted.

when I sat my daughter on her potty for the first time at 6 months. I made some swishy noises and kept saying wee wees as she sat on it by her self and to my amazement she did a poo. Buy did we clap and cheer her. she knew she had done something special I'm convinced

When my daughter asked to go out to play with her friends on the street, I realised that she is now an independent being who doesn't want her mum with her 100% of the time.

I was sad, but it was (and is) so lovely to see her outside careering around with other children.

My soon to be 2 year old climbed to the top of the playground climbing frame today announcing 'Hannah do it', my 2 older boys didn't brave it until they were over 4!

My son has staked his independence since ages from picking his own clothes to wear, picking his own school and he has even picked his college even though he still has 1 year left at school also picked his career and has asked his career teacher what subjects he needs to be a Dentist.