Realex, if you don't talk to you kids about drugs, who will? May as well have the talk because they are gonna hear the dope dogs jump into the baggage compartment the minute you pull up to the jetway, and they are often in the baggage collection area. And they are in the departure area. We have been going since our kids were 5 & 9, and I agree with Tizzy - best thing we ever did for them! They are going smell it all over the island, so have your say before you go, or while you're there, but talk about it. Open and honest. With a 15 yr old, I would impress upon him or her how not cool it is to try to bring some back .... as the kids got older I was surprised at the number of their friends who wanted souvenirs!

However much weed or other vices there may be in Jamaica, you will be happy that you took your family and will be impressed with what impresses them! They will experience a whole new and different culture! More than worth the trip. One time in Mobay, we were talking to 2 guys just a day or so before we left and the girls whined that they didn't want to go and didn't want to go back to school. These 2 guys got right to their level and told them how lucky they were that they "had" to go to school! How they wished they could have stayed in school past 14! How lucky they were to have the chance for an education. THAT made the biggest impression on them! They told us years later that whenever they got down about school and having to go and all - they would remember Everyday and Michael's words and thank their lucky stars they COULD go.
They will learn a lot on your vacation, believe me.

The Seastar party will be fun for them. They can swim if they want to. You don't need a heated pool. Really. Listen to the peepers and go to near the front gate to smell the night jasmine. Unforgettable! There are plenty of kids there and they can probably use the guest computer if they get bored. But I doubt they will be bored and there will probably be other kids there, too.

Might I suggest you take them St. Anthony's soup kitchen for a breakfast or lunch volunteer morning. It is an awesome experience and makes you appreciate just how fortunate we are! The kids will learn a lot!

When are you going - and OD, when are you goin? We will be at the Seastar party on Feb 1 and 8. Maybe we'll see you there?