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Children and Hotel WWYD

67 replies

TimothyClaypoleLover · 29/06/2013 14:45

Family weekend coming up with 2 nights stay in a hotel. We have 2 children aged 3 and 1. Majority of the family of the view that it would be perfectly reasonable to leave DC in the hotel room on their own at night whilst we are downstairs eating/drinking. Other family members with children of similar age plan to do this.

I am not happy with this and feel that it is not the same as them being at home in their bedrooms whilst we are downstairs. The hotel is a public place and I would not be able to hear them cry should they wake. Not to mention if they got out of bed and managed to get out the room or injure themselves in the room.

I am being made to feel like a neurotic mother and on my saying that I would just stay in the room with them being told I am not getting in the party spirit. There has been the suggestion of checking on them every half hour or so but that doesn't sit right with me.

Can anyone advise or has anyone had similar experience. I don't feel I am being unreasonable in my concerns but everyone else in the family does.

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HeySoulSister · 29/06/2013 14:47

What's the hotels policy? Because its usually them that end up picking up the pieces when something goes wrong!

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YoniMitchell · 29/06/2013 14:49

Can the hotel recommend a babysitting service?

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K8Middleton · 29/06/2013 14:49

Can you book a babysitter or listening service with the hotel? We've done that before - it's usually quite easy and not too expensive.

I wouldn't leave them alone in the circumstances you have described either.

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SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 29/06/2013 14:50

Could you get a baby monitor with really good coverage, so you can hear any movements?

Another option would be to hire a babysitter through the hotel - dh and I have done this - they would stay in the room with your dc, so they would be perfectly safe.

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Accidentallyquirky · 29/06/2013 14:51

No way on this earth would I leave my 3 year old lane in a hotel room! I don't care if the rest of my family where doing it,

Even if my morals allowed me, If dd woke up and I wasn't there shed be scared lost and lonely and I'd hate her to feel like that over a stupid decision on my part.

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SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 29/06/2013 14:53

Sorry, I forgot to say I have used the hotel listening services on several occasions too, with no misgivings and no mishaps - but if you are not comfortable with that, then you have every right to put in place an arrangement that you are comfortable with. That way you will be able to relax and enjoy the party.

I hope you can sort out something you are happy with.

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ginmakesitallok · 29/06/2013 14:53

There is no way I would leave a 1 & 3 year old alone in a hotel bedroom.

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daftdame · 29/06/2013 14:53

If there is no sitter service I would just take in turns with DH to keep going back to room to watch kids. Not ideal, better if you can get adjoining rooms. Take a torch and good book if not!

We have had to do this before when DS was a baby. Was OK, I was tired anyway and had lots of little sleep between socialising.

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daftdame · 29/06/2013 14:54

^sleeps

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TimothyClaypoleLover · 29/06/2013 14:57

Accidentallyquirky, that is exactly how I feel to!

I am perfectly happy to stay with them (which is my preferred option) but will also investigate a proper babysitter. The family is going to be together all day as well as the evenings so can't see why they are making a big deal out of me insisting DC are watched over.

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WeAreEternal · 29/06/2013 14:57

No way would I agree to this.

I'd either get the hotel to find a babysitter for me or is do as Daft suggested and take it in turns to babysit with DH in 30 minute shifts.

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wickeddevil · 29/06/2013 15:00

I Would absolutely not leave them.
Baby monitors / listening services are not a good enough option either.
We often settled for takeaways or had our main meal at lunchtime when DCs were small if we were away.
DH is a firefighter and it is just not something we would ever consider.

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daftdame · 29/06/2013 15:01

Timothy I'd watch them too, you are certainly not being overprotective.
They will be in unfamiliar surroundings and might not settle anyway.

Its madness to insist on anything else. You'd have to know your child was a really sound sleeper or would not panic if woken and be able to hear them on a baby alarm.

If the fire alarm went you'd have to be able to retrieve them!

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Scruffey · 29/06/2013 15:02

I would not go. No way would I have agreed to this when my dc were that age.

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HeySoulSister · 29/06/2013 15:04

3 and 1.... No way

People actually do that still?

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LittleDirewolfBitJoffrey · 29/06/2013 15:06

My kids are pretty much the same age and tbh even if they were older I'd feel very strongly against leaving them on their own. If there's a babysitting service, then fair enough, but otherwise it would be a case of either one or neither of us adults going downstairs without them. I just wouldn't feel happy doing anything else.

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zzzzz · 29/06/2013 15:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 29/06/2013 15:07

I know for a fact that if my 3 year old woke up she would be upset if in unfamiliar surroundings and would cry for me so that has always been my deciding factor in not leaving them alone, let alone all the other reasons.

Daftdame, and I hadn't even considered the fire alarm going off!

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CaptainSweatPants · 29/06/2013 15:07

why can't you all get a holiday cottage ?
so much easier

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TolliverGroat · 29/06/2013 15:08

I have done it with one baby in a very small hotel where the door of the room was about 5-10 metres from where we were eating and we could see it from our table. In a larger hotel I've always got a proper babysitter if there's an event, or just worked round mealtimes and bedtimes to stay with the DCs ourselves.

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TimothyClaypoleLover · 29/06/2013 15:12

CaptainSweatPants - oh that would be so much easier to book a holiday cottage but DH's family members who are organising the whole thing are doing it exactly how they want to and sod the rest of us!

I am just hoping the other parents going will be guilt tripped into looking after their own kids by my actions and organisers will end up with no-one to party with!

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EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 29/06/2013 15:19

Another no. We were staying in a hotel when DD was four and the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. Cue full evacuation. It was a false alarm but if we hadn't been with DD at the time she'd have been petrified.

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SabrinaMulhollandJjones · 29/06/2013 15:19

No, I couldn't do it. Many years ago, we tried this - smallish hotel - put dc to bed and went down to the bar for a drink, with a baby monitor. I lasted 10 minutes, just couldn't relax. It didn't feel right.

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ProtegeMoi · 29/06/2013 15:29

No I would never do this.

2 words Madeleine McCan!

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nextphase · 29/06/2013 15:29

I wouldn't leave them either (tho did once when DS1 was young, nothing went wrong, but it was more stressful with the listening service than sitting with him). Would the 1 yr old sleep in a pushchair for the first few hours, and the 3 yr old stay up til say 9, when you can more legitimately depart for the evening?

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