To leave Dd alone in hotel room?

[Shelby2010]

More of a WWYD really. We are going to be staying with Dd (18mths) in a hotel next month on holiday & then overnight for a wedding in July. How safe do MNetters feel it is to leave their sleeping DC in the room with either the listening service or a normal baby monitor while eating in the hotel restaurant or attending an evening reception?

Am I being very PFB to worry about how many members of staff could access the room (especially with programable card keys)? The fact that hotels do offer a listening service suggests that many parents are ok with this. I'm torn between thinking I'm paranoid and thinking that they always tell you not to leave valuables in you room except in the safe..... Help!

Must admit my first thought was 'Madeline McCann' too!
Definitely wouldnt myself!

I wouldn't, get a babysitter or take turns sitting in the room.

Anothe no from me

For your holiday I would take DD with you in the evening along with her buggy so if she wants to fall asleep she can do.

For the wedding, could she go to her grandparents for a little holiday of her own?

And putting her in the safe with your other valuables is NOT an option either!

nope. get a baby sitter or leave baby with grandparents/trusted friend for the night if possible.

i wouldnt leave a baby unattended in a hotel room.

Is your OH putting pressure on you to do this? I am sensing that there is someone telling you that "it will be fine" as a backstory to this post.

I can't understand why you would think this is a good idea?

I was going to say the same as Arana TBH. Nope, no way on earth. Sorry.

No I wouldn't.

get room service and a bottle of wine

it's what you do when you have young kids, I am afraid

What arana said also. Are you serious?

no

get a babysitter

or room service

or bring the baby to dinner

or eat in two sittings

don't leave her alone, listening service or no listening service

A fire is a very good point

Believe me I'm a very relaxed parent

But if fire ripped through the floor your child was on, you probably wouldn't be allowed or be able to get up a stairs full of people running down it.

This question comes up regularly on MN and always splits the board.

Personally I have done this regularly, both with a listening service and a baby monitor. I am reassured in that the hotel we usually do it in has double doors and I am literally 2 mins away from the room. DD1 has always been quite predictable and good at sleeping in the evening (less so in the small hours). I was more comfortable doing this when she was a baby and less comfortable now she is older and might go exploring.

I do statistically much more dangerous things with my baby, like go in a car with her. But, if you will spend all night worrying, then it's not for you.

We ent to a wedding with 16m ds. He stayed up and danced till 11 then I took him and a huge glass of wine back to our luxury room - it was the best bit!

it doesn't look very "split" to me

what happened to Madeleine McCann has put paid to that

I have done this twice but in very different circumstances. Both were at UK weddings where guests of the wedding were the only people staying in the hotel. We also bought a baby monitor with a 500m range on it & one of us had it at all times. The door to the room was locked & we also checked on DS1 at regular intervals. I still panicked constantly. Given the situation you describe my reaction would be absolutely not.

I'm not sure tbh.

I think if you were in the same hotel and it was a good, reputable hotel, and you could listen in occasionally too - I might consider going along to the reception for a while and see how it went. If your baby slept, then fine, but if they were unsettled, perhaps not.
I've been away with my DD a few times and she never seems to settle somewhere new.

We've done this ever since the children were small, using baby monitors; by definition, if the monitor works, then they are only in the room above you, no further away in practical terms than at home. I'm not such a fan of baby listening, as you never know how much attention is really being paid! With our monitor you can hear the children breathing - you would certainly hear a door opening, for example.

And the Mcann example, which is always trotted out, is very different.

I work in a hotel and I really wouldn't!
Key cards can be reproduced at the reception/nicked
If the fire alarm goes off you WILL NOT be allowed back to your room (v standard fire safely rules)
Key cards can not work, occasionally the doors can block. In this case the doors can of course be opened by staff, but this could mean waiting a while-if your DC is crying in there you will be very stressed!

I have been tempted to do the same thing, but honestly, it is risky. A babysitter is a far better idea

Definitely not. Imagine if something happened. You wouldn't be able to live with yourself.

HeliumBalloon 1 - Rest of the world 43, doesnt seem split to me at all!

I would never do it - it's not about child abduction fears

the fear for me is fire - would you be allowed back in?

Also, if she starts crying how long will it take for someone to get there?

In these situations I always get a babysitter

Don't do it! I'm sure lots of people think it's fine, but that doesn't mean it actually IS fine. It's not fine at all. Get someone you know to recommend a babysitter for the wedding. That's what I did for the last wedding I went to, a teenage daughter of a wedding guest sat in the room with ds (7) and watched the telly for a few hours.