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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

... to ask what people do in family rooms?

28 replies

Cass168 · 12/09/2015 22:02

DH and I have been invited to a wedding next month and as I can't find any self-catering accommodation nearby we'll probably book a hotel for us and toddler ds.

Since ds was born we've only ever been away in self-catering places where we can put him to bed and then make dinner / watch TV. So my question really is - if we all share a family room in a hotel are we looking at creeping around / reading / have a really early night once he's asleep? The TV would wake him up. What do other people do?

OP posts:

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 12/09/2015 22:03

Depends how deeply he sleeps. In our case I'd be on MN in the dark!

overthemill · 12/09/2015 22:05

We used to have a family room occasions when they were 6 and under. We would go out for day and knacker them, eat, go back to room, bath, stories, bed. And then sit on balcony and read/talk/ glass of wine . In UK we would use a baby monitor system to go to bar and then come back and creep around , get into bed and fall asleep! But if you are going to a wedding surely you'll all go to bed ( late) at same time? An idea is watch movie on laptop with headphones for quietness

RhinestoneCowgirl · 12/09/2015 22:05

Read books on kindle app on smart phone.

Have sex in the bathroom.

Original poster

Cass168 · 12/09/2015 22:09

All excellent suggestions, especially Rhinestone ;-)
To clarify, the couple are getting married abroad so the "wedding" is actually an afternoon do for the family who couldn't make it.

OP posts:

Sunshineandsilverbirch · 12/09/2015 22:09

Catch up on our sleep mostly. Although we only use hotels for overnight stops.

It's completely beyond me why people go to hotels on holiday. Self catering avoids having to go to bed early and provides some privacy

CakeNinja · 12/09/2015 22:10

If you're going to a wedding won't you just be getting back late when he's really tired/asleep anyway? In which case in theory he'll just go straight to sleep?

We just stayed in a hotel and had an interconnecting family room (only one door which then split into 2 full size hotel rooms with their own bathrooms which was good.

It's a tiring way to do a holiday with a 3 year old (also have older children who we had in a separate room) as you can't essentially just chill out 'at home' and they need to be tired or else they just stay up pissing about.

But I'd have thought he will just be asleep so not really a problem?

CakeNinja · 12/09/2015 22:11

Sorry, xpost.
What does an afternoon do entail?

Original poster

Cass168 · 12/09/2015 22:13

Buffet, cake, probably some speeches and a chance for ds to hopefully run around with his many cousins getting tired out.

OP posts:

CakeNinja · 12/09/2015 22:20

If there's loads of family around it will more than likely end up spilling over into the evening which sounds perfect for taking him back later on when he's ready to sleep.

TheThreeCheesesOfTheApocalypse · 13/09/2015 00:22

We used to put the travel cot in the bathroom

MidniteScribbler · 13/09/2015 01:34

There's a wonderfully old fashioned invention that doesn't make noise. It's called a book.

PennyHasNoSurname · 13/09/2015 01:47

Pay for a Suite upgrade so you have the separate lounge?

Push them to sleep in their buggy then take tthem to a quieter part of the Hotel (or grounds if warm) and take turns doing the Bar Run.

westcoastnortherneragain · 13/09/2015 02:38

Have you tried Airbnb OP you might be able to rent a holiday cottage or flat on there

Original poster

Cass168 · 13/09/2015 07:21

Yes thanks Scribbler, I am actually a librarian so I'm well aware of those "book" things.

OP posts:

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 13/09/2015 08:40

Problem with a book is it requires a light on. Mine are not bad with a bit of noise once they are asleep, but try having the lights on. ...

ThatsNotMyHouseItIsTooClean · 13/09/2015 08:51

Back lit devices are perfect for this scenario - phone, Kindle, Ipad. However, I always seem to succumb to the temptation to fall asleep around 9.30pm.

Jollyphonics · 13/09/2015 08:52

We sometimes go on weekends away and stay in cheap hotels. I love it - the kids go to sleep and I can watch TV, read, go on MN, or just sleep. It's getting a bit harder now that they're older (10 and 6), so I can't really watch TV any more, but a little reading light or iPad screen doesn't wake them. I'm a single parent, so I don't have to worry about talking quietly, although sometimes I'll catch up on phone calls in the bathroom.

I wouldn't go on a week long holiday to a hotel, but one or two nights like this is fine, and I always get loads of lovely sleep!

InimitableJeeves · 13/09/2015 09:00

Some hotels have those small reading lights that are on a flexible stem coming over your shoulder and that can focus on the page. They're fantastic whether you're in a family room or not as they enable you to read without disturbing your partner.

maryann1975 · 13/09/2015 09:16

We all go to bed at the same time in a family room. DH generally just goes to sleep and I mumsnet on my phone. We've tried having the tv on, but it's not always suitable viewing for little ones in the evening and it generally keeps at least one of the dc awake so we don't bother.

magicpuppy · 13/09/2015 09:18

Is it only for one night? If so, I think a good book and a couple of drinks sent up from the bar sounds great.

WhenWillYouMakeMyTelephoneRing · 13/09/2015 09:29

We do it for one or two nights here and there, and DH and I take turns during the evening at going down to the bar while the other person stays in the room and reads on Kindle / MNs / watches something with headphones on. One of us does bedtime and then we swap halfway through the evening.

goblinhat · 13/09/2015 09:39

I go to sleep. I love an early night.

Artandco · 13/09/2015 09:41

We just keep them up with us or they fall asleep wherever.

So small child would come into restaurant or bar with us and fall asleep in pram/ sling/ in lap/ on sofa if needed. They stay up with us if happy to. Now 4 and 5 they tend to just stay up with us and eat/ play board games/ with other kids. Occasionally youngest just falls asleep on one of our laps. The excitement keeps them awake usually. We head to room around 10-11pm in UK if nothing particular on, abroad more like midnight

juneau · 13/09/2015 09:45

What we usually do is have an early dinner for all of us and then head up to the room. The DC have bath, stories and go to bed. Then DH usually goes down to the foyer with his laptop for a bit and I go and have a bath and read my book. Once they're properly asleep we can put a reading light on, as long as their beds aren't right next to ours. If they are, we have to have an early night too or take it in turns to go downstairs, but there is always one of us in the room with them.

SevenSeconds · 13/09/2015 10:04

If you and DH want to take the opportunity to have a nice meal together, some hotels can give you a list of babysitters who will sit in the dark with your DC.

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