Social services or having a word with the parents?

[MintyGreenDream]

Not me but the owner of the hotel I stayed in Friday night.

Me,dh and ds were staying over night in Cleethorpes in a lovely hotel we found that had the main building accomodation and also a property next door but one for additional accommodation.
We sat down to breakfast in the morning and a little boy around 8yrs was sat alone happily chatting to a family on another table.We assumed the boy wanted to be grown up and sit alone from his family but then the family left and he started chatting to a couple asking them what their room was like and that he was staying in building further along and could he go to their room and see it.

Couple were like .
The little boy then told them that he was bored because his mum was in bed so he'd come for breakfast alone.

The owner ended up taking the boy back to his room and said she would speak to the mum whenever checked out.A lot of the guests were concerned about the boy and some mentioned social services.Would that have been over the top or not? We left soon after the boy was taken back so don't know the outcome.

It just didn't seem right.Some people are being a bit blasé about it.Not one person there thought it was right that he was alone

Obviously it's not right. But stuff happens, and calling cyps on the basis of this one single incident is totally over the top. My DD once opened the door of our premier inn room as she thought it was the bathroom, wondered off in a daze while we were still asleep. Very scary for us and her, but certainly not an indication she was being neglected!!

@MintyGreenDream

I hope they did tbh.Like I say we had to leave and he was back in his hotel room.

You hope they wasted a child protection social workers time on this? Bizarre.

At 8yo DS1 was more than capable of wandering round a hotel and would have been in hog heaven if he had gone to breakfast buffet alone. When he was 11yo, I took sick on holiday and he looked after himself and DS2 for a whole day.

YABU OP.

Presumably the owner would have decided on appropriate action based on a chat with the mother. Social services will likely not be interested in an 8 year old going for breakfast alone.

Presumably the boy's mother was very upset when she was woken and presented with her son. I'd guess she was fast asleep and had no idea he'd got himself up and out without her.

it is negligent in my opinion. He may have been mature enough to get himself breakfast but clearly had no idea of stranger danger. My 6 year old nephew would know not to go off with anyone but his parents. His mum may well have made a mistake but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be pointed out to her.

@nokidshere because he's sensible and knows he shouldn't go anywhere alone at his age without permission