Would you let your child do this or am I over the top?

[KrustyBurger]

Currently on holiday in the USA. We are staying at a Marriott so not a motel type set up.

Husband asked our daughter who is 12 to run some rubbish down to the bin next to the lift, she would have to go past about 12 room doors (6 each side).

I said no, il do it as you never know who’s in the rooms and it only takes 5 seconds for someone to open the door and yank her in and you wouldn’t even know which room it is or where she is.

Husband said ok but gave me a strange glance.

Was I being over the top? Or would other parents do the same. It’s nearly 10pm at night here.

Husband's a bit of a clean freak and our bin is full hence not just leaving it.

This comment genuinely made me spit coffee everywhere 😂😂
Thank you!

Happy to oblige, Lemur

We used to stay at the Marriott of Whereversville when my parents travelled for work and I was very amused by the notion of a Marriott corridor as a gauntlet to be run, dodging peril in every doorway

(edited to insert a missing word)

Maybe the OP and some other posters on this thread have watched The Shining too many times (with the weird twins). Or was that Don't Look Now? But both were set in hotels which had those awful, scary things that must be avoided at all costs. The Corridor 🤣

I’d do the same as you, I’d take the rubbish to the bin myself rather than put my daughter at any risk. You never know who is lurking about in hotel corridors at night time. Everyone’s perception of risk is different, don’t feel unreasonable for wanting to keep your child safe in your own way, someone once said to me that our children are our Crown Jewels, and that really resonates with me, you wouldn’t put your Crown Jewels in the corridor on their own.

As it happens, I went to work in Switzerland as a student and travelled there by train. I had to stop overnight in Cologne. It was back in the 80s and there was no en suite toilet - you had to go out into the corridor and find the ladies or gents. I was accosted by a guy at about 11pm. On my own. It was scary. And I have never felt ok in hotel corridors since.

I'm not so sure about the analogy.

The crown jewels are inanimate objects not people who you're trying to raise to be useful resilient and independent members of society.

The risk calculation is always going to be different.

You wouldn't push the crown jewels on the swings either

It is very possible to raise resilient children who are independent members of society as adults whilst also keeping them safe as children. In my field of work (law) I have to deal with risk profiles on a daily basis. I believe the Crown Jewels are less likely to come to harm on a swing used in the correct manner than left alone in a hotel corridor at night time!

Yes, but the analogy is still rubbish as they are just totally different in terms of how you weigh up risks.

Thats scary, what did you do?

I got back to my room but it was scary. He wanted me to come to his room. Therexwas nobody else around.

My 12 year old is disabled so cannot really picture how I would treat my child if he wasn't disabled. But it never would have occurred to me that when walking down a hotel corridor someone may open their door and pull you inside. How would someone in a hotel room even know that there is a person walking alone outside their room. The peep holes are not big enough to see that there is a child walking around alone. Do people really get grabbed from hotel corridors?

Here's johnny

It's a rubbish analogy

Crown Jewels can't scream or fight

They wouldn't be moving and are easier to pick up

As you say, you wouldn't push them in the swing. You wouldn't push them down a slide either. Or toss them into a pool.

She would be perfectly fine, im sure she does more dangerous things walking to school ir going out with friends. I'd be more worried they are not at school.

I have every sympathy with you. Ot doesn't change my view. You cannot clip wings because of your experiences or fear. Tough I understand.

Haha the idea that not letting your 12 year old take out the bins in a hotel is like 'clipping their wings'. Yes I am sure this child will never be an independent, self reliant woman in future years because she wasn't made to take out the rubbish one time on holidays. Lols

Next time you probably won't ask for other peoples opinions !!!

Lucky for me, I don’t care what people say or how sarcastic they want to be. I’m just laughing at most of this bullshit people are writing.

Iv also skipped about 20 pages 😂

As I've said from the begining you made the right decision OP. I was brought up in the same respect & from the age of 18 I was a totally independent confident young woman. Keep doing what you do. Your cautious parenting is perfect.

Wow I let my 10 year old go to the toilets on his own when we were by the pool in Spain.

Why could he not do it?

I don’t see why you started the thread, anyway it’s not their own child they’d be risking it’s yours so if you feel you don’t want your child walking down a corridor in a foreign country don’t allow it simple as it’s your judgement

I think it's their child - unless I missed something?

Completely agree.