to consider leaving 5m DD in hotel room witgh monitor while we go to DH's work Xmas meal in the hotel?

[sassyhopper32]

As the thread title says, my DH's work is having a Xmas meal in a couple of weeks at a nearby hotel. The only way that we could both go would be to book room overnight and have DD in the room and take monitor. I am going to find out from the hotel exactly where the meal will be so that we can specify room as close by as possible and we would also check on her periodically as well as using the monitor. They don't have a baby listening service or babysitters etc.

We don't have any family nearby who could babysit and the only people we know locally will all be at the same function. We haven't been out together without DD since her birth and I haven't been out at night at all. Is it totally a no-no to even consider this? DH has no reservations, but I think it's maybe different for blokes.....and one of his friends and wife have also said that they're doing same thing, which doesn't make it wrong or right IMO.

sorry, sassy, I can't babysit, I'm in Glasgow!

I've done this many times. It was commonplace when my children were babies.

They were both just fine.

THat's what we did, too. And it wasn't for long periods--usually just a meal.

Dont do it!

No don't do it.A hotel is a public building ,anyone could be wandering about and you don't know who has keys to the room.

www.sitters.co.uk

We have used them on numerous occasions when staying in a hotel with DS. Sitter comes to your room and stays with baby until you return. All are police checked and have tonnes of experience with childcare. highly recommend them

We've done it a few times with both DC.

Absolutely not. The monitor probably wouldn't work in a hotel building given thick walls, distance from room etc.

Madeleine McCann?

You are definitely not being unreasonable. I've done it and it's perfectly safe if you check a few things out.

Firstly you'll need to check the monitor does work, if it doesn't you'll have to be prepared to take it in turns to sit in the room(have done that). We had a very good long range monitor that picked up absolutely everything in most buildings.

Secondly check the room isn't too far away so easy to get to if you need to quickly. Request one in advance.

Thirdly check the locks work on the door.

We also took it in turns every 20 minutes to check so we got 40 mins each.

There is a lot of hysteria about this which I think is ridiculous. If you check things out and take precautions your child will be in no more risk than any other child living in a large house.

I would never in a million years leave my dc with anybody I didn't know extremely well. I would also never leave my dc with somebody we'd never meet again or met before. How traumatic would it be for a child to wake up to a complete stranger. A child left in the charge of an agency worker with no guarantees of responsibility is way more at risk than a child left in full hearing range of it's parents.

Sadly not all of us have a steady stream of babysitters to hand so to at least trying to attend the odd evening out is nothing to be flamed for. Obviously if you do a risk assessment decide it's not safe and still do it anyway then you would be very foolish.

I stay in hotels a lot and in the last six months alone there have been two occasions when we have had to evacuate the building.
Once when there was a small fire in the kitchen and another when the fire alarm was set off by a drunk.
On the first occasion we were in the bar and had to leave immediately - not allowed back to our rooms. It would have been a right hoo ha explaining we'd left a kid in there. An dof course you can't use the lifts/ certain corridors etc so it would take a fair while to get to your room.
On the second occasion, we were with the DCs in the room and when the larm went off they were terrified. It's very, very loud ( to wake yp those who have drunk too much). Then a member of staff comes hammering on the door to check everyone has evacuated. I'd hate to think of a child alone during that mayhem.

would you have a good time at a meal if you had to keep getting up every 20 minutes fgs
everyone would think you had the runs
no fun imo

I would not do this, sorry I think it is a bad idea

The op has already said (a few pages back I think) that she's not going to do it

Yes we did have a good time as it was only every 40 mins when you take it in turns. When you never ever get out you make the most of anything.

I've stayed in many hotels over the years and have never ever had to evacuate. Staying in a hotel does not automatically mean you will be evacuated. I've heard of far more house fires than hotel fires.

As I said before you need to request a room near to the dining room so in the very unlikely event you are evacuated you can get to your room with minimal fuss.

no dont do it and glad you arent

i do a lot of hotel babysitting

if you want to go then ask hotel if they can reconmend a babysitter/agency (many have regular crb girls they use/reconmend)

or call local angencies in rugby and ask them to find you a babysitter - you will get to speak babysitter before hand

I'm amazed at how many people have been disapproving. How far is the function room from the bedroom? Does your monitor have little bars on it to let you know if the baby is crying? Is your baby often sick?

It's a calculated risk (very very small one), and only you can decide.

I've left my toddler in a hotel room, gone to it's restaurant armed with the baby monitor.

As for 'look what happened to the McCanns' - you're a bigger chance of being hit by a bus, or even winning the lottery. Pay no attention to that scare mongering.

I can't beleive some people are suggesting that you leave your baby and your considering it. People are not being alarmist look at the nspcc website see what they suggest they certainly don't recommend leaving a baby for any length of time. Just because it is rare doesn't mean it will never happen what ignorance. If there was a fire how will baby get out you won't be able to get her. What if they are sick or choke can you get there in time. Will you be able to relax and enjoy yourselve? I know I couldn't.

SHE'S NOT DOING IT - READ THE THREAD

Sorry I do apologize and I am glad she is not doing it

type(blush)

Bad idea IMO and you won't enjoy it anyway with worrying about LO. Either get sitter ( leave DD overnight at home with all night paid qualified sitter) or don't go.

We did this; the fire alarm went off; there was in fact A FIRE. The hotel manager tried to stop us going back to our room to get DS but we FOUGHT our way past him.

We then sat outside with ds for hours while the fire brigade did their stuff. i will never cease to be grateful that DS was ok, and the fire didn't start nearer our room.

There are many hotels that specialize in offering a baby listening service. i have used them myself, but only when i've been satisfied about the geography of the building.

is everyone on here condemning the use of these babylistening services, too?

they are actually quite popular.