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.

would you go to a neighbour's house next door and leave your baby in your house and take a monitor with you?
It's about the same thing - too far away to know what's happening in the room.
If you can't get a babysitter, you either take baby along or accept that once you're a parent, nihts out with dh aren't as easily managed.

Makes me laugh that people go on holiday and worry about leaving their passport and travellers' cheques in the room but have no qualms leaving their tiny children.

Think replies on here very OOT. And to dipslay, yes I would.

Sassybeast - I don't know what your is for. And I don't really know what you're referring to.
But if it is that your child vomitted whilst sleeping, then I really don't think she would die. There is some kind of reflex which stops us inhaling vomit whilst sleeping, the only time this doesn't work is when extremely drunk - hence you occasionally hear of people dying in this way.

I wouldn't personally.

Each to their own but I personally couldn't do it, I just wouldn't relax and would ruin the meal for everyone by constantly checking baby!

But, she's your baby, not mine and you should do whatever you and your DH are happy with.

What is it about men? My Dh thought we could do this when we took dd1 (then just 1) on holiday to Jamaica (high murder rate and all that) - he thought we could adjourn to a near-by bar within the hotel and just keep a listen out on the monitor. I put my foot down and we brought our drinks back to the room and sat out on the verandah with them instead.

Why not save the money you would have spent on the hotel room and hire a babysitter to come to the house (or would you be uncomfortable being so far away from the baby for the evening? I would have at 5 months).

Or just do what most people have suggested and get a babysitter to stay in the room. It is unlikely anything is going to happen a-la-McCanns but the worrying about it would probably spoil your night anyway.

I wouldn't do it personally.

I went to a wedding ten years ago where at least 4 sets of parents left their babies in the hotel rooms and brought monitors downstairs with them to the party. No-one seemed to have any qualms about it, and no eyebrows were raised

I think this is the sort of thing people didn't think twice about, pre McCanns. Now everyone gets their knickers in a twist.

FWIW, I definitely would. Do it, I mean. Not get my knickers in a twist.

Sassyhopper,

If you really want to go to this do why don't you try sitters or one of the national babysitting services?

We have a few times now, and although it's very expensive, it was worth it for the 3 nights out we've had since dd was born 3 years ago.

I wouldn't risk it. I have stayed at hotels where personal belongings have been stolen - either by hotel staff or somebody outside somehow getting in - would not risk my precious DCs for anything. You won't be the only ones with a key to that room.

clara so you would take your young baby to murder-capital-Jamaica and stand in the way of the gun/knife/other less lethal weapon but not want to leave them alone in the hotel room?

Oh yes SORRY. That's the Jamaica where they burst into hotel rooms and just murder BABIES.

Actually (and I realise I'm probably going to seem paranoid here) I would worry more about someone going into the room (hotel employee have keys). If nursery workers who are throroughly screened (CRB checks) can harm children, imo anyone is capable.

No way.

BeehiveBaby - you would happily leave your baby on its own in your house while you were next door in another house, relying purely on a monitor to pick up everything?
OK.......................

ooh crossed posts - glad I'm not the only one thinking this way.

carrots

Can't your mum or relative come and stay the night at yours to babysit? How far away do they live? This is what we have done in the past. You can but ask.

FWIW I wouldn't leave a baby in a hotel room.

I would do it. Did this at a family party when my DTs were 10 months (so obviously a bit older) They were very reliable sleepers by that point, so we put them down in their cots, waited for them to settle completely, took the monitor downstairs and enjoyed the dinner. DH and I took it in turns to pop upstairs to check on them every so often (prob once every 30-45 mins) and it was absolutely fine. It was secure, we were in the same building, and the monitor had clear reception. My cousin and sister also had young children at this point, and both did exactly the same.

And it was shortly after the Madeleine McCann thing - not even worth of comparison, to those posters who've brought it up.

If you're comfortable with it, then do it.

If a fire broke out I doubt if you would be allowed to go up to the room to get your baby.

Ask your family to babysit overnight for you at your house & don't drink so that you can get home if you need to.

phobic Bollocks. Of course you would. Not exactly going back up for your shoes or jewellery, is it. Can't imagine any hotel staff blocking the way saying "sorry, no, you can't go up to get your BABY madam" Get a grip.

Assuming you're in your thirties, you've presumably had 10 years of work Christmas parties already, and have approximately another 30 years of them stretching ahead of you. So give this one a miss. Leaving your baby alone is too risky and you probably won't enjoy it anyway. Spend the next year getting a good set of babysitters lined up.

(And anyway, curious what you are planning to do about feeding? Keep popping upstairs? You won't be able to sit down to a proper meal!)

the risks of things happening may be small but they are nevertheless risks you would take in leaving your baby alone in a room away from you. It's the "what ifs" in life that make us do the things we do as parents and I wouldn't risk the miniscule chance of fire breaking out or someone entering the room just because I fancied a slap up meal with my dh. Monitors aren't babysitters and won't tell you if there's smoke in the room or someone who has got a key and has gone in...yes, overly cautious, but isn't it better to be overly cautious and cover all bases than flippant. It would be awful if anything happened and you knew in your heart of hearts that you could have prevented it happening.

I wouldnt do it my son is six and i have never left him in a hotel room whilst on holiday etc. I always worried about the risk of child being sick , fitting a fire or worse a Madeline mcann copy.