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Original poster

Hotel babysitting abroad, would you?

24 replies

BagCat · 21/05/2014 21:40

Hi.

Going abroad shortly to a really nice hotel. Has a great reputation for kids. Kids clubs, entertainment, children only sections, great reviews on Tripadvisor, etc.

Would you use the babysitting service in the room for say one night for a few hours just for a peaceful meal and drink? The little one is 1 year old.

I don't know what's normal and just wonder if people normally do that, or if it frowned upon?

Thanks.

OP posts:

Flexibilityiskey · 22/05/2014 10:20

If the babysitting service is an actual person, sat in the room, then yes I think I would. As long as you are happy it is a reputable company, who vet their staff properly, why not?

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 22/05/2014 10:35

Not a chance! But then my girls have never had a baby sitter that wasn't a family member. I would never leave them with someone I didn't know, not for anything.

MirandaWest · 22/05/2014 10:38

I might if it were an actual babysitter rather than a baby monitor type thing.

noramum · 22/05/2014 10:44

I would ask about the babysitter. If it is hotel staff, maybe from the kids club, I would say yes but I would need to meet the sitter beforehand.

Just any person the hotel has on call - no.

Dontbugmemalone · 22/05/2014 11:06

I wouldn't do this. A 1 year old generally wakes up in the night, well mine does anyway. I'd just east earlier or have the little one in a pushchair or something.

I wouldn't trust a complete stranger, sorry.

Koothrapanties · 22/05/2014 11:07

Nope, no way. I only let family look after dd.

WowOoo · 22/05/2014 11:22

We did it when we were on holiday.
We met the babysitter beforehand. She was a lovely mature woman and she'd brought crocheting and a book with her.

I popped up during our meal (was doubting we'd done the right thing) and she was stitching away and told me not to worry and enjoy myself.

In another hotel we went to I didn't like the look of the babysitter. Yes, I judged. Only had one then and we kept him in a pushchair next to us where he fell asleep while we ate.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 22/05/2014 11:31

Yes, we used a babysitter at a hotel we were staying in on one night. it was DS's named carer in the children's club

PatriciaHolm · 22/05/2014 12:32

Yes, we've done it - they are normally nannies in the on-site kids club. But then I've used a sitting agency since mine were little so was used to the idea.

PortofinoRevisited · 22/05/2014 21:33

I have done in UK and US when dd was older. Mostly at that age, I did bath, feed, pyjamas and took her out with us. I wouldn't see a problem with using recognised agency or kids club staff though, if she was a good sleeper.

jamtoast12 · 22/05/2014 22:30

I wouldn't no way. I don't see the need tbh with kids under 3. Mine would go out in pjs, sleep in buggy with blanket over the top for darkness then I'd lift them into bed at the end of the night. I also only use family.

woodlandwanderwoman · 22/05/2014 22:59

Never. I just couldn't switch off and enjoy myself and my one night's peaceful dinner would not be worth the risk of something happening.

We either took ds with us to sleep on buggy (50% success rate) or else all ate together and give him a treat with the iPad. We get at least 30m peace with that

Also, we picked our holidays around his needs. Places like the Middle East are great as time difference means you can all eat together around 8-9pm and go to sleep / wake up late.

You may want to check the kids club if you're planning to leave your child there, we never have but a lot don't take under 4s.

Enjoy your trip

MozzchopsThirty · 22/05/2014 23:01

Nope

Original poster

BagCat · 22/05/2014 23:30

Thanks for the replies. I wouldn't leave him with just a monitor or suchlike, no way. And I'd want to meet the person and make sure I liked them. But I'm still not convinced, hence the mini-poll. It would only be on one night for a couple of hours. The chances are he'd sleep in his buggy if we took him out in his pjs. Will see. He hasn't been with anyone except mine or hubby's parents as yet so it's not something I'd just jump into

OP posts:

Theoldhag · 22/05/2014 23:41

What ever you and your DH decide I hope that you both have an awesome time. Just throwing another possibility out there, is your room big enough or has a balcony to have a candle lit super sent up whilst you dc sleeps?

MillyMollyMama · 23/05/2014 00:29

We never had the luxury of family babysitters so paid babysitters were the norm, at home and abroad. If we didn't we would never have had a night out without the children. If posters have family to help they are very, very lucky but what would they do if they didn't have them? Never go out?

BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 23/05/2014 00:41

Yes, I've done it, it was fine.

BrianTheMole · 23/05/2014 00:58

I've done it in the uk, it was fine, an absolutely amazing babysitter. I might do it abroad, I'd need to meet them first though.

butterfliesinmytummy · 23/05/2014 01:18

Yes, we've done it lots and babysitters in hotels are either people from the kids club or nannies from a local agency, so always background checked etc but we always check out who it is. We've also been in the situation where no babysitters are available so lots of people do it. We did have one babysitter in KL who we found sleeping on the floor of the room when we returned about 11pm and kids were spark out too (it was a Mandarin Oriental 5* hotel so pretty good but we were not impressed)!

However, we have 2 kids and mine are a bit older. For an only child that was aged 1 however, I think I would take him with me. When mine were that small, we would do dinner, bath and bed routine, transfer to a buggy once asleep and have dinner with the buggy next to us with a muslin over it. Done it many times, even with a buggy sitting on the sand while we had a beach dinner by candlelight

vvviola · 23/05/2014 01:25

We do what theoldhag suggests.

DD1 was actually on part of our honeymoon with us (she spent a little time with my parents so we could have some time alone), and one of our fondest memories is sitting on a balcony of a hotel we stayed in for one night, overlooking the hotel pool, with a lovely meal sent up by the restaurant (who technically didn't do room service, but it was Italy and they knew it was our honeymoon...). DD was fast asleep in a travel cot in the room, having been given a bath in the hotel sink before bed .

Things did go a little pear-shaped when a little sparrow decided it wanted to hop in through the patio doors and we had to chase it out before it woke her up

Now that she is older and we have her sister too, we often all go out for an early-ish dinner, then settle the DC to bed around their normal time and have dessert and a glass of wine either on the balcony or in an interconnecting room.

EverythingCounts · 23/05/2014 01:52

Posters saying they 'only use family' should remember not everyone can, and not everyone can go on holiday with their family.

OP, have donethis in the UK. If you can meet the sitter and feel ok about them then I would do it.

Am surprised so many people have such peaceful one year olds! DS was good as a very small baby, but by one, he wouldn't have settled in a buggy while out and about with lots to look at. The whole meal would have been spent containing him.

Original poster

BagCat · 23/05/2014 08:18

Thanks for the new messages. Love the stories. And thanks for the well wishes theoldhag

And so true about the family thing. We live far away from family, so it's only been a couple of times we've had someone to watch him when we have visited.

I think it sounds like it's fine to do it if the place is trustworthy (and I think it is) and probably it comes down to how you feel at the time. The buggy and muslin idea is sounding attractive.

OP posts:

rookiemater · 23/05/2014 14:04

We have used hotel babysitters.

We have had some lovely ones and as DS is a good sleeper then he never woke up.
We had one bad experience though where we think she had her boyfriend in when we were out (apart hotel), but we couldn't prove it.

I would read the reviews and see what people say and meet the person before they sit for you.

Ultimately some people would never do it, and that's fine and their choice, but they must get requests otherwise they wouldn't offer the service.

iseenodust · 23/05/2014 14:15

No. We have had non-family members as babysitters but we've always known the person ie from nursery or daughter of family friend. Bottom line is it would be someone you've never met before and know nothing about.

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