Would you do this?

[CountessDracula]

Am going away to stay in a hotel. Have a 300m range listening device (dd aged 2.8 is coming with us). There is a beach bar 50 yds away from the hotel. If we checked that the monitor worked and left a radio on in the room on low vol. to ensure that we hadn't lost connection, could we go down to beach bar in the evening or is that really bad? She almost never wakes up in the evening.

What about having a babysitter sit in the room with her?

WWW - I agree that a child in a buggy is not a good night out! Just aware that people do this on holiday as a way to get out. Personally I wouldn't be bothered about going out and would rather have drink on the balcony or something. I'm far too neurotic to leave my children alone in the hotel room whether there is a listening device or not..but that's just me.

I know friends do pop round to their neighbours for drinks and leave the monitor on so they can hear 2 houses away and I know the chances of anything bad happening are a million to one, but I just couldn't do it.

think I'd turn the bed into a beach bar and do a bit of 'surfing'

My much beloved local pub is quite literally on the other side of the road to our house, about 2 paces across and 15 paces down!!! It's actually closer than the top of the garden.

I have been soooooo tempted on some evening to take the baby monitor across but, to me, it seems like such an awful thing to do. My mind is always full of what ifs and I can just imagine the 'Home Alone' headlines!. I sympathise with your dilemma and at the end of the day you have to do what you are comfortable with. Sorry not much help!

CD, what do you think?

Ooh another thread on which I can post 'I agree with Senora'

There is NO law about leaving children home alone btw, all those who think you'd be in trouble with the law.

Flashingnose, of course a child could choke and accidents can happen at home too while we are at home with them. to me 50 yards in the beach bar is not the same as being downstairs. to me you are leaving your child alone while you are going out. It takes 5 seconds to go upstairs. perhaps someone can explain etter than me the difference

CD, it's your call. I think I'd feel ok being in the building (we've used hotel baby listening services eg at Woolley Grange) - not sure about outside.

If you do, check carefully that the monitor works in the environment. Wall thickness and other factors can affect the range. One of you would need to go down to the bar, while the other one makes noises in the room to test it's working ok.

www. doesn't it feel good typing that? It feels good to read it.

Some people have gardens longer than 50 yds and I bet they could be found out in the garden while the baby is asleep in the house!!!
If you can hear the child, can see the hotel from the bar (so that you know its not burning down!!!!) - how can that be wrong? One of you could walk back every half an hour to have a listen if you were really worried about her.

If the monitor was tested and someone went and checked the room every 30 mins or so, I'd still do it (and have done ).

it takes 5 seconds to go upstairs if you hear it quickly and are at the bottom of the stairs. If you are in the garden/basement, not so quick. And if you're watching telly you might not hear immediately.

What's the attitude to this kind of thing in Spain SP?

My friend has to walk further (much!) than 50yds just to get upstairs to her kids! So what should she do then BarbaraX, downsize?

flashingnose - nobody's ever been shocked or anything. It's not the sort of thing most Spanish people would do because they have the advatage of having lots of family and would usually take children out with them. Doing that is no fun though if your child is tired and there are just the 2 of you.

We used to live in a house with a long garden (long and thin ... bit like an outdoor corridor ) and used to sit at the end of the garden (probably about 50 yards away) with the baby monitor on. Didn't feel bad about doing that. I guess it feels more 'odd' when it's not your own house/garden, but the distances involved are the same. (I'm not sure what I'd do in your position, CD, but I'd certainly think about it...) TBH, I don't use a baby monitor any more (dds are 3 and 5) and I'm not sure I would know if they stopped breathing or something, even if I was just downstairs watching the telly.

I thought about this when we were invited next door but 1 for a meal. IS it any different than if you live in a big house?

Needless to say we didn't go.

We did leave dd in a bedroom at a chateau whilst we had dinner in the dining room...took the monitor with us and dh must have checked on her every 5 minutes!

what? living in a big house can be helped just as much and it's permanent.

I would check that the hotel has smoke sensors and sprinkler system. If so I would go provided I was sure the monitor worked.

Did this at a hotel where the restaurant was in a separate building from the rooms, worked well.

Friends did it in a hotel this weekend without any problems.

It is a tiny bit risky but its a managed risk isn't it

Thank you kama
I know how I feel but i cannot put my point accross the right way without antagonising many people. I have the dilemma everytime I have to throw loads of rubbish out or large items. It would be less hassle to take it out when daughter is asleep. I live on 2nd floor and rubbish bins can be seen form the balcony. less than 50 yards I think. Nothing can go really wrong but if it did, in my heart I have left my 2 year old alone at home. but it did not cross my mind that it would be acceptable to do

I do take the rubbish 50mtrs up the road when dd and ds are asleep quite often. Otherwise it would just pile up in the kitchen. It's not neglect.

I would recommend a baby alarm with a visual display. Leaving a radio on is a good idea but only if you are listening in quiet surroundings. If the noise level suddenly goes up where you are, and you can't hear the radio, you'll never be able to relax.