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Parenting

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Original poster

Would you leave your baby in a hotel room?

197 replies

Mip · 01/02/2009 18:41

I am meant to be going skiing with my husband and his family at the end of February. We are going to a small (500 or so rooms, one lift, one staircase) hotel where we have been many times. Real family feeling, often same guests, staff etc. This time we will have our 7 month old son with us. Last year my sister in law had her 8 month old son with her and she left him in their room while we all ate in the dining room. She had a baby monitor with her and her and her husband went to check every now and again. So, now it's my turn and I really don't like the idea of leaving him in the room (apart from the fact that he'll probably be totally unsettled and I'll spend the whole of dinner in the room calming him down!). It would take only a couple of minutes to get to his room if he started crying so that's not the problem, I'm just scared that a crazed chambermaid would steal him or that there could be a fire or something. I think most guests do it at the hotel. What do you all think? Is it normal to do this or irresponsible?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Ilovecurry · 06/02/2009 13:16

Just found this thread and I must first of all say how shocked and disgusted at some of the spiteful posts....you do not deserve that sort of abuse I hope it hasnt upset you?... You should report these.

To answer your question (Thats what we come onto MN for)...I too would follow your heart. Personally I wouldnt/couldnt do it.

I know its not the same but we are off to Center Parc's soon and so many people say are you bothered about staying in each night...not at all.

There will be many a time when my gorgeous DS is older that he wont want to be with us

Once you have made your choice and feel good about it you know it was the correct decision

abraid · 06/02/2009 18:58

'If the McCann's tragedy could have one positive aspect, it would be as a warning to us all. '

Yup. Because it's so logical to apply a very rare and tragic case universally.

My house was struck by lightening a few months back. You know what, people shouldn't live in houses. They're liable to be struck by lightening.

milsna · 06/02/2009 19:28

I agree with ilovecurry - the op was asking a question, I answered and hope my opinion didn't upset anyone! I would remain firm in telling anyone not to ever ever leave their poor defenceless child unsupervised! thats it!

I am not judging anyone and tbh respect the op for bringing it on here and seeing the difference of opinions and see why its wrong to do so.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

negril · 06/02/2009 22:03

I would like to appoligise for my appauling threads that i sent, i feel very embarrassed. I offended you and others by off loading my rubbish on to mums net. I had a few to many to drink last night im not a spiteful person, and im sorry if i hurt anyones feelings.

ILoveDolly · 09/02/2009 15:24

I think if

you have checked the baby monitor works
you lock the hotel room
one of you pops up to check on a regular basis
you are just having a brief dinner

you are safe to do this.
I don't know why any of you worst-case scenario people ever bother leaving the house. Although this seems like a horrible thing to say and I in no way wish any harm on anyone, you are far more likely to be injured on the ski slope than your baby is of coming to any harm while you are having dinner. But you are still going ski-ing.

Having said that at 7 months, I think you may well be able to take your baby into dinner with you. Mine used to enjoy going to restaurants and staring at the shiny lights at that age.

Gemzooks · 09/02/2009 20:39

I have and would. We took 8 month old to Turkey and stayed in small family run hotels. We left the baby monitor with the married couple managers, gave them our phone number and went off to a (very) nearby restaurant. We assessed them as being solid people and in constant attendance on the reception desk so no one could get the keys etc. More recently now DS is 2 we just get a hotel room with separate living room so we eat out with him then just hang out and watch tv or get babysitter once or twice.

I think bad things happen but you have to be able to judge character.

2pt4kids · 09/02/2009 21:12

I've just read this whole thread.
I'm SO pleased you arent going skiing. It would have been a horrible time for you and your DS!
I hope you have a lovely week with your parents in London and that you get a bit of rest (it sounds like you will)
Just MAKE SURE your DH knows he has used up his entore quota of fuckwitedness for the year by going on two holidays without you. He's got a lot of making up to do - make sure he knows that!!!

ICANDOTHAT · 11/02/2009 22:12

Could you not get him to sleep first and take him to dinner in his buggy - i used to do this with my ds. Alternatively , you could get the hotel to supply a baby sitter every evening over dinner - I've done this also. It adds to the cost, but for the peace of mind, it's worth it. I hate to mention it, but Madeline McCann came to mind when read the OP. Not exactly the same, but still very fresh in my mind

ICANDOTHAT · 11/02/2009 22:14

Oh blimey, sorry .... didn't read the bit that said you weren't going now .... oops!!

ICANDOTHAT · 11/02/2009 22:17

Oh, crap !! I really did miss the lot, didn't I .... less speed, more haste or something like that I think !!

Original poster

Mip · 12/02/2009 23:11

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much everyone for still coming on and giving your advice (better late than never ICANDOTHAT!). Thank you too very, very much for those who came on and were so sweet about Negril's comments. I'm not quite sure why she wrote what she did (and one post has been deleted by Mumsnet so that can't have been so nice either!) but I'm not going to bother responding to any of it. Thank you though Negril for posting again and apologising.

Ok, a little update (hope you're all taking this in the vein it's intended in, not as a bid for sympathy!)... dh is in Oman and it's overcast and his sister's snoring lots because she has a cold.

My mil called me the day before they were leaving to check that my dh was packing the right things (!) and said that they would be going to the airport separately and he should take a taxi to the airport, picking up his sister on the way... because her husband wasn't driving her because he couldn't leave their son behind on his own in the house (er, no) and unfair to put him in car as would be 5 in the morning. I love it. If it wasn't for the child, she thinks it would be absolutely right that he gets up at the crack of dawn to drive his wife to the airport to go on a holiday he's not invited on!!!

OP posts:

helips · 13/02/2009 18:47

Hi Mip, been lurking on this thread but not given any advice. Anyway, just wanted to say I hope your dh has a really crap time on both his holidays and realises the mistake he's made in going with your mil who is clearly mad! Have a fab time in London with your mum and make sure you spend lots of dh's money whilst you are out there!!

Original poster

Mip · 13/02/2009 19:58

Thank you very much helips!!! Just chatted with him now, the hotel guests are all retirees (I like retirees but ykwim! Particularly painful for dh who is an avid researcher of places before he goes there and likes to be on top of all that's new). And the sea is off limits because of the waves. I was of course oozing sympathy ;-). Don't think he's worked out mil is mad though, sadly. But then I guess they're all as bad as each other so don't notice. Had really thought he and his sister would have killed each other by now but she was happily chirping away in the background. Oh well, it's early days, five long days to go! He tried to make me change my mind about skiing saying everyone was so upset I wasn't coming. So sweet that they'd miss me. Ahem.

OP posts:

helips · 14/02/2009 07:57

Ha ha, serves him right! Hopefully he'll think again next time and realise that a holiday with his wife and child would be much more enjoyable!

melissa75 · 14/02/2009 14:45

def. not...I can't even imagine leaving my kids in a room on their own. Yes the chances are slim that anything bad would happened, but if within the slim chance something did, I do not even know what I would do with myself.

cheesesarnie · 14/02/2009 14:46

nooooo.

cheesesarnie · 14/02/2009 14:47

infact ive got older children 8,7 and 3 and id not leave them either.

dont feel pressured to do something your not entirely happy with just because your friend does it with her child.

PlumBumMum · 14/02/2009 14:48

Mip you should go and do something really fun for the day with your bil and hi ds and the rest of the rejected in laws , I bet they would be raging when they come home

Beesmummy · 20/02/2009 22:37

Could you ask for a room just above the dining room since you know the hotel so well? And make sure your husband takes his turn going to check on the baby every 10 minutes since he has just had a holiday in the sun without you and you are having to go on a (non) skiing holiday with him!
Can he look after the baby for a couple of the days of the skiing holiday?? (if you aren't breastfeeding).
I think personally I would probably not enjoy the evenings very much, and would be paranoid, checking the baby monitor every five seconds, but I would still consider it if, as you say, you really know the hotel well and it is small (500 rooms is small though?!!?!?!)
When we go on holiday dd comes in her buggy with us to dinner (can you borrow one which reclines flat?) - occasionally it is a bore if she doesn't settle, but most of the time luckily she does. And if she doesn't then dh has to take her on a walk in the buggy till she falls asleep - especially if I have done most of the babysitting during the day!

Beesmummy · 20/02/2009 22:46

sorry, posted without reading the whole of this thread,
ignore, ignore, ignore.
wow - Mip raised some issues here!

ssd · 21/02/2009 08:13

I've babysat for sitters in hotels

couldn't do it myself, too many people have keys to these rooms

don't leave your kids unattended, please!

its only dinner, take them with you

beanstalk · 21/02/2009 08:49

Quite a thread! Glad you're not going Mip and sorry your dh's rubbish family expected you to. I don't think anyone has made the point that a ski resort is no place for a baby, I have more than once got stuck on a lift that broke down or (embarassingly) fallen over on icy roads and paths in the resort itself. I shudder at the thought of having a baby strapped to me in those situations. That's aside from the hotel issue!

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