s/o from 12-24: Leaving Baby/Child alone in a hotel room?

Ciarrai · April 2011

Are there any circumstances where you would leave your baby/child alone in a hotel room? At what age would you be comfortable with this? Would you be comfortable if you have a monitor and could see the room? What about if you were just on the porch of said room? I'm trying to figure out if I'm being neurotic or normal.

wildfloweragain · April 2011

Porch, yes, with the latch on the door that prevents people from keying in. I wouldn't leave otherwise. I'm not there yet as my oldest is 6, but I imagine age 10 for something short, like getting someone from down the hall, running to the desk for a minute, etc. Not to go play video games in a lobby.

shiloh17 · April 2011

When we were at a beachfront hotel and the kids were asleep in the bed, we have sat on the balcony with the sliding door open while they slept (10 feet away). I don't consider that leaving them alone. We had the door open and could see them in the bed. But leaving the floor or room in general--no way!

shopgirl78 · April 2011

One time we drove to AL and stayed in a hotel. We got there late (11pm) and all the kids were asleep. There was only DH & I and three kids. Once we checked in, I ran DS1 (sleeping) up to the room and locked it behind me and went down where MH and the other kids were waiting and helped him carry one of the last two up. Then he went down to get the bags while I stayed with the kids. I'd only step out of they were sleeping, not if they were awake. But I could also see myself telling DD and DS1 to stay in the room while I went and got ice or something of the sort.

On the porch, totally cool. If they are, sleeping & I run for a few minutes, cool with that. To run and get ice, cool with that. Anything over 5 min while they were awake, not cool. And I also wouldn't allow DC to have their own hotel room (like someone posted once).

prism207 · April 2011

We've left Sam in an adjoining room (connecting doors). We just left the door open, so I don't consider that leaving him alone anymore than I would if we were in a suite. I would also sit on the balcony, especially if you can leave the door open or have a monitor. I would not leave the room and go to the lobby (for example) at this age, and not for a VERY long time. I'd step into the hallway, right next to the room or across from it to chat for a minute, too. But I wouldn't leave the sight of the room, if that makes sense.

Ciarrai · April 2011

FWIW - I have left the kids alone in a room when we were in a connecting room (with a door that is slightly open between the rooms and the main door locked and latched) as well as when we were on a porch or in the other rooms of the suite. I can also see doing something like shop to run to get the rest of the kids or get ice down the hall with the girls knowing where I was. I have also thought about leaving my 10 year old cousin and her sister alone in a room with my girls (and maybe DS if he's sleeping) with DH and I in a different room down th hall. I don't know if 10 is quite old enough but with us down the hall and this particular cousin, I would definitely consider it. I was just shocked that someone thought it was ok to read books and play video games in the lobby with a monitor. I didn't know if I was being neurotic.

Alexandra*sMom · April 2011

Not neurotic, just being safe.

gdemars · April 2011

A FB friend of mine went on vacation and got her son an adjoining room. He was 14 months I believe at the time. They were asleep, with the adjoning door open, and they were robbed. Specifically, the room where their son was sleeping. I consider these people to be super careful and great parents.

Since reading this I don't know if I could leave DS while in a hotel. We were thinking of getting a suite this summer on the coast too but have since pushed back the plans.

EDIT: The people/person ould have potentially taken their son.

Littlejen22 · April 2011

I would sit on the balcony with all the latches locked but I would not leave the room even to go to the room next door b/c I could not have all the latches locked if I left the room. I am not sure how old the child would have to be for me to leave them alone in the room, probably 12 or older b/c a hotel room scares me more than being home alone where they know their home and no one else has a key that can get them in.

ETA: I would let them sleep in a separate room in a suite but damn that above reply scares me.

StarryNight39 · April 2011

I read that post, she was crazy! I love that she thinks that since the stairs and elevator empty out right in front of where she was she wasn't worried.

Jodi&Joe · April 2011

Hhmmm....what if the kids were upstairs sleeping in your own house and you were downstairs?

I mean, the difference is there are a lot of strangers in a hotel *gasp* but other than that, I'm assuming (not having read the post) they were a floor (or a few) away from their kids (as you would be in a 2 story home) and could hear via the monitor if anything went wrong (as you could in a 2 story home). So ....I don't know where I stand on that.

Would *I* do it? Probably not. There is something just "uncomfortable" about it. Could I rationalize it? Yup. Would I judge others for doing it? Nah, I don't think so.

As for sitting on a balcony while my kids are in the room -- OMG, never even would cross my mind that it is something you SHOULDN'T be doing. I mean, really? That's a tad neurotic, no?!

CleoKitty · April 2011

I would leave our children alone in a hotel room for very short periods of time, just a few moments, really.

We recently stayed at a hotel. I wasn't there when dh had to check in and get into the room. He got the kids set up watching TV, then took two or three trips to unload the car. He was parked immediately outside the door so it was really a non-issue, IMO.

Likewise, I'm okay with stepping out just to grab ice or a soda if the machine is nearby. I wouldn't think twice about stepping outside to an adjoining porch or balcony, that's still part of the room as far as I'm concerned. I would not be comfortable with leaving them long enough to go read a book, play a video game, eat dinner, etc.

ridesbuttons · April 2011

As described in that post from 12-24? Not a chance. I love how she backpedals and says she had no options. The exagerration of a person busted for doing something that dumb, and I am way laid back about stuff like this.

Patio or porch? Absolutely. Adjoining rooms? You bet. In the lobby playing video games (wtf?)? No. If it came to that, I'd sit in the hall and read a book.

StarryNight39 · April 2011

ridesbuttons:
As described in that post from 12-24? Not a chance. I love how she backpedals and says she had no options. The exagerration of a person busted for doing something that dumb, and I am way laid back about stuff like this.
Patio or porch? Absolutely. Adjoining rooms? You bet. In the lobby playing video games (wtf?)? No. If it came to that, I'd sit in the hall and read a book.

She is completely backpedaling. And now apparently she always had the door in sight (but it was an old hotel and they were on the second floor and the stairs and elevator emptied out right in front of her.....

Stellasmom · April 2011

Eh. Since she had a monitor with her I'm not really seeing the big deal. Sure a break in is possible, but it's no less possible when the parents are dead asleep in the room at 3 a.m.

hikerbeth · April 2011

I was in Yellowstone Park with my family when DD was 3.5. We had 4 different hotel rooms (all in a group).

At bedtime we'd put DD to bed and then take the monitor into one of the other rooms to play games for a few hours.

It would really depend on the place.

tammyz25 · April 2011

if on balcony with latch on door, then of course no problem. but other than that i would not leave my children alone in the room until about age 10-12 (depends on the kid i guess). any younger than that, i would never leave them alone with just a monitor in there!

EdithBouvierBeale · April 2011

probably not

CTFandme · April 2011

EdithBouvierBeale:

probably not

Wasn't there a story about a little girl being kidnapped from the hotel room while her parents were at dinner or the bar or something? I think they were doctors from Germany? I can't hear this video from my computer, but Iwondered if it was the same people...thought her name was Madeleine too. Maybe not.

I don't think I'd leave my kids for a long period of time, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I definitely wouldn't leave them alone if they were awake. They might burn the place down!!!

jlw2505 · April 2011

Porch - yes - with the sliding door open a little so I can hear/see the kids and the lock on the door to the hallway bolted shut. Me sitting in the hall right outside the door - same as with the porch, I would love the door open a drop, any window or sliding door would be bolted shut. Anything else - no way. I guess the only other would be if it was 2 rooms connected by a door - same as with the others, connecting door would be slightly open, outside door in the kids room would be bolted shut.

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s/o from 12-24: Leaving Baby/Child alone in a hotel room?

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