Mishap with 3-year-old DS at a Hilton – WWYD? (sorry, long)

[Anonymous]

I am glad that OP's child is ok -- that was scary.
But it's not the hotel's fault. Kid being a kid and ended up in a precarious situation. I'm with the folks who would wonder if they should reimburse the hotel.
Last night my kid got her foot stuck in the bottom of a grocery basket...sticking it in the part that moves back and forth.....someone from the store actually had to get her foot out. it was my kid's fault -- i don't think they should replace the buggies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the side of all the people who do not see why the Hilton should change anything. I will not pile on.

I will add though that there was no hazard. There was no safety concern. Hazard's occur when somone could injure themselves. Nothing about this chair did, or could, injure your child. He just got stuck. There si a huge difference.

Second, the building requirements for railings are so people/babies/pets do not FALL, not so that people do not get stuck.

PP I believe you are right.

In addition, the railings of CRIBS are regulated so babies do not get their heads stuck between them. However, cribs are intendedto be used by infants and toddlers who are unsupervised for long periods of time, so must be extremely safe. There is no such expectation of hotel chairs.

[Anonymous]

You should be writing them, and the fire department a thank you letter for getting your child out of that situation. Suggesting that it is their fault that your child got his head stuck in the chair is ludicrous.

[Anonymous]

I am glad that your child is okay and nothing, other than a chair, was hurt.

However, this is your problem...not the hotel's. Would you expect them to put gates at steps if there were a loft (which hotels sometimes have)? Would you expect them to put outlet protectors in the outlets? Would you expect them to put door knob covers on the doors so they can't open them? I could go on and on, but this is not the hotel, Hilton or anyone else's problem but yours. It sounds like you were looking at something else other than your child. Be very grateful that you didn't get an add on charge from the hotel for the damage that you did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am glad that your child is okay and nothing, other than a chair, was hurt.

However, this is your problem...not the hotel's. Would you expect them to put gates at steps if there were a loft (which hotels sometimes have)? Would you expect them to put outlet protectors in the outlets? Would you expect them to put door knob covers on the doors so they can't open them? I could go on and on, but this is not the hotel, Hilton or anyone else's problem but yours. It sounds like you were looking at something else other than your child. Be very grateful that you didn't get an add on charge from the hotel for the damage that you did.

WTH people!? Do you have a three year old? Do you know how quickly they could do something like stick their head in a chair? See, as a parent you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Hover and make sure your kid never ever ever does anything or touches anything intended for a three year old and you are a horrible helicopter parent. Take your eyes off your three year old for one second while they are a few feet away from you in a hotel room and you are somehow negligent. Give me a break. Please, whether or not Hiltom should remove these chairs these people have no responsibility to replace it for the Hilton corp. I'm sure they wouldn't have taken money for the chair even if they'd offered. Huge eyeroll.

[Anonymous]

OP here --

thanks, everyone for your responses.

just to clarify -- both DH and I were watching our son at the time. Literally looking at him. DS was sitting in the chair eating a snack, then he turned around and -- whoosh -- in a matter of a second slid his head through the chair hole.

also to be clear -- I don't have grand expectations of the hotel protecting my child. I'm not saying the hotel owes us anything. I'm just saying I'm worried for children my son's age/size staying that that hotel. If my son wasn't so calm, if he bucked at the wrong moment, that very scary power saw could have cut him, causing serious injury.

[Anonymous]

Okay, I have to ask. I know this happens. It's not just OP's child.

But how is it possible to get the head in but not get it out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am glad that your child is okay and nothing, other than a chair, was hurt.

However, this is your problem...not the hotel's. Would you expect them to put gates at steps if there were a loft (which hotels sometimes have)? Would you expect them to put outlet protectors in the outlets? Would you expect them to put door knob covers on the doors so they can't open them? I could go on and on, but this is not the hotel, Hilton or anyone else's problem but yours. It sounds like you were looking at something else other than your child. Be very grateful that you didn't get an add on charge from the hotel for the damage that you did.

WTH people!? Do you have a three year old? Do you know how quickly they could do something like stick their head in a chair? See, as a parent you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Hover and make sure your kid never ever ever does anything or touches anything intended for a three year old and you are a horrible helicopter parent. Take your eyes off your three year old for one second while they are a few feet away from you in a hotel room and you are somehow negligent. Give me a break. Please, whether or not Hiltom should remove these chairs these people have no responsibility to replace it for the Hilton corp. I'm sure they wouldn't have taken money for the chair even if they'd offered. Huge eyeroll.

I don't have a three old, but do have children, with one more on the way. I won't give you a break, but I will say you are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. Clearly they are different opinions in this case. As I give you a huge eye roll too.

[Anonymous]

PP, I don't think OP is to "blame" for her preschooler sticking his head in the hole on the back of a chair. You are right, you are right, you cannot watch your child every second of the time.

But neither should a hotel be required to provide a completely preschooler and toddler safe environment.

So I think this just falls under the heading of "one of those unfortunate things that happens occasionally". The chair wasn't being used as it was intended to be used. Certainly the chair should not be sold as "children's furniture" and shouldn't be purchased and used in a daycare or classroom. But the chair was being used in a hotel.

There is a level of inconvenience and distress when a child gets his head stuck in the back of a chair, but it wasn't life threatening, as it would have been for example if the railings were higher off the ground (for example on a playground platform) where a child could both get stuck and then hang over the edge of the play structure.

Once when I was travelling, my four year old climbed onto the top of a chair and it tipped over and he knocked his head on the edge of the sidetable. At home, we don't have chairs that tip over easily so he was surprised and I was suprised it happened. But I didn't think to report to the hotel or CPSC that the hotel had chairs that were a tipping hazard for small children. My child was using the furniture inappropriately.

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to improve the supervision of your kid. When, we go to new places - like hotel rooms, i watch my kids like a hawk. It is simply not possible to expect that your child has the experience to protect himself from every danger. It is also not possible to expect that the entire world outside of your home be made safe to toddlers. You are the parent, you should be looking that room over when you enter it for dangers and remove them and be watching over him. In a hotel room or any new space, i will often look the place over and tell my kids to stay in a certain area i deem safe. It may mean that they have to sit and read a book or watch tv, while i get situated, but as unexperienced toddlers, they depend on you to supervise them. It is truly shocking to see all the potential dangers that parents allow their kids to get into.

[Anonymous]

It is a pain for me and a pain for my kids, but when we get to a hotel room, i am like a drill sargeant, making sure they are not running around getting into things. Being in a hotel room is no different than being at the mall or the park where all sorts of unexpected dangers await for that naive toddler. Look to yourself for the solution, OP. Practice, practice now quick. It will be even more challenging when your baby arrives. Your children count on you and their father to stay safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is Hilton's responsibility to provide child safe chairs. That being said - if I were in management in Hilton, I would want to know about the incident. So if I were you, I'd find a contact name at someone in headquarters at the Hotel, and write them to tell them about the incident. I would word it as informational - and something they may want to consider removing from their rooms - if they want to remain a family friendly hotel.

You could also contact the safety organization. Certainly there have been recalls of products that are related to child safety - like blinds - that would be in places that aren't neccesarrily required to be child-safe. They are the professionals. They will know what to do with the information.

Upper managment already knows. The manager on duty had to fill our paperwork which would have involved notifying their risk managment at corporate. If the manager did not complete the paperwork they could be fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the side of all the people who do not see why the Hilton should change anything. I will not pile on.

I will add though that there was no hazard. There was no safety concern. Hazard's occur when somone could injure themselves. Nothing about this chair did, or could, injure your child. He just got stuck. There si a huge difference.

Second, the building requirements for railings are so people/babies/pets do not FALL, not so that people do not get stuck.

Glad to see there are smart posters like this on dcum.

[Anonymous]

By all means sue!! It's the American way!!!!

Maybe next time supervise your kid properly instead.

[Anonymous]

For all of the people saying she should have been watching her child more carefully, did you even read her second response?

OP, so glad everything worked out okay...I think it is kind of you to think of others but management has had to report this to their higher ups I am sure (with 911 being called etc.)

At any rate, I know I am not the only child who got their head stuck in a banister as a small child. I was very young but distinctly remember it. My mother was less than 3 feet away when it happened -- I remember looking at her and then just doing it! (To the person that asked why the head can't come out since it went it -- the ears only bend one direction!)