Ok to leave 10 and 12yo in hotel room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The location I am planning is Pennsylvania. It is last minute and it may be Philadelphia, Hershey or Lancaster.

Other option is to leave kids home. DH would be home by 4 each day.

Why not just wait a couple weeks when school will be out and you can enjoy the road trip with ALL of your kids, and not just "the little one." I think it would be awful to be dragged away from home to sit and do virtual school in a hotel room while my parent took my younger sibling out to do all the fun stuff.

Our summer is very full. I was thinking Hershey with all 3 kids and maybe take little one to the please touch museum.

My older kids have been to these places often when they were younger but our third child has never been.

Yeah a 12 year old doesn’t want to go to please touch. It’s amazing but that’s too old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not feel comfortable doing this in a place that was not my home. Especially since the kids will not know what to do if the internet goes out and they can't get into class.

wouldn't that be a grave emergency! maybe call the police?

[Anonymous]

We have left 8 year olds in a room while dining at the hotel. We called their phone to check in after ordering but otherwise they were great. They get really absorbed into a movie/show though and are responsible about not getting into trouble or opening the door.

[Anonymous]

No way! Do people really think this is okay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way! Do people really think this is okay?

Yes. I was starving for this kind of independence when I was a kid and would handle it well. One of mine is the same. The other one....eh....he'd burn the place down if I went down the hall to get ice.

It depends on the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way! Do people really think this is okay?

I am actual more shocked that people don't think this is ok.

They are 10 and 12 not toddlers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No.

And the hotel will kick you out if they find out.

You are kidding right?

Most state laws allow kids over the age of 8 to stay home alone. heck, I was babysitting toddlers at night when i was 12.

The hotel is not OP's home.

Where exactly is OP planning on going with the younger child? She just says "take my little one out." Does she mean to sit and read books in the hotel lobby (which I agree would be fine?) Or does she mean to the children's museum 15 miles away (not at all ok?)

I would actually argue that a hotel is safer than a house. how much trouble can a 10 and 12 yr old get into in what is essentially a bedroom.

OP you know your kids if you feel comfortable then go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:people here are totally insane. the very same people that will tell you 18 year olds are adults and can do as they please.

18 year olds are adults? They can do as they please, but of course they also do not have to live in your home with your rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No.

And the hotel will kick you out if they find out.

You are kidding right?

Most state laws allow kids over the age of 8 to stay home alone. heck, I was babysitting toddlers at night when i was 12.

The hotel is not OP's home.

Where exactly is OP planning on going with the younger child? She just says "take my little one out." Does she mean to sit and read books in the hotel lobby (which I agree would be fine?) Or does she mean to the children's museum 15 miles away (not at all ok?)

I would actually argue that a hotel is safer than a house. how much trouble can a 10 and 12 yr old get into in what is essentially a bedroom.

OP you know your kids if you feel comfortable then go for it.

Agree. It's fine. Put the do not disturb card up, and tell them to lock and chain the door.

[Anonymous]

It’s fine but why don’t you just wait till school is out? How high quality will their virtual schooling be in a shared hotel room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The location I am planning is Pennsylvania. It is last minute and it may be Philadelphia, Hershey or Lancaster.

Other option is to leave kids home. DH would be home by 4 each day.

Why not just wait a couple weeks when school will be out and you can enjoy the road trip with ALL of your kids, and not just "the little one." I think it would be awful to be dragged away from home to sit and do virtual school in a hotel room while my parent took my younger sibling out to do all the fun stuff.

Our summer is very full. I was thinking Hershey with all 3 kids and maybe take little one to the please touch museum.

My older kids have been to these places often when they were younger but our third child has never been.

In Philadelphia?!?!?
I googled and couldn't find another "please touch museum" in/near Hershey. That's over 1.5 hours drive from Hershey!

[Anonymous]

I just cannot even with all these pearl-clutching DCUMers. As the college prof said, these are the ones who send young adults to college at 18 who are utterly incapable of handling anything independently because their parents have grossly oversmothered them and stunted their growth. THAT is bad parenting. OP, you know your kids. If you are confident they're capable being alone together in a hotel room for a few hours, of course it's fine at those ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way! Do people really think this is okay?

I am actual more shocked that people don't think this is ok.

They are 10 and 12 not toddlers.

I'm with you! I have a 10 yo, she'd be perfectly fine with this. A 12 yo would be even more capable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just cannot even with all these pearl-clutching DCUMers. As the college prof said, these are the ones who send young adults to college at 18 who are utterly incapable of handling anything independently because their parents have grossly oversmothered them and stunted their growth. THAT is bad parenting. OP, you know your kids. If you are confident they're capable being alone together in a hotel room for a few hours, of course it's fine at those ages.

From Hershey to Philadelphia and back--that journey alone would be "a few hours"--even if they didn't spend a single minute in the museum!
My kids are older and in college. They are not "oversmothered" or stunted in their growth and handle things independently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The location I am planning is Pennsylvania. It is last minute and it may be Philadelphia, Hershey or Lancaster.

Other option is to leave kids home. DH would be home by 4 each day.

Why not just wait a couple weeks when school will be out and you can enjoy the road trip with ALL of your kids, and not just "the little one." I think it would be awful to be dragged away from home to sit and do virtual school in a hotel room while my parent took my younger sibling out to do all the fun stuff.

Our summer is very full. I was thinking Hershey with all 3 kids and maybe take little one to the please touch museum.

My older kids have been to these places often when they were younger but our third child has never been.

In Philadelphia?!?!?
I googled and couldn't find another "please touch museum" in/near Hershey. That's over 1.5 hours drive from Hershey!

I think we can do without the panic punctuation here, but, yeah, I have to agree that's too long to leave them.