Can I leave kids 11, 7, 4 in hotel room while I use hotel gym?

[Anonymous]

It would never occur to me to do this. Stop being selfish OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it totally depends on the kids you have.

Yep. My 4 y/o would destroy the room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have faced a similar situation. Is there a high school track in the town you are visiting? Bring em, sit em in bleachers with screens, you do your workout outdoors. If they don’t interrupt you, take them out for breakfast afterward!

Omg so many of you are raising screen zombies! You realize the kids can *also* play games/run around the track, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s fine if your 4 year old is the typical screen zombie. I have stayed in so many hotels and never once had a fire alarm go off. The odds of that happening seem infinitesimal to me. Put the “do not disturb” sign on the door so housecleaning doesn’t come in.

We have had 3 go off...full evacuations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it was just 11 and 7, I'd say MAYBE.

But the 4 year old means NOPE absolutely not.

No way, a four year old could get into all kinds of dangerous trouble, and forcing the older kids to take responsibility for that is wrong for so many reasons.

Like what? Unless the 11 year old is a completely tuned-out, irresponsible child, what could the 4 year old do within the confines of a hotel room that is so dangerous?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering that it’s illegal, no.

What is your basis for saying this is illegal? Particularly when you don't know what jurisdiction she's talking about? Cite the statute please!

Virginia: not law but accepted CPS guidelines say no younger than 13 without adult present: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/children-youth/child-supervision-guidelines

Maryland: must be 13

https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/childsafety/childsafetyfaqs.html

So keep making excuses... and hope your kids aren’t taken away.

Maybe I'm misreading the Fairfax link you posted, but it says kids starting at 9 may be left unattended for brief periods of time:

8 years old and younger should always be in the care of a responsible person. Children this age should never be left unsupervised in homes, cars, playgrounds or yards.
•9-10 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 1.5 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•11-12 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 3 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•13-15 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised more than three hours but not overnight.
•16 years old and older may be ready to be left unsupervised overnight for one to two days, with a plan in place.

[Anonymous]

For sure, yes, unless there is a specific dynamic to one of your children that gives you pause (do they fight when you are away, is the 4 year old rambunctious, etc.).

If they are typical kids, it wouldn't bother me at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering that it’s illegal, no.

Citation please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering that it’s illegal, no.

What is your basis for saying this is illegal? Particularly when you don't know what jurisdiction she's talking about? Cite the statute please!

Virginia: not law but accepted CPS guidelines say no younger than 13 without adult present: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/children-youth/child-supervision-guidelines

Maryland: must be 13

https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/childsafety/childsafetyfaqs.html

So keep making excuses... and hope your kids aren’t taken away.

Maybe I'm misreading the Fairfax link you posted, but it says kids starting at 9 may be left unattended for brief periods of time:

8 years old and younger should always be in the care of a responsible person. Children this age should never be left unsupervised in homes, cars, playgrounds or yards.
•9-10 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 1.5 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•11-12 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 3 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•13-15 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised more than three hours but not overnight.
•16 years old and older may be ready to be left unsupervised overnight for one to two days, with a plan in place.

So if I have an 8 year old and a ten year old I can leave each of them alone but I can’t leave them together? Or if I do I have to tell the 10 year old he or she is not babysitting the younger one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you bring the 4 year old to the gym (with ipad)? Leave the 11 and 7 year old in hotel.

Um, no. Don't be that person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have to ask this question, you should not be a parent. No, you shouldn't be selfish, leave the room for an hour with young kids. What if there is a fire or something else? 11 year old should not be responsible for two younger kids. Wow, just wow.

What on earth!?! An 11 year old can certainly be responsible for younger siblings in a locked, safe environment for an hour, with a phone, assuming all of the children are healthy and there are no major behavioral issues. What kind of crazy helicopters world do you live in to pronounce this insane indictment against older siblings watching younger ones?

Yes, hotel fires happen, on extraordinarily rare occasions. The chances of that are essentially nil but I’d review the hotel evacuation map beforehand and make sure that we could text each other and that the 11 year old knew how to use the room phone to call the front desk as well. But yeah, my 4 year old at the time wouldbhave beennperfrctlybhappy to watch hotel TV for an hour being watched by an 11 year old relative.

The overprotectiveness among some parents is really astounding and worrisome. How will these little people have any sense of competence and self-reliance without safe opportunities to demonstrate responsibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering that it’s illegal, no.

What is your basis for saying this is illegal? Particularly when you don't know what jurisdiction she's talking about? Cite the statute please!

Virginia: not law but accepted CPS guidelines say no younger than 13 without adult present: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/children-youth/child-supervision-guidelines

Maryland: must be 13

https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/childsafety/childsafetyfaqs.html

So keep making excuses... and hope your kids aren’t taken away.

Maybe I'm misreading the Fairfax link you posted, but it says kids starting at 9 may be left unattended for brief periods of time:

8 years old and younger should always be in the care of a responsible person. Children this age should never be left unsupervised in homes, cars, playgrounds or yards.
•9-10 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 1.5 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•11-12 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 3 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•13-15 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised more than three hours but not overnight.
•16 years old and older may be ready to be left unsupervised overnight for one to two days, with a plan in place.

This is meant for your personal home, not a hotel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have to ask this question, you should not be a parent. No, you shouldn't be selfish, leave the room for an hour with young kids. What if there is a fire or something else? 11 year old should not be responsible for two younger kids. Wow, just wow.

What on earth!?! An 11 year old can certainly be responsible for younger siblings in a locked, safe environment for an hour, with a phone, assuming all of the children are healthy and there are no major behavioral issues. What kind of crazy helicopters world do you live in to pronounce this insane indictment against older siblings watching younger ones?

Yes, hotel fires happen, on extraordinarily rare occasions. The chances of that are essentially nil but I’d review the hotel evacuation map beforehand and make sure that we could text each other and that the 11 year old knew how to use the room phone to call the front desk as well. But yeah, my 4 year old at the time wouldbhave beennperfrctlybhappy to watch hotel TV for an hour being watched by an 11 year old relative.

The overprotectiveness among some parents is really astounding and worrisome. How will these little people have any sense of competence and self-reliance without safe opportunities to demonstrate responsibility?

11 year old is not responsible enough to care for two other ones and understand all the things that happen in a hotel. This isn't an emergency. This is a selfish parent wanting to work out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering that it’s illegal, no.

What is your basis for saying this is illegal? Particularly when you don't know what jurisdiction she's talking about? Cite the statute please!

Virginia: not law but accepted CPS guidelines say no younger than 13 without adult present: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/children-youth/child-supervision-guidelines

Maryland: must be 13

https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/childsafety/childsafetyfaqs.html

So keep making excuses... and hope your kids aren’t taken away.

Maybe I'm misreading the Fairfax link you posted, but it says kids starting at 9 may be left unattended for brief periods of time:

8 years old and younger should always be in the care of a responsible person. Children this age should never be left unsupervised in homes, cars, playgrounds or yards.
•9-10 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 1.5 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•11-12 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised up to 3 hours during daylight and early evening hours.
•13-15 years old may be ready to be left unsupervised more than three hours but not overnight.
•16 years old and older may be ready to be left unsupervised overnight for one to two days, with a plan in place.

It’s different if they are responsible for a younger child. The four-year-old is the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have to ask this question, you should not be a parent. No, you shouldn't be selfish, leave the room for an hour with young kids. What if there is a fire or something else? 11 year old should not be responsible for two younger kids. Wow, just wow.

What on earth!?! An 11 year old can certainly be responsible for younger siblings in a locked, safe environment for an hour, with a phone, assuming all of the children are healthy and there are no major behavioral issues. What kind of crazy helicopters world do you live in to pronounce this insane indictment against older siblings watching younger ones?

Yes, hotel fires happen, on extraordinarily rare occasions. The chances of that are essentially nil but I’d review the hotel evacuation map beforehand and make sure that we could text each other and that the 11 year old knew how to use the room phone to call the front desk as well. But yeah, my 4 year old at the time wouldbhave beennperfrctlybhappy to watch hotel TV for an hour being watched by an 11 year old relative.

The overprotectiveness among some parents is really astounding and worrisome. How will these little people have any sense of competence and self-reliance without safe opportunities to demonstrate responsibility?

Blah blah blah. It’s illegal.