Hotels and Sleeping Babies

[Anonymous]

We are going on a trip and our infant daughter needs to be in bed by 7:30pm. We bought long range monitors and, assuming they work, we were planning on putting her to sleep, turning on the monitor, and then going downstairs and hanging out. We will not be leaving the hotel.

Has anyone ever done this? To me it feels no different than putting her to sleep, taking the monitor, and going elsewhere in our house.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I would consider doing this. First, I doubt the monitors will work as there will be TONS of interference and you may end up on the 13th floor or something. Second, if there was an emergency (highly unlikely, yes, I am sure) there might not be time for you to get upstairs to your kids. For example, if a fire did break out, the elevators will be out of order and you'd be hard pressed to get up to your room. It all depends on your threshold of risk. There are too many risk factors and I wouldn't feel comfortable without at least one adult in the room.

FWIW, I am probably hyper-cautious about leaving our DS alone. We live directly across the street from a small sandwich shop and I wouldn't leave my sleeping infant in his crib to run across the street and pick up a sandwich. DH and I talked about this and decided there was just too many things that could go wrong and it wasn't worth it to us to take the chance, no matter how small, of something happening.

[Anonymous]

I would definitely not do this. As PP said, if something were to happen--unlikely, yes, but possible--not only might there be no time to get your child, but you would also be held criminally negligent. Also, this is very different from being inside your own house--it;s more like going to a neighbor's house. If someone were to break in to your hotel room--unlikely, again, but possible--you would not be there; the same cannot be said about your own house.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do this. and of course, it's really tough being in a room with a sleeping baby and you can't have lights or tv on or anything else really. If you can, I would recommend getting a suite. If you can't get a suite, I'd bring along a white noise maker and put it right near the crib. Because I would rather read or watch tv than go somewhere and hang out, I'd bring a reading light, or load some shows onto my iPhone or laptop and pop in headphones. Or, what I'd most likely do is try to go to sleep myself.

I know it's alarmist to think of worst case scenarios, but this does remind me a little of the Madeline McCann case, and I could never live with myself if something like that happened.

[Anonymous]

Whaaa???? I would never do this in a million years. Maybe the adults can tag team and one stays with the baby while the other goes down for some adult company, and then switch.

[Anonymous]

Hell no. Ever heard of Madeleine McCann? Get a suite and bring a few bottles of wine with you. Enjoy yourselves while your child is sleeping in the bedroom.

[Anonymous]

not a chance. as the PP said, if there is an emergency, either in the hotel or God forbid, with your baby, you will lose precious seconds getting to your child.

[Anonymous]

This is a troll post, right? I would never do as OP suggested. As a longtime business and leisure traveller, I can think of too many instances where someone has accidentally accessed my room (the front desk at a well-known, upper end chain hotel somehow double assigned my room, resulting in a strange man unlocking my door at about 11pm one night--thank god for the security chain), the housekeeper didn't see the "do not disturb" sign and knocked came in anyway, etc. Hotel room locks are really easy to unlock / pick and most employees have a master key, from room service, maintenance to housekeeping: the main thing that protects hotel guests is the deadbolt or chain once you're inside. Since you cannot (and would not want to) deadbolt the door from outside, your baby is one flimsy lock from the outside world and any random person who tries your door.

DH and I generally pay for a connecting room or a suite, or else suck it up and bring good reading materials--flick on a dimmish light after baby is soundly asleep.

[Anonymous]

We thought on a recent cruise with family we'd put dd to bed with the monitor and then go next door to hang with family. It never really worked, since the family wanted to be out at shows etc. One of us just stayed in the room and we gave DD a sleeping mask so we could leave the lights on. We slipped it off after she was asleep. DD was three, not an infant. In the alternative, I'd take a reading light or headlamp so that I could read.

[Anonymous]

I'd never consider this. When we travel, my baby, well now toddler, will stay asleep if I turn on the lights or TV after she falls asleep.

[Anonymous]

Get a suite with a separate bedroom. I would never leave our babies alone like that.

[Anonymous]

The only time I've done something remotely like this is when we were at a small, remote inn that had a staff of two and was fully occupied by people we knew. (It had been rented out for a friend's wedding.) Rehearsal dinner was down on the lawn, so after checking the monitor's range we locked our room and left our child to sleep while we relaxed directly under our window.

I would not, however, do this in a hotel -- too many variables, just as PPs have outlined.

[Anonymous]

I would not leave a child alone period. If something were to happen you could possibly face charges.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this would work even it you wanted it to. Most hotels are made with steel beams and reinforced concrete which will interfere with the monitor.

DH, DB and I went to Disney awhile back. We stayed at the Polynesian on the ground floor and thought we'd just sit out on the lawn with the monitor (not far from our room) and watch the boat parade and fireworks. The monitor did not work unless you were directly in front of the room and no more than 10 feet from it.

So DH and I ended up doing some reading in bed and going to bed early most nights. The good news is that it was probably the most restful vacation I've had since having kids. It was great getting lots of sleep!!

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't it be child endangerment - leaving a child unattended AND leaving the premesis (even if it's just downstairs)?