Baby Monitor for Hotel Room

I know this isn't the exact same situation, but I can't help but think of Madeleine McCann. There is no way I'd consider leaving my sleeping children in a hotel room to go hang out in another room. The McCann's were within eyesight of their room. And their daughter is gone. And they'll NEVER forgive themselves for their devastating mistake.

It's not worth it.

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**I read your Edit: it does NOT matter, how old your kids are. They are 6 & 7... these are young kids.
Kids this age, do NOT have, the cognizance to self-regulate themselves.
When I traveled with my Husband and daughter... I STAYED in the hotel room as my daughter slept. My Husband meanwhile, went with his friend to go gambling. This was in Las Vegas. NO way, would I have left my daughter in the hotel room, as she slept. So what if I was bored or only read a magazine or watched TV. I stayed with my daughter as she slept.

If you and Hubby wanna go out until the wee hours, because you are on 'vacation'... then leave the kids home, with Grandparents, and do not take them with you. Thus, it will be an "adult" vacation... not a "family" vacation.

A baby-Monitor, is not a parent.
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Okay, is your DH the only one and the only adult and the only Parent, in the room with your kids??? That is what it sounds like, from your post.
Are you going to be there????

If not, then no. I would not, use a baby monitor and then him going to the next room(s) after they go to bed.
NO WAY.
Of course not.

Do you know, that there has been a case or 2, of kids being left in a hotel room, while the parent(s) then went someplace else in the hotel, and the kids were then missing? I think in one case, they have never found their kids. Probably abducted or already dead.
Here is the link about the article about one of these cases:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/13/3216762.htm

Again, these kids would not be "missing" if the parents simply STAYED in their hotel room, when their kids went to sleep.
It was completely, avoidable.

NO way, would I leave my kids, after they fell asleep, in a hotel room and then leave that said room.

NOT safe at all. To say the least.

How can your DH think, that hanging out until the wee hours, in the other hotel rooms, is more important than his kids???

Good grief.

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No. Not a good idea.

Call the hotel and ask about a referral for a babysitter for the night. If this is a wedding... ask the bride for the name of a sitter. IF you will be right nextdoor, the monitor may work, but this may not be a great idea!

**Infants would probably be safer than school-agers! They can't wander out of a hotel room or into the bathroom... stick their fingers in plugs... attempt to turn on a lamp....**

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well i think its irresponsable for you/ur hubby to be OKAY with leaving two kids alone in a hotel room even with a moniter being next door/down the hall. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!! I am not trying to bash you or your husband but seriously come on if you want to hang out with family/friends get a baby sittter or have someone else sit in the room that you trust with the kids so someone is there if something happens

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It isn't just like home. I believe a girl got kidnapped from her locked hotel room while her parents were down the hall. It's not safe in my opinion. If you have to hang out til the wee hours, then why not try and get a hotel that has 2 bedrooms and hang out in the main one. More expensive, but at least your kids are safe. If your down the hall or a few floors down (no offense, but you have to be kidding me) you will hear someone opening your door but you won't get there in time to save them. It doesn't take long to pick a sleeping child up and run out.
It is not a matter of them getting up and you not being there, they can understand that. It's a matter of safety. You never know who is staying in that hotel or who works at that hotel. Why don't you rent a house? They are very reasonable.

That's who I was thinking of Lee. They thought it was safe too and now have to live with that every day. That poor little girl. It doesn't matter what country it happened in, it can happen anywhere.

Your husband won't take turns with you? If not, that's pretty selfish of him.

No offense to other moms, but anyone who would get a babysitter based on the advice of a stranger is pretty foolish. You have no idea who the babysitter is or who the hotel concierge is so I don't think it would be a good idea, but from some other responses people do it.

@Erin, there is also a kidnapping case where a child was kidnapped even though the parents were to checking on her every 30 minutes and I believe next door or a few doors down. I'd have to find the exact case but I read it last week (happened mid March this year). My child's life, to me, is not something I gamble with. Both cases were totally avoidable.

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Oh geez c'mon people! I think that next door is just fine. Tell the kids where you will be so that they don't freak out if they do wake up and bring a monitor if it will make you feel better. Down the hall is a little sketchier. I'd be fine with it but I can see why other people would have second thoughts. If BIL doesn't have kids, then the partying can be in his room and not the cousin's.

It's too bad y'all didn't just rent a big house or condo that you could share - maybe that would be a good solution for future extended family vacations so that you can ALL relax and have fun.

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I don't see how it's any different than at home. i certainly am not sitting in my sons room right now as he naps, and he is an infant. I even take the monitor and go outside to watch the older kids swim, or work in the garden, life goes on even when the baby is sleeping after all. Obviously monitors are funny, and it may not work, certain rooms in my own house and i get nothing but static, but if it works there is no reason you can't sneak next door for a couple of hours. and for the record, parents do a LOT worse all the time.

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Um....no. Not safe. An adult should stay with them. Is that really such a big deal for you & hubby to take an hour each?

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I second MegandOllie

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OK, maybe I'm missing the obvious and easy solution here...

Your kids are a little older, which means that they understand what "right next door" means.
Bring your monitor, and tell them that you'll be right next door if they wake up and you're not there. You'll hear them on the monitor.

And unless your kids are prone to wandering off on their own, I don't think I'd worry about them taking a tour du hotel while hang out in the next room.

Only other option - try renting a house or a sharing a suite with your BIL?

Short answer, I don't think it's a big deal. Go for it!

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Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable leaving my kids in a hotel room alone. Now that we are parents, we make a point of only staying in suites so that we can put the kids in bed, shut the door, and still have some space of our own. Is that a possibility in your case? Then your brother in law or cousin could come to your room.
I like the adjoining rooms idea, too. But I don't like it if the kids have access to a door that leads out to the hallway or walkway. Usually they put the locks up pretty high but kids can be very creative.
Of course you have to evaluate what your comfort zone is, but you'd feel awful if something happened while you were down the hall that could have been prevented if you were there in the hotel room.

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***For those responses stating that there is absolutely nothing wrong with leaving children in a hotel room alone because the "door is locked". Please remember that EVERY employee of that hotel has access to keys to get into the rooms, therefore, unless you have the security lock on (course then you can't get back into the room) then the room is not truly secured (this is why EVERY hotel room door has a warning stating that you should use the security locks on the doors). In this sense it is not the same as having your child in your house unless of course you just randomly hand out keys to your house.****

First off-I am NOT bashing you!!! I applaud you for asking the question and for reaching out for other opinions. Also, I am very protective (not as protective as some of my friends but still pretty protective LOL).

Why not get an adjoining room and visit in the other room while the kids sleep in the adjoining room with the door between the 2 rooms cracked?

Leaving children alone in a hotel room is basically the same as leaving them alone at home. In my opinion.

Actually the first thing that I though of when reading your question is the family that was overseas and left their young daughter in the hotel room alone (she was sleeping when they left) and when the returned she was gone and I don't remember hearing that she had ever been found.

If you are determined to leave them alone in the room then yes definitely take a baby monitor. However, I don't know how far "down the hall" you are planning on being and so I don't know if the baby monitor would reach. Also remember that there is the possibility for a lot of interference...alarms in the hotel, other guests on computers, thicker walls...etc. So you may want to test it to make sure that it is even going to work. I would imagine that if you asked hotel staff if it was okay to do this they would STRONGLY advise against it.

My daugher is 9 and personnally I would never leave her in a hotel room by herself.

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can you get adjoining rooms?? Then they could just come through the door to the other room if they woke up and you could go back in there with them until they fell back to sleep. That would just be like you being in the living room of your own home while they are sleeping.... I would only do it if I had an adjoining room, otherwise I would just stay in the room with my kids.

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Take the baby monitor and see if it works Try it out and show the kids how that if they talk you will hear them. Make sure any windows or doors to balcony are locked!! If the baby monitor doesnt work you are stuck. the adjoining rooms idea is a good one. and then cousin could come to BIL room rather than you all going down the hall. I hope it works!

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Um...what could happen to them in a hotel room? Is there a kitchen where they will get up out of bed and light a fire? A window they will jump out of?? I assume the door has a lock?

I would show my kids where I'm going to be (next door) so in case they need anything they can come get me, and put them to bed a bit later than usual, and they will sleep.

A baby monitor would probably work in a hotel. There might be more interference than usual, from wifi or other things, but you could try it, if it would make you feel more comfortable. Or, bring a cell phone with your DH on speed dial. Show your kids how to use it to call him.

**There are 73M kids in the U.S. and to find ONE example of one child missing from a hotel room we have to go to Portugal?? They left the ground level door open! The parents of that girl were suspects!! So, the incidences of "something happening" to a child in a hotel room in the U.S. is about 0/73Million. Google it if you don't agree.

V.M - do what you are comfortable doing, but I would be enjoying a bit of free time in the next hotel room after making sure my daughter was asleep.

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Hi V.M., I think that you have to go with your own judgment on this one. I think that the fact that you are asking means that you are pretty uncomfortable leaving them alone while you are off somewhere else. As for me, I would be happy to leave my son in an adjoining room, where I could pull the safety lock across (the ones that keep the room from being accessible, unless the person grants you entrance), as long as I had a baby monitor to make sure that I heard if something happened, AND if we weren't staying on the ground floor of the hotel. Otherwise, I would go with a suite hotel room and hang out in the main room there.

As for the McCann case, it was absolutely tragic and horrifying. However, they were more than a football field away from the apartment where their children were staying, they were on the ground floor, AND they left their door unlocked. I am not saying that they deserved any of their tragedy, however, it seems as though we could all learn from their awful mistake. At any rate, do what you feel comfortable doing. You can talk to other Mom's all day long, and only you will be able to make the decision.

Good luck!

I would do the baby monitor thing. You could also ask the hotel concierge if they have a babysitter they can recommend. You can always come back to check on them hourly. Or bring a DVD player and let them stay up late to watch a movie. And leave a way for them to get a hold of you, simply by talking into the monitor and asking mommie to come please.

I'm shocked at some of the answers! I'm a very strict mom BUT at 6 and 7 years old they will be fine! For one you have the buddy system going on so they sort of have each other and for two you will hear everything through the monitor. I do recommend going in to check on them every few hours or at any noise what so ever.
If you keep the door locked, you don't drinking and pay attention to the monitor than it's almost no different than them being in their rooms at home!
Have fun.... but not too much fun haha

do you and your hubby each have a cell phone? if so leave one with the kids so they can call you if needed.

We had this situation last summer. We got a sitter from sittercity.com when we were going to the rehearsal dinner. Many of the sitters on the site have background checks and references listed and she was a doll. We also used our cell phones and baby monitor as back up when our kids were sleeping and we were a few doors down chatting in a friend's hotrel room. I had my phone on the nightstand and called my husband's phone which we took with us on mute. The boys slept like angels and we had a couple extra hours catching up with old friends together. What added to our comfort was that most of the guests in the hotel (in rural Massachusetts) were also with the wedding. If you are comfortable, go with it - you can always go back to the room...

I would get a monitor. That way your husband can hear if they need him. We travel a lot and I don't see anything wrong with your husband going a room or two down. baby monitor a great idea! It's not like your talking about leaving an infant ya no what I mean.

I've used a baby monitor in a hotel room (with my cousins next door in an adjoining room to also "watch") but the monitor will work, if that is your question. I didn't really think twice about safety when I did it.