Hotel Room Safety
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Hotel Room Safety
May 2006
We'll be traveling with a baby who sleeps through the night but
goes to sleep really early (like at 7). He also gets distracted
if we're in his room while he's trying to get to sleep. We were
thinking of setting up our baby monitor in the hotel room after
we put him down for sleep (in a portacrib in our room) and
getting some dinner in the hotel restaurant while he settles
down for sleep. Is this legal or could we be charged with
something? I don't see how it's really that much different than
setting up the baby monitor in a bedroom at home and watching TV
in a room three floors down.
I don't know if you'd be breaking any laws, but PLEASE don't leave your
baby alone in the hotel room while you go out to dinner. In my opinion,
there is a big difference between being in another part of your house
with the monitor on, and in leaving your baby alone in a hotel room
while you go out, monitor or not. Other people (hotel staff) have access
to your hotel room. True, you would not think that anyone would go in
there while you are gone, but how often have you heard of things being
stolen from hotel rooms? Or worse things happening? It is not safe and
secure. Would you leave a really expensive piece of video equipment in
the room while you go out? Cash? Credit cards? Probably not, for fear of
it being stolen. So why would you think of leaving your baby? How would
you feel if you came back from dinner and the baby was gone?
Unfortunately there are lots of criminals out there and you don't know
who might be observing you and your baby. They could just be waiting for
the right opportunity. Even if they didn't have a key to your room,
criminals know how to gain entry. I probably sound really paranoid but
if you read or watch the news it is really not so far-fetched. Even if
nobody came in the room while you were gone, what if your baby wakes up
and needs consoling? My vote is, either take the baby with you to the
restaurant or get some take out and eat it in the rooom.
Your baby may be off schedule and have a hard time settling, but I think
that is all part of travelling with a young child.
I hope my response doesn't sound too harsh, it just really scares me and
makes me sad to think of your baby being left alone in the hotel room.
Anon
I wouldn't do it, and I doubt that it's legal. I know the chances of
anything actually happening are very remote, but what if the hotel room
key wouldn't work when you tried to get back in, or something? You're
likely to be much further away from the room than you would be even in a
3-story house. I would suggest either finding a babysitter where you're
going, or getting a 2-room suite. That way you can at least be in the
hotel room eating and watching TV or enjoying a little time together
away from the distractions of home.
anon
When our son was a baby, we did this many times, since we often traveled
with him.
We would eat within the hotel or talk with friends and family in the
lobby. He was constantly listened to on the baby monitor. It worked
great. Of course, as he got older and could get out of a crib by
himself, we no longer did this! Now, as a 6-year-old who still needs
darkness and minimal distraction at bedtime, we usually book suite-type
hotel rooms that have separation between the main bedroom (ours) and
living area with fold-out couch (his). That way we're out of sight and
can watch TV quietly or have a light on for reading.
--Hoping It Wasn't Illegal!!
I don't know the law on this, but my instinct says don't do it. Or, ask
the hotel their rules about leaving a child in a room alone. It's
probably far-fetched, but what if a hotel employee enters your room w/o
your knowledge? What if someone breaks in?
What if there's a fire? An earthquake?
I'd opt for a suite, keeping the baby in the bedroom and with a living
room for you and your husband to hang out in.
The difference is you're in a public space, not one owned or rented
entirely by you -Better safe than sorry.
I wouldn't do it. First off, it is different than being in your own
home, unless you have lots of strangers wandering around your halls. :-)
But the main reason I wouldn't do it is that legal or not, if someone at
the hotel found out you could get a lot of hassle. It may be legal (not
sure) but do you really want to find out by having the hotel call the
police on you? If you're not sure it's okay, the hotel employees or
guests may not be sure either and decide to err on the safe side Not
sure
i think it would be very irresponsible to leave your child alone in a
hotel room. what would happen in a fire? an earthquake? if someone broke
in?
get a room that has a balcolny or get two adjoining rooms. you and your
partner can get some room service and wine and dine knowing your child
is safe.
anon
I'm sure y ou will get a lot of postings saying this is illegal or
unethical, but we've definitely done it!. It really isn't different than
putting them in a room at home. Two tips: get a long range monitor, you
will be suprised at how much it comes in handy in the next few years and
how often you will use it.
Another tip is to ask for a ground floor room. This way, your balcony or
''lanai'' will be open onto the ground, so you can come and go from
there, sit out there when the baby is going to sleep and not be trapped;
and your monitor is more likely to work, etc.
A third tip is to bring your own portable crib. These are smaller than
hotel cribs and may fit in the bathroom. Our children have clocked a lot
of nights in hotel rooms sleeping in the bathroom. But remember to use
the toilet before you put your kid to bed.
We have also had hotel rooms that have large closets and you can put
the portable crib in there if its well ventilated. You can also just
push them around the corner into the dressing room space, etc.
We too have children that are used to falling asleep alone and would
never be able to take naps without a separate space, and all these
things work well for us.
Have a great vacation.
anon
I am a pretty lax mom (I do things that I KNOW many people on this would
find crazy, e.g. I once had a handyman I barely know to listen to the
baby monitor while my kid napped in the next room and I ran errands).
But I wouldn't do this. You won't have a good sense of how well the
monitor works in the hotel. All sorts of stuff could go wrong with it
and your child could be crying terrified in your room and you wouldn't
even know. If there's a fire, or even just a fire alarm, are you going
to be able to run up to the room and get your child? (OK, unlikely, but
I actually know people who've been in hotels that were evacuated for
fires and I've been evacuated for a false alarm TWICE while staying in a
hotel). Get a hotel babysitter. They're quite good and then you can
actually go to dinner at a restaurant outside the hotel, which will be
more fun anyway.
Anon
-----------------------------------------
I wouldn't do this, simply for the fact that you would be leaving your
baby alone in a hotel room. Even though you would be in the building,
many things could go wrong. Any hotel employee could enter the room,
for turndown service or whatever. Even if you heard that on your
monitor, it would take you too much time to get back to the room--in the
worst- case scenario, your baby could be kidnapped. What if there is a
fire alarm and they prohibit people from going back into their rooms?
An even stranger scenario, what if the people in the next room have a
fight and guns are fired? You wouldn't be near enough to protect your
baby.
My advice would be to hire a babysitter while you go out for dinner, or
get a suite and stay with your baby all the time.
That way, you can put the baby down in the crib and wait in the living
room area for him to fall asleep. Then, order room service.
Worst-case
scenario thinker
I absolutely would not do it. Your baby is way too young. I won't even
leave my elementary school aged kids alone asleep in a hotel room. What
if there is a fire?
Can you get up to him in time? And, yes, I have stayed at a hotel that
caught fire, so I know it can and does happen.
Also, I think if something happens to your child, you could be charged
with child endangerment. But how sad that you are more concerned with
that than your child's safety.
Can't you just order room service or something?
anon
I wouldn't do it! I don't think it's the same as being downstairs at
home...my house isn't that big! I would be worried that the monitor
would not work that far away. And there is always the risk, however
small, of someone breaking into your room...
As for getting the child to sleep, couldn't one parent leave the room,
have a swim, a drink, whatever, while the other parent is nice and quiet
while the baby gets to sleep? Can you afford an adjoining room? I was
even thinking you could set up the portacrib in the bathroom! If the
baby gets to sleep in there, you can order room service! Otherwise, if
you want dinner out after 7, it looks like you need to get a babysitter
(who would have an easy job, for sure!) anon
I would be weary of doing this. I think it really depends on how large
the hotel is. If you are staying somewhere very small, where the dining
room is on the same floor, then you may be able to do this. But call
the hotel first and find out.
Most hotels will request that you get a babysitter. They have liability
issues to deal with if ever anything were to happen.
Also, they don't know you as parents, and your level of competency. It
isn't right for guests to put them in those circumstances.
anon
The differences from home? a) liability b) insecurity - if there were a
fire drill, for example, could you really get the baby fast enough?
Better to call the hotel concierge now, and ask about babysitter
referrals. Yes it's another expense but worth it, imo
PLEASE do NOT leave your baby in the hotel room with the baby monitor
while you go elsewhere. That is not the same thing as being in another
part of the house. Presumably your own house is not filled with
strangers who could abduct your child. In a hotel, that could happen.
Plus, I think it is illegal and borders on child endangerment. Just lay
in the dark while your baby falls asleep and then you and your husband
can take turns going to the hotel restaurant while the other one stays
in the room with baby. Or bring a babysitter with you or hire a
babysitter through the hotel. But do not, do not, do not leave your
child alone in the room!
shocked by the question
Take your baby monitor and call the local red cross office in the town
where you will be staying. They train babysitters and can give you
names/numbers. Also, the hotel may have a list.
Don't leave your infant alone in the room. What if a fire should break
out and you were prevented from going upstairs?
It shouldn't take the threat of police action to send up a red flag that
a child alone in a hotel room is bad!
Better safe than sorry!
Are you sure the baby monitor will even work when you're in the hotel?
If you can afford it, I'd suggest getting a suite that includes a
bedroom and separate sitting room. That way you aren't stuck trying to
brush your teeth silently and in the dark, not to mention anything else
you'd like to do after 7pm. You can bring food in, watch TV, kick up
your heels and relax, and baby can still get his shut-eye. Besides,
unless he's a seasoned traveler, your child might wake up a lot anyway
from being in a strange place. Better to be next door than have to leave
your dinner half eaten -good luck
I can't comment on the legality of using a monitor for your baby while
he sleeps, but I can tell you from experience that you might run into
technical difficulties. We've had varying success picking up the signal
from our monitor in different hotels. It's by no means a sure thing,
especially in the more modern buildings. We've even tried calling our
cell phone from the phone in the room and just leaving the call going as
a monitor, but you know how reliable a cell phone is! We usually end up
camping out with our reading material in the hallway outside the room,
or if we're lucky in a seat near the elevators. Good luck!
heidi
I can't speak to the legality of it but, to me, there are several things
that make it different. 1) Other people have access to your hotel room
(probably every employee of the hotel). 2) If you hear your child crying
you may be delayed in getting to the room or, worse yet, stuck in an
elevator (in the worst-case scenario). 3) I'm not clear that you could
count on the monitor to operate accurately in that situation (could
there be interference from all the other devices in the building?) In
addition, I'll just throw in my two cents which is that I'd want to be
closer and have the flexibility to periodically check and/or respond
ASAP and wouldn't be able to relax otherwise.
I imagine you're going to get quite a few more judgmental responses.
Please do not get defensive and simply think through what is the safest
scenario for your child.
I'm glad you asked the question and gave others a chance to give you
some feedback.
Anon
I was a little concerned that your main question was ''can we be charged
with something'' instead of ''is this safe and responsible?'' My
response is a big NO WAY. I don't know how you could feel comfortable
leaving a baby alone in a strange room in a hotel-monitor or not. I
could go through the ''what if'' list but hopefully you will think of
all of these on your own. Get a room with a door-often more money but
well worth it.
anon
There is no way that this could be safe for your baby! I used to work in
a hotel, and I know that there are so many people who have keys to those
rooms that it is riduculous. Your baby would be at risk every minute,
and even if you heard someone enter the room, there is no guarantee that
you could make it back to the room in time to prevent something terrible
from happening.
Moreover, it seems a bit unfair to subject a roomful of restaurant
patrons to the noise that will come from your monitor, many of which
emit high-pitched sounds from interference. Could you get the baby to
sleep and then do room service? My husband and I love to do that. Or ask
the hotel if they have a baby-sitting service. Or if you can get the
baby to sleep in a stroller or car-seat, take him with you to the
restaurant. Just, please, don't leave your baby alone in a hotel room. I
can guarantee that the worry and guilt would ruin your meal anyway
incredulous
Hi-
I don't want to judge, but you should never leave your child alone while
you are out dining. Period. Yes, someone could report you even if you
have the monitor in hand. This may sound mean, but if I saw a parents at
a hotel with a monitor, I would seriously consider calling the proper
authorities. And I bet you would get some serious stares from other
hotel patrons.
When we vacation (we have a toddler and have traveled since he was
young) we upgrade to a suite. That way he can be in one room with the
door closed and we can be in the 'living room area' dining on room
service. If you don't like that, then travel with friends and stay in a
home rental so folks can swap babysitting duties. Or call a sitter. But
please, do not leave your child unattended hopeful you'll make the right
choice
Although I sympathize with you trying to put your baby down at
7 pm and having a meal with your spouse at the hotel restaurant, I have
to say it's the not the same as setting up a baby monitor in your home
and having dinner downstairs. I don't think using a monitor absolves
you of the responsibility of being in close proximity to your child in a
strange (at least, strange to him!) place. Hotel restaurants are not
all that close to the rooms--do you know you will get proper reception?
Perhaps I am a paranoid parent, but what about bomb threats, fire, or
other evacuation that may be necessary on the spur of the moment? Even
if you could get permission to re- enter your floor, it certainly would
be stressful and chaotic for you. In your home your movement and entry
to and from your child is unimpeded; this may not be so in a hotel. Is
using a monitor this way legal? I can't imagine it would be--can you?
Can you try reserving a different room such as a suite, with a separate
area from the bedroom? Embassy Suites or Residence Inn type of rooms?
They are often pretty reasonable and give you more flexibility with baby
privacy issues. Believe me, we had vacations where one of us went out
and the other parent stayed and read a book in our room's bathroom until
the baby was asleep. Then, coast was clear, and we ordered dinner in or
simply ate before all this bedtime business had to be settled.
Good luck. I urge you to think of another solution. This is how I
would decide: Do I want to be rationalizing my decision to the
authorities if something indeed happens?
Anon
Huh?! OK, it might just be me, but that doesn't sound like a good idea
at all, especially in an unfamiliar new place. I'll leave it at that.
Just my two cents
I encourage you not to be put off from traveling by the responses you
initially received to your post. The idea among some posters is that
there are evildoers at every corner, lurking in the shadows to steal
your child and belongings. Fahrenheit 911 did a great job of
illustrating how our society functions on the basis of artificial fears
that encourage us to buy more goods and services, and lock ourselves in
our homes to keep the bad folks at bay. Some of your posters also
seemed to imply that good parents should be chained to their children at
all times.
It is not for someone else to advocate you doing this, but not
condemning it either. If your child is a sound sleeper, it should be
safe to leave your hotel room with a baby monitor if you leave the ''do
not disturb'' sign to prevent turndown service. Needless to say, I
would only even consider doing this at a reputable establishment. The
ideas about having a room on the first floor seemed helpful to be able
to check up on your child more often and more easily, and likewise
keeping a portable crib in the bathroom. Sure a two-room suite is a
good idea if you can afford it, but it's often nearly double the price.
It is important to know your child's habits (e.g., deep sleep) and what
he/she is capable of doing--it is crucial to make sure your child cannot
get out while you are out of the room! On a recent vacation, we once
sat in the hallway outside our hotel room waiting for our son to fall
asleep for naptime. He opened the door and surprised us! Needless to
say, we wouldn't leave him in the room alone. anon
Feb 2005
We're going to be taking our first family trip with our 8-month-
old son, who is crawling and has just mastered pulling up and
standing. We'll be staying in a hotel that doesn't offer any
child-safety items (other than a crib, but we're bringing our
own Pack N Play). Any suggestions for how to babyproof the
place, short of packing an extra suitcase full of gizmos? (It's
a suite that includes a kitchenette, living room, and bedroom.)
I've heard that masking tape is a good starting point -- would
duct tape be better? Tips and tricks would be greatly
appreciated by this new, nervous mom. Thanks! :-)
CC
One good piece of advice that I got from a friend; get down on
your hands and knees and take a look around. Often things like
pills are dropped and roll under furniture.
anon
We traveled in Europe and stayed in a number of hotel rooms with
our 10 month old last autumn. The masking tape idea worked out
very well for us; we used it to cover electric outlets, tape
drawers and cabinets shut so she couldn't pinch her fingers in
them, tape lamp and phone cords up and out of reach. I would not
recommend duct tape, as it might peel the paint off if you use it
on walls, and make for unhappy hotel staff. As it was, the
masking tape pulled off a bit of paint, even though it's not
supposed to! Keep the bathroom shut when you aren't using it.
If you ! are living out of suitcases and they are out in the open,
lay them flat so they can't topple over on the baby, and keep
them zipped up. Our daughter found the suitcases to be a lot of
fun to crawl onto and over at that age.
Evette
The masking tape is a great idea, but be careful with duct tape
when taping cabinets, etc. as it can end up peeling off paint,
etc. When you come into the room try to rearrange whatever
furniture you can move to cover electrical
cords/outlets/heater. Keep the bathroom door closed at all
times of course. If there is a stove with knobs in reach, just
remove the knobs while you're there. If there is a microwave
within reach, tape that closed as well, or raise it out of
reach. If it is a suite with an upstairs level or an open
doorway between areas, you may consider taking along a ''travel''
safety gate if you have one ! (great for taking to Grandma's,
too!) If there's a fireplace, ask front desk for extra blankets
or pillows to cover the hearth--but remove them if you use the
fireplace of course! Of course, there is no substitute for
close supervision, but taking these steps can help relieve some
of your nerves! Have a wonderful time!
Jerilynn & Moustafa
I just wouldn't stress too much re: babyproofing a hotel room.
I travel frequently with my nearly two-year old child and have
stayed in all sorts of places (hotels or other people's homes
as a house sit) and haven't had to babyproof anything. I just
try to move power cords out of easy access by putting them
behind cabinets or chairs and use a rubber band to keep the
doors of the under sink cabinets inaccessible if there are any
cleaning prod! ucts under the sink. Of course, I don't really
babyproof anything at home other than the above (and a gate at
the top of the stairs). Just use a little common sense and
don't stress to much.
-anon
Feb 2004
This summer my husband and I will be traveling in France and
Italy with our 1 year old son. After doing some research we've
decided it will be safer to take the trains and not drive,
which means we will have to pack very light. My big concern is
the safety of our son in hotel rooms. Any suggestions on ways
(creative or not) to baby proof hotel rooms (and still not
bring a million things along)? Some hotels that we are
interested in staying at do not have cribs -- and we will not
be bringing a pack-n-play with us. Any suggestions on where the
baby can sleep safely without a crib (or should we only stay at
hotels that have cribs)? Any lightweight ideas for gates/etc.
to block doorways and stuff (our son is a crawler). Any
recommendations or helpful hints that you learned while
traveling would be much appreciated. Thanks for your help.
I was going to suggest some outlet plugs, but of course they
won't fit in Europe! Does anyone know if they're available for
European outlets?
If you have a large enough bed at the hotel, could you just let
your son sleep with you? Many folks just make a ''nest'' with
rolled-up blankets on the floor (Just don't make it too
pillowy). Of course, with yor son potentially mobile while
unsupervised, be extra cautious about safety: be sure to put
anything potentially hazardous (including curtain cords) up out-
of-reach, be sure your windows and doors are locked.
R.K.
We spent 6-weeks travelling through South America with our 13-14
month old. Hotel safety was never an issue. Most rooms are
pretty small and don't really have that many things dangerous to
a child. We just kept the room and bathroom doors closed (and
the toilet seat down, just in case). Because the rooms are that
small, the baby was never out of sight so she couldn't get into
that much trouble. We had the baby sleep wit! h us (between us),
and we were there while she took naps (though she took many naps
in her stroller) so that that wasn't a danger either. I don't
know what dangers you are forseeing.
anon
If it's okay with you, let your toddler sleep with you in bed.
There are bed rails that break down and could be packed. Also,
one of the best peices of advice I ever got was to bring a roll
of masking tape. With this we were able to cover electrical
outlets, and tape cabinet handles together to keep our twins
out of kitchenette cabinets, etc... I'm sure there are other
uses as well.
CB
The most obvious is to do it the way they would do it, in the
bed, between you, or next to mom, with some padding on the floor
just in case (although most little ones will prefer to snuggle
close). Or if there's an extra bed, ! just move it right next to
yours. Another idea is to place the mattress of the extra bed on
the floor, and put your suitcases and belongings around it as a
barrier.
k
We traveled and stay in hotels quite a bit with our toddlers.
What we usually do is this: upon arrival, assess the room and
rearrange/block off potential hazards with the furniture. Works
fine! On a side note, we've also found that chosing one or two
destinations and staying up to a week in each works better than
moving around every few nights. Have a geat trip!!
Christine
Sept 2003
Hi - we have a dilemma that I am hoping someone can help solve. We have a
5-year-old daughter and will be staying in a hotel suite that has a bedroom
with a king-sized bed for my husband and myself, and a sofabed in the living
room area for our daughter. However, this arrangment is not going to work if
we can't figure out how to prevent our daughter from simply leaving the room.
She is old enough/tall enough to simply unlock all the locks and therefore is
simply not safe. We need to somehow be able to prevent her from being able
to open the door leading out of the suite, yet at the same time keep it easy for
us all to get out in case of emergency. Is there a device we can get to bring
with us that would do the trick? Other thoughts? We recently had the same type
setup and we had to give our daughter the master bedroom while my husband
and I suffered on the awful (and narrow!) sofabed in the living room area. I
simply cannot do that again as I got no sleep during that vacation. By the way,
please refrain from informing me/us that she needs to learn not to leave the
hotel room. We know that. She knows that already. It doesn't stop her from
leaving because she can do so and that is exciting to her, as is everything
these days that she can do by herself that she wasn't able to before (meaning,
physically able to do it, not necessarily permitted to do it). Thanks!
want my daughter safe and sound
What about bringing a sleeping bag along for her and making up a
palette on the floor in your room on the floor? Then hanging a
noisy bell on the bedroom door that will wake yuou if she leaves
the bedroom. If you are concerned about privacy for you and your
husband, be assured that cosleeping parents have been very
successful at love-making with a sleeping child in the room. Or
she could be put to bed out in the lving room and then
transfered to the floor of your room when you are ready to sleep
for the night.
Jen
I just got back from a night at an Embassy Suite Hotel and it
sounds like the same configuration that you will have on your
trip. I worried too about my daughter being so close to the
door. I wonder if your daughter is tall enough to reach the
safety lock that tends to be on the upper portion of locks. You
might call the hotel and inquire about their safety features.
Good luck!
Amy
Our daughter was a wannabe escape artist too. You can purchase
child proof door knob covers. Ours are white plastic things
that click together over the door knob and are hard for even
some adults to figure out. They come apart if you know how and
have strong hands. We bought these when our daughter was 3 and
they are still working for her at age 3 yrs. and 7 months. If
you are in the same room as your daughter, you are there to
remove it in case of emergency. Since we use these at home on
her bedroom door to ''help her stay in bed when she has a hard
time controlling her body,'' we have to remember to open her
door before we go to bed so she can get out in case of an
emergency. Hope this helps.
anon
Is it possible to simply move the sofabed into the bedroom?
Soreya
For a graduation gift in 2000, my aunt bought me a fancy gadget
from Sharper Image because she knew that I would be travelling a
lot. It is an alarm clock/flashlight that pulls apart. The 2nd
part can be used as a motion detector or fire alarm. It is
meant to be hung on a hotel room door. I usually don't travel
with the 2nd part for fear of it going off sometime when I can't
easily turn it off (i.e., on the airplane), but it might work
for your circumstance.
Anita
A dozen or so years ago, a great-aunt of mine, worried about my
safety on a cross-country road trip, gave me a door alarm for
hotel room doors. It's a wedge that you use like a doorstop when
the door is closed and it emits a (very loud) noise when the door
is opened. They're about $15 or $20, I think. If you do a
search on Google for ''door alarm'' you should be able to find
several versions, particularly from websites that sell ''personal
safety'' items (mace, etc.). If you don't mind being (loudly)
awakened should your escape artist try to get past the alarm, it
might just do the trick. :-)
Lisa
There are alarms that are sold for women travelling alone. You
put them on the door and activate them when you're ready to stay
in for the night. Should someone even wiggle your door handle,
the alarm will sound. This may deter your daughter if she knows
there's an alarm that will alert you to her impending escapade.
Another idea is a form of bribery. Since you're on vacation,
you're probably planning on some fun activities with her. Tell
her if she behaves herself by staying in her bed all night
(except for bathroom breaks, etc.), she will get to do ''x''
tomorrow. It may help to reinforce the positive behavior.
Good luck and bon voyage!
We once used a small (2.5 inches) brass latch/locking plate that
screws onto the door frame and can lock in place very simply to
prevent a door from opening inward. The latch can be put high
up on the door where your daughter can't reach it. The only
downside is that you need to place two- quite small- screws in
the hotel door frame (we used it on a door at the top of a
staircase in our home).
- a safety fan
Most hotel rooms have those ''latches'' that are usually located
high up on the door. They're too high up for a 7 year old to
reach, unless she pulls a chair over and stands on it. I'm not
sure of the name, but it looks like a steel hook attached to the
frame that goes around a 3-inch steel rod attached to the door.
when you open the door, the rod catches the hook and stays
closed. Call the hotel and see if they have those - and take
all the chairs out of her room. Good luck.
former child escape artist
This won't necessarily prevent your daughter from escaping but
it will give you an early warning when she starts opening the
locks. Sharper Image and other companies sell a device that you
hang on your hotel doors. It is a combination motion/smoke
detector. You can set the sensitivity of the motion detector.
When moved the device sends out a very loud screech.
Cautious traveler
For our last hotel experience with our 3 year old who is also an
escape artist, we brought along the baby proof door knob
covers. They are white, come 2 in a pack and are like an
accordion. They just snap over the knob and you have to squeeze
and push in in order to turn the knob. You can take them off
pretty easily and reuse. They saved us, hope they do the same
for you.
K
Why not ask the hotel to bring in a cot so that your daughter
can sleep in your room with you? Or simply have her sleep in
your bed? The cots are single-bed sized and fit easily into any
room. Hotels normally charge about $10 for them per
night...sometimes they charge nothing.
laurel
Sounds like you and your husband need to take turns sleeping in
the king size bed with your daughter and suffer the sofa bed
until your daughter learns to appreciate the risk.
another mother
This may be extreme, but have you thought about the 'keep people
from breaking in to your hotel room' alarm things? I think it
works something like you close it into the door, and if the door
opens, the contacts stop touching so it makes a horrid noise.
Not an optimal solution, I know, but if she knows it'll make
noise if the door opens . . .
amy
this page was last updated: Feb 5, 2008
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