In Room Childcare, Is It Safe???

[wdwobsessed]

I have two sons ages 2 and almost 6.

Well, the 2 year old is not old enough for the kids clubs.

My DH sais that I am being "paranoid" about the in-room child care and that everything will be O.K.

He wants a night out a PI.

I just don't know how I feel about this. I mean, there is always an element of risk when you leave someone with your child for the first time.....

Has anyone used Kindercare?

My Dear Freind suggested that maybe we opt for a nice dinner at our hotel that way we can do a surprize check or two.

Any comments are appreciated.

WDWO

[ilisa]

We used Fairy Grandmothers for about 6 or 7 hours one day and were thrilled with the care. The sitter was a lovely woman named Vera. Our daughter was 19 months at the time and a bit clingy. However, she didn't even notice that I had left. Vera came armed with a bag of toys and even her own lunch (even though I left money for her and our daughter). The level of comfort you would feel really depends on how you feel overall about leaving your child with a sitter. Personally, I would use them again in a heartbeat.

[Super Mom]

The thought of leaving my 3 DS's all alone in a hotel room with a stranger, quite frankly, scares the pants off me. I have worked in the field of childcare for 12 years and I know all about the safety checks etc., but I also know of cases where people have gotten around those checks.

As far as professional child care, I am much more comfortable with a group setting. In these situations, no adult is ever alone with any child. There is also a constant flow of other parents in and out of the center.

One other concern I have with in-room sitters, is that we always tell our children not to talk to strangers or open the front door to strangers... not only are we breaking these rules with an in-room sitter, but we are going off and leaving them with a stranger.

I am sure a lot of people will disagree with me, but I do feel very strongly about this.

[mjvans]

I always long for a night out with hubby when we are vacationing in WDW!! Two of our children, though, are not old enough for kids club. The thought of leaving them with a total stranger scares me terribly, so much that I know I would have a lousy time out!!! Isn't it horrible in this day and age, that trust does not come natural, even in the land of magic!! I tend to be very over-protective though, and I know I would feel more comfortable in a group setting like kids club, but not all together so!! This last trip, we had my nephew watch the kids....he is seventeen.....and although we had fun, I was still not completely!! There are so many concerns and worries when you are out of your home environment, and the place you are staying is foreign to you in respect to people, places and things. If I were you, I'd either wait, have a nice romantic late dinner via room service when the kids go to sleep, or forego it all together until they are old enough!! Just my opinion!

[staylor]

Kindercare and Fairygodmothers have been used in the Disney area for quite some time. If there had ever been a problem, everyone would know. Also, Disney is putting their reputation on the line by using these services. Again, I don't believe this "family oriented" company would use them for child care if there were ever a problem.
I would do a search on this site using child care as the key words and see what you come up with.
Just my HO.

[LKS]

We did this for the first time this month, not at Disney, but in Williamsburg, VA. I was assured by the hotel that these were older women, trained in first aid and CPR and background checked. Finally I was convinced to try it for 3 hours. The sitter called me herself that afternoon before she came. I gave her my cell phone number as well as telling her which restaurant we were going to. Well, the kids loved her! She was a grandmother who works by day in the visitors center. She brought a big bag of toys. If the Fairy Godmothers are anything like that (and I hear they are) I wouldn't hesitate to go out to dinner and let one watch and play with my kids. Now, my kids are not at all clingy and were delighted to have someone new to play with, so maybe that enters into my decision.

In general, I prefer group childcare, but I have read very good things about the Fairy Godmothers. I think you should call their number, talk to someone, express your concerns and see if after that you feel more comfortable. Ask them if they have ever had any problems, ask the front desk if they have ever heard of any problems, etc... But, it's too expensive to do if you are not going to have fun!

[lookingforward]

We are going to Disney over Christmas. As part of the plan we booked we get unlimited chlidcare. I was a social worker working with abused children and the parents who commited the abuse. (also caregivers).I am acutely aware of the things that can happen to a child. I called Kindercare and spoke with the manager. They do the requisite background checks, they hire only experienced caregivers, and they have worked with Disney for years.

I will use the service because we have a 3 year and a 9 and 11 year old and my baby(she's three but she will always be my baby, lol) will have to nap and go to bed early every day. HOWEVER, I am going to have the caregiver come at least an hour before the baby goes to sleep, I can even have the caregiver come with us to the parks each day. This will allow me to observe the caregiver's interaction with my child. I will call and stop by the room when we are by the pool, boating, etc. and she is napping. I will encourage my older children to stay in the room when they are tired. That said, you still can never guarantee absolute safety. You can take realistic and important safety measures, keep a close tab on your child, and use the best services available. We are planning one night out alone, but we will dine in the hotel, etc. so we will be close by.
I also plan on talking with the GF's guest services because they usually can recommend specific caregivers who work with Kindercare and hopefully they can be requested. I understand people who choose not to leave their children with a sitter, it is a scary world. The room service dinner is a fantastic idea, especially if you have a balcony, you can have a romantic candlelight dinner!

[Synonymous]

We've used Kindercare twice and I was very comfortable with both women. I agree that if there had ever been a problem, you sure would have heard all about it.

It's a great idea to have the sitter get there long enough before you leave so that your child can get used to her with you still there. By the time we were ready to go, our DD couldn't wait to get rid of us. And we saw that the sitter was going to be good with her.

Tom

[lookingforward]

Synonymous, thanks for the feedback! I am definately going to plan to have the sitter come well before we leave.

[MAKmom]

I would never leave my child in the room with a stranger. If you feel uncomfortable don't do it. PI can wait until the next trip....or bring Grandma.

[jlima]

We used a KinderCare in-room sitter on July 3rd when we did the Illuminations fireworks cruise. I didn't want my little guy (DS age 16 mos) to cry when he heard the loud fireworks as he's never experienced fireworks; and I knew there would be other boats parked close to each other and I didn't want him to ruin the experience for everybody.

The care provider who came was named Ashley. She was GREAT; she came with a bag of toys and a KinderCare uniform (actually a vest over her outfit). We left her a room key & cash so she could take him in his stroller for dinner, but she said she'd order room service if that's what we wanted. She was quite familiar with the Dolphin as she had been sent there many times and knew exactly which restaurant (Tubbi's) to take him for a grilled cheese!! He didn't even cry when we left. She came to the room at 5pm and we returned at about 10:30. She said after he ate, they played for about 2 hrs and had been asleep since about 8pm. We gave her a $20 tip in addition to paying KinderCare's fee.

These people are professional child care providers. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. We also used the KinderCare center on property at WDW, the next day, for our trip to IOA. It was also a positive experience. Hope this helps.

[Laurajean1014]

We've used Kindercare for 4 years now (1 day each, quarterly trips). My son is 5 and very smart and savy! We also have the caregiver come about 1/2 hour before my dh and I are ready to leave. We don't stay out all night!!! We're back in about 3-4 hours feeling giddy, refreshed and warm from a drink or two! (Will not drink with son - I take motherhood and child rearing very seriously).

But I also know that moms, dads and kids need just a few minutes away from the "pack" to unwind or go wild! One caregiver was so great we asked to have her back 4 nights later, and stayed out a little later than usual.

My son asked us if she could come back. She brought toys, (we had vids) and she loved to color. She made my ds a great picture of Mickey Mouse with a nice message to him.

We tipped her very well and will always book with Kindercare for one night each trip! It's our gift to ourselves for being a happy family.

Suggestions on where to go w/o the kiddies: CA Grill for fireworks, fine dining and lagoon viewing - then to DTD for some gift finding (use hotel delivery). Then either a drink at Rain Forest or if we're feeling silly, go to PI to Adventure's Club for a great time.

There's plenty of other things to do, that's just our favorite!

Enjoy and have a great time.

[pajamommy]

I'm another mom who would not use the in room babysitters. I have been in the child care field as well, and you just NEVER know about some people, backround checks or not. I agree with everything Super Mom had to say, you took the words right out of my mouth. Its just not that important to me or dh to get a night out in WDW, we do that at home when we have relatives or friends to babysit. I take motherhood and child rearing very seriously as well, and I feel that my WDW vacation is mostly for my kids, so I work around their schedule and do things together as a family, things that we will all enjoy. I WOULD feel more comfortable with the clubs and will probably use them when my ds is old enough to go, I do feel there is safety in numbers, but at this point its just not that important to me to get that night out, JMHO.

[LMHB]

I know that people have different opinions about this, but I would never, EVER, leave my children with strangers. I never leave them with strangers at home - I am an at-home Mom and did careful interviews for my babysitter who comes just two hours a week - why would I leave them with strangers in Florida? If it were me, I wouldn't have ay fun at all that night because I would be so worried, so what would be the point? Do you have a room with a balcony? Can your husband go and get some good take-out and you two have an evening on the balcony while your daughter sleeps? We are taking my college-aged sister on our upcoming trip for this very reason. At first we were taking her so that we could go to PI every night, but now that I am pregnant and can't drink (and my not feel up to PI every night), we are still taking her so that we can go to Circque. You need to do what you feel comfortable with. Dont' ever let anyone pressure you into leaving them if that is not what feels good to you. Good luck!

[TerriBelle]

We have used the Kindercare sitters and I would use them again. Everyone has there own issues and circumstances. In our case we were there for my sisters wedding and she did NOT invite children. It was her wedding and her choice! My daughter was the only child allowed and she was the flowergirl. Was this an issue with some people? Yes! But most came to the wedding and used Kindercare. Everyone was very happy with the service. My twin boys were 2 at the time and I was worried about leaving them, but everything worked out great!

Everyone has to make their own decision about leaving their kids. I just wanted to give a different example of when people sometimes need childcare.

[The Hunt]

Like any such decision, the way to decide is to balance the benefits against the risks. The benefit--a night out without the kids--is not vital, but it can be very beneficial. The risks can be researched--what steps does Kindercare use to check the background of the sitters? Have they had any problems? How long has the particular sitter been with them? My guess is that looking at realistic risks, your child is probably safer in the room with the sitter than going in the rental car with you. But if you would be sick with worry the whole evening, well, the benefit to you is eliminated, and it's not worth doing.

[detroitdad]

This subject always seems to ruffle feathers. Bottom line is do what YOU feel comfortable with. No one is going to convince you otherwise. My wife and I left our 3 children with an outstanding sitter named Alice from All About Kids. Was it nervewracking? A little, but we did our homework. Alice has been with the company for 8 years. I corresponded with someone via e-mail who has booked her every visit over the last 6 years. If she is still with the company when we go back, we'll use her again in a heartbeat. Our oldest child was 7, the youngest one was 22 months. She immediately went through all the toys she had brought and put up and out of the way anything which she felt might be remotely hazard to our toddler. She moved the coffee table over to the side so that she and the kids could spread out and play. I told our oldest that we would call in an hour to see how she was doing. When we called, she couldn't stop about how much fun they were having, and did we want to go out tomorrow night too! Again, this is not to try and convince anyone. I'm just explaining why we felt comfortable with our decision

What gets old about this debate is individuals who feel a need to lecture. Yes WDW is a family destination and we gladly schedule our activities all day around our children for the entire week. However, WDW is also a very romantic place for couples. I don't feel guilty for wanting to spend 3 hours of our family vacation time alone with my wife having a fantastic evening out. Would I do this anywhere else besides WDW? Probably not..maybe that's being a little naive, but I do have some trust in the company that they do very extensive investigating on any daycare company that they are going to allow on their property. So for those of you who are compelled to try and make me feel like a terrible parent because I would leave my children with a "total stranger"...don't bother. I take my role as a father and child rearing very seriously also! If you don't feel comfortable with an in-room sitter, then DON"T BOOK ONE. If you would like to spend an evening alone with your spouse, then there are plenty of safe options.

[lookingforward]

I agree with DetroitDad! Not so much in this post, but in others I have felt that people have been a bit judgemental about those of us who want time alone with our spouse and were considering in-room sitters. Yes WDW is a family vacation (all my trips are,except for business trips) but we do like a few hours alone too. DetroitDad spoke up and stated what I really wanted to a while ago and I thank him for his candor.

[TerriBelle]

Yeah DetroitDad!!!!

You said everything I wanted to say.

[ZachnElli]

I agree 100% with DetroitDad too! I am a stay at home mom and I also take raising my kids very seriously, just because I like a night out with dh doen't mean I don't! Most kids come to harm from family members or close friends, not strangers and certainly not paid, bonded, insured strangers! We used Fairy Godmothers on our recent trip. Vivian came loaded with toys and videos, my kids adored her and my 2 year old even called her "grandma" by the end of the night! (don't tell my mom!) My cousin and his wife live in Orlando and said they were highly reccommended and thought it was great we were taking advantage of the service (a nurse and a teacher, I certainly value their opinions!). I won't hesitate to do it again on our next visit!

[Reflection]

Well said Detroit Dad!!!

[pajamommy]

I think just because some of us choose not to use in-room babysitters does NOT mean we are lecturing anyone else who does choose to use them. No one said that those who go out for the night are bad parents or don't take child-rearing seriously, and I don't believe anyone is trying to make anyone else feel guilty. As was said, you do what you feel comfortable with, and so will everyone else. I don't think this was turned into a debate until someone on this thread said it was. JMHO:)

[BethR]

Like the question of taking one's children out of school for a WDW (or ANY) Vacation, this is a very "hot" topic. Everyone has a strong opinion on it and, for many, there are NO grey areas...

Sharing ones thoughts WITHOUT being judgemental is what we ask.

Thanks...

[detroitdad]

Pajamommy--

Gee I guess that "someone" was me ...(it's okay to say so). Unfortunately, this thread was bound to become a debate as soon as comments such as "I take motherhood and child rearing very seriously" are made. Okay so which of us does not??? It implied that those of us who would use a sitter at WDW, do not take their role seriously. It is how I interpreted your comment. If this was not your intention, then I apologize for misunderstanding your statement.

Have a nice day :)

[Disneymomma]

I could NEVER, EVER leave my daughter with a complete stranger! I am sick to my stomach thinking about this. Beside that, she is attatched to my hip and can never be removed.

[The Hunt]

I could NEVER, EVER leave my daughter with a complete stranger! I am sick to my stomach thinking about this.

Is it because you believe there really would be a significant risk to your child's health or safety, or because you would be too nervous about it?

We have a friend who refuses to let his children ride the school bus to school--ever--because of some bad experience he had as a child. I understand his feelings, but my evaluation of the real risks in putting my kids on the bus make me feel OK about it.

I think many people have made the reasonable evaluation that it is safe to use a baby-sitting service approved by Disney, especially if the babysitter has experience and references. Of course, "something could happen," but that's true no matter what you do. Somewhere else on the boards is a discussion about going to the beach after hearing about the recent shark bite case. Some people won't go in the ocean for fear of shark bites, even though the risk is really minute.

Some people are afraid to fly (they might say: "I could NEVER, EVER put my family on an airplane for something so trivial as a Disney vacation. If the plane crashed, and my kids were hurt or killed, I would never forgive myself!"), even though statistically it's safer to fly than to drive.

[lookingforward]

Good point The Hunt. Life is full of chances and risks. I worked with abusive parents and ran a Nurturing Group so that the parents and the children they abused could learn appropriate ways to discipline, teach and respond to each other. This program was court sanctioned. It worked well. I have sat in court with children who were abused by caregivers, teachers, parents and family members. It is true that you never know when it comes to other people. It is very difficult to trust others. I do it very carefully and I evaluate everything! That said, I also want to enjoy the time I have with my children and without. I take everything into account and make an informed decision. Just as The Hunt said, most planes don't crash and school busses are usually okay. Yet some planes do crash and problems do occur on school busses. Whether we choose to avoid them is a personal decision. My children are almost too friendly with people they don't know. My oldest son will talk to ANYONE. We have discussed this at length with him and explained that it is great to be polite but to a limit. He knows about good touch, bad touch, do not give out personal information, never ever get in anyones car, etc. etc. He knows some people are not good. We talk about this openly. But I am glad that he feels comfortable talking with strangers and feels strong about himself. These, quite frankly, are the kids that are usually left alone by abusers. Those who prey on children, statistically, prey on the ones who are not sure of themselves and are not used to dealing with people. The kind of kid who is not likely to be noticed and is too afraid to speak out. My children are not perfect but they will speak out, all the time and loudly, lol!
I can understand anyone who says "no thanks" to in-room sitters. I will give it a try at WDW .

Children must be made aware of the good and the bad in the world. They really do need to have a strong sense of self. We all love our children and want to do whats right to protect them. A good sense of themselves and a strong ego is the first step because eventually they
will leave us and go into the world on their own.

[PrincessPoppy]

I'm assuming that the caregivers have been checked out, everything's kosher, it's a very nice babysitter. I still couldn't do it, because I couldn't leave my kids with a stranger because of how they would feel.

[MBW]

I've never used the in-room childcare on our three past trips, but this time I'm strongly considering it. While I agree that WDW is a vacation for kids, for our family, its also respite for adults. Our 3 yr old is autistic, and our 18 mos old is recovering from severe lead poisoning (and an associated life-threatening infection), so its been a tough year, particularly on our almost 5 year old (whose birthday falls within our trip.) There will be 3 adults (we're taking our best friend), so will probably rotate evenings with the kids, but we'd like to take our friend out to dinner one night (without his help, we wouldn't have made it through this year, and he hasn't had a vacation in 5 years) as well as taking our 5yr old out to see the fireworks w/o the boys. I've heard wonderful things about the Fairy Godmothers, particularly from other parents of autistic kids (many of the caretakers have long-term experience with special needs kids) and since my kids, including my son with ASD, are pretty mellow with new people, I don't see them being too much for anyone with childcare experience to handle. But with all we go through taking care of two special needs kids, we as parents need a little time to recharge. I think in our case, it makes us better able to handle the challenges we'll face everyday, until we have a little more respite time.

I'm also a former early education teacher and child care program director, so I understand background checks, bonding, etc., but I don't think that gives me any more experience than any other parent when it comes to understanding the needs of my kids or my family, or anyone's else's family, for that matterjavascript:smilie(':)'). Besides, call me an ostrich, but I'm from Maine, and like to think that the world is still a generally good, safe place...Well, maybe not the whole world, but at least Maine and Disney World javascript:smilie(':D').

We all need to do what's best for ourselves, without worrying too much about what's best for others, particularly since we've probably never walked a mile in their shoes.

MB

[BethR]

Thanks to all of you for keeping this discussion respectful and thoughtful! :)
Keep up the good work! :)

[pajamommy]

Detroit Dad, if you'd read back through the threads, you'd see that I was not the person who originally said that about taking child rearing and parenthood seroiusly, it was the person before me that made that statement, a person who said she uses the in-room babysitting, and I was just pointing out that I personally feel the same way about myself. It was no reference to or about anyone else, and I certainly didn't want anyone to feel like I was saying only I was like that, and I regret that you read it incorrectly and made that inference. I always like to play nice on these boards, and I am saddened that I feel like I was put into the middle of a debate, which was not what my comment were about. I was just giving my own opinion, and like I said, everyone should do what they feel comfortable with, and perhaps not worry about what others may think.

[BethR]

An Important Note to ALL Posting on This Thread, and Any Others on the DIS :

All personal messages should be be made through e-mail and Private Messages. Please do not turn informative threads into personal discussions.
Thank You!

[lovelyk68]

Has anyone left an older child with an in-room sitter? My oldest will be a week shy of his 14th birthday when we come to Disney and I am considering using a babysitter for his two younger siblings (5, and 1 1/2), leaving him in the room to help out. I do not think he is old enough to watch the little ones, but I am sure he will be insulted by a babysitter. Any opinions?

[detroitdad]

Pajamommy-

If you read this thread again, I sent you a personal message. If i did it correctly, you should just need to click on the personal message icon at the bottom of your post.