Advice only - No flames please...

[MrsMcNally]

I would say yes. I babysat alone all the time at 12. You know the drill make sure the 12 yr old knows the saftey procedures. A nextel phone with the walkie talkie would be the best, becasue he/she could beep you in an instant. It's not your kids you have to worry about though, I wouldn't go far personally. But I think it would be fine.

 

[MrsMcNally]

I absolutely would! We have a 12 year old sitter who we use frequently, and she is so responsible- MUCH more so than the 18 yr old we had once and will never have again! Plus, as someone mentioned, you'll be right downstairs, and you can be accessed in seconds via cell phone. Go for it, and enjoy yourselves!

Oh you said the Magic phrase. I know I was way way more responsible at 12 than 16. I think you start to loose your mind at 13 or 14 and usually don't get it back till 24 or so Well for most of us anyway!!!

 

[welovedis]

My 12 yo is very responsible. when she was 10 and I was expecting her baby sister she actually called the paramedics and saved our lives. My DH was out of town and I had a severe potassium imbalance (like Terri Schiavo had). Doctors when this was discovered said that baby and I would not have made it through the night. I didn't even realize I was sick..

We would love to take a few days alone but have not family to help.. thats why we were toying with the idea of having a quiet drink in the lounge for an hour..our private celebration so to speak... but with all of your input - I think we'll just get some vino and apps (dose both kids with dimetapp ) and hope for the best for our mini celebration in room/balacony.. thanks everyone..

As many others have said, it really doesn't matter what we think, it matters what you, your DH & your DS feel comfortable doing.

That said, I am perplexed by the above second post you made--surely you are joking about dosing with dimetapp, right?

 

[long4disney]

We have left our 6th grader with our almost 3 year old in a room so we could have a drink or a walk by the beach. Our ds is very responsible and we have never had any issues with him watching our dd. He knows to not open the door for anyone and when we go out it is only for 30 minutes or so. He has a cell phone that matches mine and we can walkie talkie each other if he needs us to come up for anything. Sometimes he does it too much for no reason, but he is glad he can get us if he needs us.

If my dd is sleeping, which she usually always is when we have him stay with her, it has worked out fine. I know when I was a young girl I was babysitting for families with 3 kids and a baby and I was only 11 or 12 years old.

Hope this information helps make your decision a little bit easier!

 

[tn_disney_addict]

As many others have said, it really doesn't matter what we think, it matters what you, your DH & your DS feel comfortable doing.

That said, I am perplexed by the above second post you made--surely you are joking about dosing with dimetapp, right?

Surely she was...everyone knows Bendadryl is the best way to knock your kids out

 

[310girls2]

Thank so much for all your input. I really appreciate your views from all sides. I'm not sure what we'll do but I thank you for all your help and I'll toast you all with pixie dust over my cocktail

 

[Mom to Jordan]

If you think this might work for you, take it into consideration and request a room at the WL that would make the situation better. We love the WL and our favorite rooms are those that are facing the lobby. These are much less isolated and if a true emergency arose, help would just be a door away. It would also put your kids closer to the bar and take less time to get back to them if need be. While I doubt I would do this at most resorts, WL is smaller and more compact than most other of the deluxes. We left our 12 year old in the room a few times for a very short period of time when we ran down to the desk or to the gift shop. The balcony idea is nice too but I really would feel ok with my now 13 year old staying in one of the rooms close to the lobby, while I was gone for up to about 45 minutes or so. It also truly depends on the maturity and of course imposing very strict rules and knowing that she will obey them.
Good luck and enjoy the WL, we do.
Oh, another idea; there were many couples enjoying a drink and a snack from the bar in the lobby. With a overlooking lobby room, the kids literally could just call down if they needed you!!
I am one of those in-room phobics and would be more comfortable with your own daughter with the toddler than a stranger. Folow your heart and you will decide right.

Jordans' mom

 

[taximomfor4]

Just curious--how old is everyone's babysitters here on the DIS? My dd is 11, starting to babysit, so I would have no problem with OP's plan, especially since they'll be so close with cell phones... But I seem to be in the minority...
I've found that it's better to just go with your gut rather than take a survey here on the Boards...
Have a great trip!

My friend's dd is older than my oldest so she did all the checking into the rules around here, I tend to believe her as she has never given me a reason not to. Only a few states (Illinois and Maryland I think) have actual laws with ages. At least one of those lists the age to be home alone babysitting other children at 13.
I don't hire any teen sitters, at all, yet. Once, we hired teen sisters to babysit together -- I knew their mother well. Was very uncomfortable the whole evening, so never did it again. Just my choice!

Beth

 

[jrjac]

My answer would have to be no. Too many freaks and wierdos in this world clever enough to outsmart even the brightest and most responsible 12 year old.

 

[kaytieeldr]

With all of these cell phone ideas comes one potential drawback: just about every area at WDW has "dead spots" where the signal cannot be received. Imagine the possible panic if your children tried to reach you and could not.

Okay, then how about adding a pair of walkie talkies? One way or the other, the parents should be able to stay in touch with the room and vice versa. In addition, they could request a room over the lobby when they check in, making visual contact (and yelling "Mom!" if necessary) a possibility.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Not if the older child were mine!! I left my 13 yo in charge of his 5 yo db and 2.5 yo ds not too long ago. The two little ones were totally absorbed by something on PBS-Kids. Dh and I were only gone for maybe 20 minutes. (We were dropping our car off to be repaired.) When we got home, our 13 yo ds was so caught up in a video game that he had NO idea the little ones were no longer there. We found them a block away!!! They had packed the 2.5 yo's Parents' Day Out bookbag with some toys and were walking to Nina's (grandmother's) house. Luckily, some neighbors had stopped them. I have never been so frightened in my entire life!!

Now, if it were someone else's child, I might consider it. The daughters of many of my friends start baby sitting when they are 12.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

i could personally not do this. i wouldn't feel comfortable at all. They had in room sitter progrms that would allow you to go out and have an adult there, so the 12 yr old would not feel pressure to not fall asleep.

 

[meandtheguys2]

My answer would have to be no. Too many freaks and wierdos in this world clever enough to outsmart even the brightest and most responsible 12 year old.

Do you honestly believe the halls of the WL are littered wih "pervs" waiting for he odd chance of a 12 year old to be left alone? And that they could talk their way into the room?

I think the odds of winning the megamillion were higher, frankly.

 

[tlbwriter]

Do you honestly believe the halls of the WL are littered wih "pervs" waiting for he odd chance of a 12 year old to be left alone? And that they could talk their way into the room?

I think the odds of winning the megamillion were higher, frankly.

True. We worry so much about "stranger danger," but that's actually a very rare occurance. My biggest concern would be something happening that the 12-year-old couldn't handle - 2-year-old wakes up vomiting (been there, done that!) or climbs out of the crib/falls off the bed and gets hurt, someone pulls a fire alarm and the building has to be evacuated, etc. There are lots of little crises that could easily cause even the most mature pre-teen to panic.

 

[meandtheguys2]

True. We worry so much about "stranger danger," but that's actually a very rare occurance. My biggest concern would be something happening that the 12-year-old couldn't handle - 2-year-old wakes up vomiting (been there, done that!) or climbs out of the crib/falls off the bed and gets hurt, someone pulls a fire alarm and the building has to be evacuated, etc. There are lots of little crises that could easily cause even the most mature pre-teen to panic.

Those are logical/rational concerns! If you are going to make a choice for your family, at least base it on some semblence of fact!

 

[HappyLawyer]

No flames here as no one should because it is a question, but i would say it would depend on how responsible your 12 year old is, my dtr is 9 and i would not leave her alone to go to check the mail box-lol,

 

[FayeW]

I have to admit that I am stunned at the number of people who don't let their 12 & 13 yr olds stay alone! My daughter is 10, and has been allowed to stay alone for up to a couple of hours since last summer. My 8 3/4 yr old son is allowed to stay alone for up to an hour. They are not allowed to stay alone together, because they fight too much, and that would be a recipe for disaster. I checked with family services, and where I live there is NO magic age when children are allowed to be left alone. Each child is different, and you have to judge the maturity level of your own children. They said as long as they understood the safety rules, it was fine. They are not allowed to open the door,or answer the phone ( they know our cell # for caller I.D). They are allowed in fully fenced, locked back yard only. They cannot use scizzors, knives, or anything else sharp or hot while we are out. We call frequently, ( annoys my son, because he just wants to play his video came in peace, and he has to keep answering the phone!)We always have our cell phone, and never go far away.We also have a monitored alarm system. We started leaving them for 10-15mins at a time to let them get comfortable with the idea of being alone. If they weren't comfortable with it, we wouldn't do it, and it is more from a desire to teach them coping skills, independence, and self-confidence than any desire to run out that minute for a bag of milk.

I know many of you are reading this, completely horrified that we are such negligent parents. I think that in this new age society of trying to protect our children from every possibility, that we are also doing them a disservice. We watch over them and monitor their every move, and as a result this generation is noticably more immature, and less able to function responsibly as young adults then we were. I know there are a lot of weirdos out there, and for that reason, my children are not allowed to go to the park by themselves, etc., but safely locked in my own home, fully understanding an obeying all the rules, is a good experience for them.

 

[tlbwriter]

I have to admit that I am stunned at the number of people who don't let their 12 & 13 yr olds stay alone!

It's not just staying alone, it's being responsible for a 2-year-old in an unfamiliar place as well. I don't consider what you're doing "negligent." I'd be more likely to do that (especially since we know most of our neighbors well, and help would just be a few yards away) than to leave the same child in charge of a 2-year-old in a WDW resort.

 

[FayeW]

It's not just staying alone, it's being responsible for a 2-year-old in an unfamiliar place as well. I don't consider what you're doing "negligent." I'd be more likely to do that (especially since we know most of our neighbors well, and help would just be a few yards away) than to leave the same child in charge of a 2-year-old in a WDW resort.

Sorry I wasn't more clear; I wasn't referring to the OP, but a few posters have indicated in their responses that they disn't leave their 12 or 13 yrs olds alone (not looking after someone else).

 

[tn_disney_addict]

Sorry I wasn't more clear; I wasn't referring to the OP, but a few posters have indicated in their responses that they disn't leave their 12 or 13 yrs olds alone (not looking after someone else).

Okay, you guys might think I am nuts...and I guess I probably am but when my DS who is now 19 would stay home when he was young, I would tell him he couldn't eat! I know, I know, I am neurotic , but I constantly thought, what if he is shoveling the food in (as he thinks eating is a race - which I think helped him in boot camp!!) and chokes!? I always fed him before I left and then told him - "Don't eat anything!!". Of course, in his lifetime he has swallowed 2 legos, a fortune in coins and who knows what else because he always (to this day) puts everything in his mouth ...go figure! I hope that now that he is overseas, he is trying to refrain! No telling what all they find laying around that he might chew on...

My DD7 never stays home alone and on the rare occasion that I have my DNiece17 babysit, I feed them before I go out and tell her to try (without DD realizing or she would want food just to spite me ) to keep her entertained and away from the snack cabinets!!