Hotel with a crawling baby?

[WeLoveLilo05]

Wondering if anyone has any advice for traveling with a baby who is crawling, not sure what I should do about "down time" at the hotel, any advice? Don't wnt her crawling on the dirty hotel rug but know she is going to want to get down at some point on this vacation lol.

 

[peg110]

2 things come to mind immediately. A spare sheet that you can put down on the floor or a Pack-n-play. even if you don't want a full pack-n-play, many of them have a "Pad" that folds that you could use on the floor. If, however, you are planning on letting the little one just crawl around the whole room, I don't have a solution other than A LOT of sheets.

 

[Grace W]

They will want to get down and crawl. Being cooped up or held all day is no fun. We let her crawl on the floor before bath time.

 

[newestkg06]

Bring painter's tape for the outlets. It's light, cheap, and easy to put on and take off.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

I've traveled with this blanket for DS (1)...

https://m.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/24865-indoor-outdoor-travel-blanket-chocolate.html

 

[Jarmo]

We never gave that a thought... babies are dirty and disgusting and a hotel rug doesn't even register on our worry scale.

We have 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a rabbit so a hotel floor is probably cleaner than our house anyway.

 

[jazzyscoob]

Depending on where you are staying and how much room there is. Portable pop up play cage? They have more room than a play pen and have a mat on the bottom too. Can be used inside and outside.

 

[peg110]

We never gave that a thought... babies are dirty and disgusting and a hotel rug doesn't even register on our worry scale.

We have 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a rabbit so a hotel floor is probably cleaner than our house anyway.

That's kind of my thought. I think we have all seen the commercials or heard the stories about child number 1. They get everything sanitized, Parents worry about every germ, dirt, etc... Child 2 not so much. Well, I was child 4. Not that my parent would let me do really nasty things, they just realized that it happens and life goes on.

Also all that being said, if you don't allow your children to get "Contaminated" from "Germs" then they don't build an immunity. Believe it or not, children are better suited to fight illness and disease better than an adult. Again, when I was growing up, if a neighborhood kid got "Chicken Pox", parents wouldn't worry about it. Some would even send kids over so they could get it (and get it out of the way). Not that I encourage that, but again, children can deal with it better than never having chicken pox and then getting it as an Adult.

I still understand the OPs concern though. There is a difference about the "Germs You Know" (so to speak) as opposed to those that are in a hotel from travelers all around the world. I think a little caution is warranted but I personally still wouldn't go overboard. Different strokes for different folks though.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I'd take the baby out to crawl on the grass before I'd let her crawl on that nasty carpet. I've let crawlers loose on the bed while I was keeping watch, are you going with another adult? Could you both lay on either side of the bed and let baby crawl around between you?

 

[peg110]

I'd take the baby out to crawl on the grass before I'd let her crawl on that nasty carpet. I've let crawlers loose on the bed while I was keeping watch, are you going with another adult? Could you both lay on either side of the bed and let baby crawl around between you?

Grass gets "Washed" (rain) more frequently then carpets do. Carpets only get vacuumed. Granted, that's usually "Daily" but still.

 

[jacknsally19]

I was hyper vigilant about things like this when my daughter first started crawling but my daughter crawl for a Avery long time. she started early - like 5 months and didn't really walk until 13 months. anyway, I remember being at my Aunt's house and not paying as close attention to her and she licked my the deck floor. Of course, I freaked out and nothing happened.... Then a few weeks later, she tried dog food a few weeks later when my sister was watching her. Again, nothing happened. I feel like those two incidents made me realize I shouldn't worry so much! I know it's easy for a stranger to say that -- but if I were you, I would not worry at all about your kid crawling at a hotel. Honestly, I bet they are way cleaner than your floors.

 

[North of Mouse]

Wondering if anyone has any advice for traveling with a baby who is crawling, not sure what I should do about "down time" at the hotel, any advice? Don't wnt her crawling on the dirty hotel rug but know she is going to want to get down at some point on this vacation lol.

I hear ya! It always did/does make me cringe when I see parents letting their children crawl about in public places. My floors, at home, were probably cleaner when I had little ones than at any other time! I also was a SAHM and colds/viruses were very infrequent in our home - but that's another story!

Guess my solution is not one that would work with you as we waited mostly until after the first year for travels with the exception of our parents homes. Later we were campers with trailers/motor homes (still are) so had no issues.

Maybe we are the exceptions, but I've known many parents that agree with us - babies are just so vulnerable. Definitely don't agree with pp that hotel floors are cleaner than our floors at home - maybe hers, if she says so - I guess to each their own.

 

[peg110]

I think the comment about the Hotel floors being cleaner is more a result of the fact that they do get vacuumed daily (for the most part) and I am sure there is also a process that causes them to get "Deep Cleaned" (Steam cleaned or similar) on a fairly routine basis. While I am sure folks are out there that will clean their houses/floors daily, I don't think that's the norm for most folks. Probably once a week (or as needed for spot messes). A lot of the germs you would find in a hotel are the same germs that you might find at home. So given that, it is very possible that a Hotels floor (especially at Disney) could be cleaner than a lot of folks floors at home.

That being said, it seems like the OP is more concerned about germs and such then some other posters. Me, I try not to see more into a situation then there is. While I believe micro-biologically there could be some real nasty germs, I think the chances are slim. I try to see things in a more positive light with "Sensible" precautions.

As a final note, if the concerns are "Germs" on the floors (or similar) then as an alternate solution, a good can of Lysol (or similar) can work wonders. Spray the floor/room as you are leaving for the parks (as the vapors of that stuff makes me gag) and feel safer when you come back that it killed all/most of those germs that you are concerned with.

As a final note, if most people really knew how many germs (at of what type) they come in contact with DAILY (touching , breathing, eating, etc...) they would probably never leave the bubble. Germs are a part of life. Just like criminals. They are there, we just try to avoid them, particularly the bad ones (like Mass Murderers). Can't avoid them all though.

 

[Jarmo]

As a final note, if the concerns are "Germs" on the floors (or similar) then as an alternate solution, a good can of Lysol (or similar) can work wonders. Spray the floor/room as you are leaving for the parks (as the vapors of that stuff makes me gag) and feel safer when you come back that it killed all/most of those germs that you are concerned with.

As a final note, if most people really knew how many germs (at of what type) they come in contact with DAILY (touching , breathing, eating, etc...) they would probably never leave the bubble. Germs are a part of life. Just like criminals. They are there, we just try to avoid them, particularly the bad ones (like Mass Murderers). Can't avoid them all though.

Wait a minute... you don't just get to have 2 final notes. This is the internet, and there are rules we must follow!

 

[mjkacmom]

I was hyper vigilant about things like this when my daughter first started crawling but my daughter crawl for a Avery long time. she started early - like 5 months and didn't really walk until 13 months. anyway, I remember being at my Aunt's house and not paying as close attention to her and she licked my the deck floor. Of course, I freaked out and nothing happened.... Then a few weeks later, she tried dog food a few weeks later when my sister was watching her. Again, nothing happened. I feel like those two incidents made me realize I shouldn't worry so much! I know it's easy for a stranger to say that -- but if I were you, I would not worry at all about your kid crawling at a hotel. Honestly, I bet they are way cleaner than your floors.

I once found baby #3 crawling on the floor with a dead hermit crab in her mouth. As a SAHM, I took my babies everywhere, including loads of mommy and me classes, with lots of crawlers. I just used lots of wipes and washed hand frequently. With five kids, I couldn't be a germaphobe, because the older ones brought each and every illness home from school anyway (which turned out to be a great thing - my kids never miss school due to illness now).

 

[jacknsally19]

Thanks Peg110 for the back up on my comment regarding hotel floors! I wasn't suggesting that I live in filth (although I often feel like a toy store exploded in my house) but I generally clean my floors about once a week. When my DD was crawling we had 2 cats, and we live in the city which just seems to attract a ridiculous amount of dust. Anyway, I clean my floors about once a week whereas I think at the Disney resorts they vacuum daily, shampoo rugs very frequently, and replace rugs far more often then we could ever afford to... I think all of us tend to be more comfortable with our own germs.

But my overall point was, it's very easy to worry about things that you don't need to worry about & I was trying to assure the parent that hotel rooms are fairly clean. I'd worry more about bed bugs as I always check immediately upon arrival to make sure there are no signs of them!

 

[peg110]

Wait a minute... you don't just get to have 2 final notes. This is the internet, and there are rules we must follow!

You got me. Sometimes I get rambling and do stupid stuff like this. Not the first time, probably not the last time. I will take the beating I so rightly deserve now.

 

[scrapquitler]

When we traveled with our kids at that age, I brought a quilt or sheet from home to put down on the floor while they played, which was exactly the same thing I did at home.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Hello, OP here. I guess I will bring a twin sheet for her. My floors are pretty clean at home, they have to be she puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, any tiny piece of anything so my floors are usually cleaned daily, which is my worry about being on a floor at a hotel. If anything and everything goes in the mouth. I know kids are kids but I just wouldn't want her getting sick on vacation, so far from home....and a much needed vacation for all at that.

 

[set1208]

Your baby will be just fine crawling around on a dirty rug as long as there aren't any small objects that can go into her mouth, I promise. It'll give her that much needed exercise after being in a stroller all day and that exercise will help her sleep well.

My one suggestion would be to pack a pair of ratty pants that you don't mind getting stained and have her wear those when she's loose so you don't ruin her pretty clothes. The knees tend to get stained when they are crawling, no matter where she crawls.

You sound like a fantastic mom! Pop her in the tub before bed and give her little hand a good wash and she will be ok.