Leaving baby in room to nap? Thoughts and discussion!

[Lilsia]

Call me old school and I am not that old, I personally would not have an issue leaving the room for 5-10 min to run up and grab a drink or a pizza. But only if I had an infant that could not crawl or climb. But a baby in a crib. I wouldnt go hang out at the bar or pool for hours.

Back when my kids were napping at all ages, I would be in the basement doing laundy, in the garden, chat with neighbors and I did not have a baby monitor. I have a huge house. So technically my kids were also left alone. IMO I think we have gotten way to paranoid with the fluke what ifs. No wonder too many moms have anxiety.

and those who call this " neglect" need to do their research on what neglect is.

There is a difference between your house, doing laundry and a cruise ship. How do you not see that?

 

[MomOTwins]

For some reason I am now reminded of another “fun” thing my kids would do at that age. They loved to go into a bedroom or bathroom and lock us out! After weeks of picking locks with bobby pins we eventually just replaced all the inside doorknobs with knobs that didn’t lock. I can’t imagine trying to explain to the cruise staff that you need to be let into your room because your toddler climbed out if the pack n play and locked the deadbolt on you when you left them alone to get a snack.

 

[My_Pooh]

I didn’t read all the post and you might have turned off receiving the post but before Covid you could rent a stroller on board and depending on your child - walking around on ship might put them to sleep. You can also find some quiet spaces on different decks and relax with the baby - in front of enchanted garden on the fantasy is usually empty before dinner time. Most of us have extremely strong protective emotions regarding children - that’s probably why we cruise with Disney. We all mean well and if I was cruising I would volunteer to watch your baby as mine are all over 8 and I miss that age.

 

[nancipants]

I think hoping a child will nap normally in a new/novel environment, and the reality of if they nap. to have been two separate things. If there's a time zone change or changes in food, even more so. For babies/toddlers, routine is success, and changes are unpredictable in their outcomes.

This is very true, but I think it really depends on the child. We've stayed at the Dolphin, the Fort Wilderness cabins, and grandma's house. As long as my almost two year old has a separate sleeping space, dark room, and white noise machine, he'll fall asleep eventually. He uses a small cot at daycare and I was SHOCKED that he actually fell asleep in it the first day and didn't try to get up all the time.

You can also ask them to remove veranda furniture. We did this when kiddo was younger because he was a climber and it wasn’t worth the worry.

True, although I don't think this is possible since we'll be traveling with others and connecting all the verandas. Thankfully, those doors are hard for ME to open.

 

[Wendy1985]

Does anyone remember what happened to that family that left their kids in a hotel room while they went out to eat it sounds like one or two things one the op never herd the story or she thinks it won’t happen to her

 

[MomOTwins]

Does anyone remember what happened to that family that left their kids in a hotel room while they went out to eat it sounds like one or two things one the op never herd the story or she thinks it won’t happen to her

I think a lot of people are dismissive of those stories because they are quite rare, but of course, they do happen, including several reported incidents including criminal charges on Disney Cruise Line. People think of Disney as very safe because they imagine everyone else onboard is like them—families on a family vacation. But there are thousands of people aboard—both guests and crew members—and you don’t know them. That said, I think the more likely hazard is that there are plenty of VERY common everyday risks with an unattended toddler even if you set aside the less common risk of a criminal attack. Once toddlers become mobile, it is a constant challenge to try to keep them from seriously injuring themselves.

 

[Wendy1985]

I think a lot of people are dismissive of those stories because they are quite rare, but of course, they do happen, including several reported incidents including criminal charges on Disney Cruise Line. People think of Disney as very safe because they imagine everyone else onboard is like them—families on a family vacation. But there are thousands of people aboard—both guests and crew members—and you don’t know them. That said, I think the more likely hazard is that there are plenty of VERY common everyday risks with an unattended toddler even if you set aside the less common risk of a criminal attack. Once toddlers become mobile, it is a constant challenge to try to keep them from seriously injuring themselves.

one thing s one too many in my eyes

 

[Lumpy1106]

Slightly different topic, but DCL is really strict about the age of kids in each activity area. This was a deal-breaker for us - our youngest was going to be restricted to the nursery area even though she was days away from being old enough to go to the next group. She would have been bored silly and we would hove regretted leaving her in the nursery area for any length of time since she was really too old for that too (she has two much older siblings so skews towards the older kids). That was pre-COVID and have not looked into it since. Too bad - our two older kids loved the cruise we took before she was born.

 

[ElenaRN]

Does anyone remember what happened to that family that left their kids in a hotel room while they went out to eat it sounds like one or two things one the op never herd the story or she thinks it won’t happen to her

Do you mean the story of Madeline McCann? If so, that is exactly what came to my mind.

That story took place in Europe- Portugal to be specific and I think the family was English or Irish. I vaguely remember the reporters or people being interviewed not seeming like it wasn't an odd thing to do. Though I couldn't believe they left the children in the room alone and went to dinner.

Any Europeans or non Americans on here that can weigh in if something like this is more culturally acceptable outside of the States?

 

[Wendy1985]

Do you mean the story of Madeline McCann? If so, that is exactly what came to my mind.

That story took place in Europe- Portugal to be specific and I think the family was English or Irish. I vaguely remember the reporters or people being interviewed not seeming like it wasn't an odd thing to do. Though I couldn't believe they left the children in the room alone and went to dinner.

Any Europeans or non Americans on here that can weigh in if something like this is more culturally acceptable outside of the States?

yes that is the one I was talking about

 

[Ensusieasm]

Hello All!

Thank you for all the helpful comments. New parents here. And thank you for all the judgmental ones.

❤

Your redacted question is ridiculous! Of course the answer is no. 1000 times NO!
Your stateroom host would surely report you!
Unbelievable! You’re kidding, right?

 

[MomOTwins]

Do you mean the story of Madeline McCann? If so, that is exactly what came to my mind.

That story took place in Europe- Portugal to be specific and I think the family was English or Irish. I vaguely remember the reporters or people being interviewed not seeming like it wasn't an odd thing to do. Though I couldn't believe they left the children in the room alone and went to dinner.

Any Europeans or non Americans on here that can weigh in if something like this is more culturally acceptable outside of the States?

Having grown up overseas (half american but raised in another culture), nope.

 

[hrhdhd]

Having grown up overseas (half american but raised in another culture), nope.

Maybe in your experience. There is the story of the woman from Denmark who thought nothing about leaving her baby in a stroller outside a restaurant in New York in 1997. She was arrested.

 

[MomOTwins]

Maybe in your experience. There is the story of the woman from Denmark who thought nothing about leaving her baby in a stroller outside a restaurant in New York in 1997. She was arrested.

And the woman’s argument for why it was okay was that she was seated by the window and could see the baby at all times. Not the same thing, though I still think she was in the wrong.

 

[gismo1554]

Do you mean the story of Madeline McCann? If so, that is exactly what came to my mind.

That story took place in Europe- Portugal to be specific and I think the family was English or Irish. I vaguely remember the reporters or people being interviewed not seeming like it wasn't an odd thing to do. Though I couldn't believe they left the children in the room alone and went to dinner.

Any Europeans or non Americans on here that can weigh in if something like this is more culturally acceptable outside of the States?

The family were British and it was all completely horrible. They had left her and other children together while they went to food practically under the room they were in. It isn't more acceptable in the UK at least. It was a very different time back then and definitely changed people's attitudes to what was and wasn't a thing to do. My parents definitely wouldn't have left us in a room while they went out on land or on a ship. I think people sometimes forget being on holiday doesn't mean bad things can't happen and this showed us that you have to be careful no matter what.

 

[st0nehedge]

Get a second room.
bring a baby sitter.
have the baby sitter babysit for you for naps/bedtime until you get back.
payment for the sitter is the cruise.
you get your grown up kid free time.
Kid is watched.
win win win

 

[Wendy1985]

Maybe in your experience. There is the story of the woman from Denmark who thought nothing about leaving her baby in a stroller outside a restaurant in New York in 1997. She was arrested.

Your are kidding right I get everyone is different but then s is another example of something I would not do

And the woman’s argument for why it was okay was that she was seated by the window and could see the baby at all times. Not the same thing, though I still think she was in the wrong.

I don’t care if someone were to try to abduct the child she would not have enough time to save the child

 

[hrhdhd]

And the woman’s argument for why it was okay was that she was seated by the window and could see the baby at all times. Not the same thing, though I still think she was in the wrong.

My point was that SHE, being from Denmark (another culture), didn't see anything wrong with what she did. The Americans who called the police did.

So there are, in fact, cultural differences in the way children are raised. The movie Babies shows this (obvious?) idea in a clever way.

 

[hrhdhd]

Your are kidding right I get everyone is different but then s is another example of something I would not do

I am not kidding; I was describing an example of cultural differences in child-raising. What you might do were you a parent in Denmark is different than what you might do as an American parent.

 

[lanejudy]

I was describing an example of cultural differences in child-raising.

I'm not familiar with that incident, but it does seem as though you have taken a single incident and ascribed it to a culture. There are plenty of cases of child-neglect in the US but that doesn't mean it's a societal norm.