Leaving kids in room question

[iamjkmb]

Yuck! This one is making my tummy hurt.

For our Disney trip in November we are planning 2 late meals out after the little kids have been put to bed while our 12 and 11 year old watch our 8, 6 and 4 year old. I am completely confident with their abilities and their maturity levels. I actually feel a little bit less worried about leaving them at the condo than I do leaving them at home. We have a large house and yard and the condo is only 1200 square feet. Less surface area to cover. Also, the comfort level at home is different than when we are away, of course. My children are more aware of what is expected of them and are on their best behavior when we are on vacation. We have cell phones, I always go over the rules before I leave, the door on the condo has a lock on the inside that even if you have a key and it's locked, you can't get in. This will be the first time we've left the kids alone at the condo, and the first year I've felt comfortable doing so.

hope this helps

 

[jodifla]

I Agree totally with snowwite.
Due to the Ops posting, now edited, I will not split hairs here....she most definitely was seeking approval for leaving her children ALONE in the room without a sitter. Since most of the responses were not to her likeing, she then added another post(also now edited), which was equally disturbing only much more nastier.

When I first read the Ops post, I thought I was reading wrong. I then read the post, again I thought it was SO OUT THERE I did not respond. Hours later, I read it for the third time, and her wacky response to those who have already posted their input. All responses given from fellow Disers where either questions for more info , specifically the ages of the children, or people offering help and assitance. Amazing how in other post she had no qualm about freely giving out her childrens ages, yet in this post SHE PURPOSELY LEFT THE AGES OMITTED!

When the OP WENT OFF on the second post.....I REALLY KNEW her original post was NOT ME READING IT WRONG....But she WAS MOST SURELY SEEKING APPROVAL to ILLEGALLY NEGLECT her children!!!!

By no means am I a judgemental person. If needed, check my past posts. Quite the opposite, I abide by 'live and let live" policy to life. However, this post was very clear to me that someone might possible put their childrens life in jeopardy (for various reasons stated above)! I'd be damn if, at least, I not say or write something to possibly stop that.

How anyone could support this Ops postings is beyond my comphrehension.

I am now off my virtual Soapbox...and also out of here!!!!!

Illegally neglect her children? Please. Hyperbole like this doesn't help the situation.

 

[Mom to Will and Finn]

I got this off the website of a children's counselling service:

Is My Child Ready To Stay Home Alone?

There is no single, pre-set age at which children are considered to be "old enough" to stay home by themselves for short periods of time. However, there are some general guidelines that families can take into account when making this important decision.

First, many child development experts believe that children often do not have the maturity and self-care skills to be left unsupervised until at least the age of 12. Many other children will not be ready until later than that.

Also, experts caution that older siblings are generally not ready for the responsibility of supervising younger children until age 15 or older.

Florida law does not have a hard and fast rule about this, but instead expects parents to take all of the circumstances into account when deciding what level of supervision is needed.

If you are considering leaving your child home alone for the first time, you may wish to ask yourself the following questions:

Is my child at least 12 years old?
Does my child feel comfortable, confident, and willing to stay alone?
Is our neighborhood safe? Does my child feel safe?
Do we have neighbors that my child and I know and trust?
Does my child consistently follow my rules and guidelines?
Is my child able to stay calm and not panic when confronted with unexpected events?
Does my child generally tell me all about his or her day without my asking?
Is my child consistently truthful with me? Does he or she readily come to me with problems and concerns?
Does my child understand the importance of safety and know basic safety procedures?
Has my child demonstrated good independent judgment and problem-solving skills in the past? Does he or she generally react the way I would want?
Has my child learned to trust his or her instincts about things that "don't feel right" and react appropriately?
Will my child make decisions to stay safe, even at the risk of seeming rude or overly cautious to other children or adults?
Have I role-played a number of "what-if" scenarios with my child, so he or she can practice decision making and have an opportunity to discuss appropriate reactions?
Will I be accessible by phone to my child while he or she is home alone, or is there another trusted adult who will be available to "check in"?
Does my child have a list of numbers to call in an emergency, and does he or she know how and when to dial 9-1-1?
Does my child have the ability to calmly provide our names, address, phone number, and directions to our home in an emergency?
Have my child and I established a clearly structured daily routine for when he or she is home alone, with defined responsibilities and privileges?
Is my child able to work independently on his or her homework?
Am I certain that my child does not have access to a firearm in my home or elsewhere? Have I repeatedly discussed the danger of guns with my child?
If I have more than one child staying home together, have they demonstrated the ability to get along well and solve conflicts without physical fighting or adult intervention?
Have I brainstormed with my child about what unexpected situations could possibly come up while he or she is alone, and how to handle them?
Have my child and I had some "dry runs" to allow him or her to practice self-care skills while I am at home, but purposefully "not available"?
Is my child able to carry out routine self-care tasks, such as locking up the house, simple first-aid, making a snack, etc.?
Does my child have basic first-aid training and access to a first-aid kit?
Does my child know how to recognize and respond to an emergency situation (fire, intruder, poisoning, etc.)?
After reviewing this list of questions, we hope you'll have a better idea of how ready your child is to stay home alone. Remember, though, these are only general guidelines. You'll have to trust your instincts and your knowledge of your child and the circumstances in order to make the best decision for your family.

 

[LSUmom4kids]

Anybody else want to "UNSUBSCRIBE" from this post?

I read the original post, posted my response/suggestion, and have read the follow-up posts. Now I will stop reading this post.

If people would post ONE time that's fine. But when the same person feels the need to post, post again and again, especially when they continue to put down, criticize, "hang and crucify" the OP, it definitely turns me off. Please put everything you want to say in your first post and be done with it. You can find a way to say everything in a "nice way" if you try.

I just find that some people like to continually post negative comments. I'm pretty sure the OP has now heard everything she needs to hear on the subject. Can we call it a truce and move on?

(Now, someone will probably respond negatively to THIS suggestion!)

 

[NotUrsula]

One thing to mention, before people start throwing around accusations of neglect, is that leaving sleeping children alone in hotel rooms is much more accepted outside of the US. Not all posters list their locations, and there may also be cultural expectations coming into play here. Honestly, it is done all the time in lots of places throughout the world.

For example: Go to almost any nice hotel in the UK with children in tow, and you will be told about the baby-listening service at check-in. This is a (usually free) service offered by the hotel that has the desk staff listen in on an open extension to your room when you are not in it, so that you can visit the hotel's public areas whilst your children sleep. If they hear noises they will page the parents. (Using the service also ensures that hotel staff know which rooms have children alone in them, so that in the event of an emergency authorities can be directed to check the rooms if the parents cannot get back to them.)

Now then, that said, if there IS some sort of emergency in a US hotel, and children are found to have been alone in the room, it is possible that local authorities will file felony charges against the parents. That happened to a British couple who left their sleeping 1 and 5 yos and went out through the patio door and walked about 100 yds from the room to watch fireworks on the beach in St. Pete back in 1999. The older child woke up with the fireworks noise and wandered into the hallway, locking herself out of the room. Someone saw her there and the police were called. The situation caused an intl. incident, because the mother's father (who was in the room next door) was a very prominent figure in the British law enforcement community. The charges ended up being dropped, but it was ugly for awhile.

 

[cara loves the poly]

I would not feel comfortable leaving my children in the room at the age of 9. Too many things outside of their control could happen. I would be a nervous wreck and could not enjoy myself anyway thinking of what "could" happen.

 

[ladyelle]

I have been following this thread and I would not leave my children (ages 5 and 8) in the hotel room alone day or night. I don't leave them alone at home; therefore, it would not even be an option while on vacation.

We use the Peter Pan Club at the Polynesian for one night during our trip. The kids have a wonderful time ( highlight of their trip) and we have a very nice dinner at Citros. The cost is $50 an hour; however, it is worth every penny.

 

[NotUrsula]

Just to note: the Kid's Clubs are NOT $50/hr. They are $10/hr./child with a 2 hr. minimum, and food is provided as part of the price.

 

[Disneyfriend]

Just coming in on the end of this thread . . .

I would highly encourage the OP to use the Neverland Club at the Polynesian. We did this last trip (kids were 7.5 and 10 - five years ago) so that DH and I could go to Victoria & Albert's. We had a lovely, relaxing dinner, and the kids honestly had the time of their life. It is a great set up there - tons of really fun things for the kids to do - and we truly felt comfortable leaving our children there. Honestly, it was a highlight of our vacation for the kids too!

Hope you have a great trip.

Lynn

 

[lorrainesy]

My son is way too young for this, but I had an idea...
Could you maybe meet up with another Dis'er on these boards, get to know them a little bit, and trade nights for in-park or in-room babysitting? If it's someone staying at the same resort, you could just take turns watching the kids at the pool and have early dinners. Would solve the $30/hr. problem!

$30 an hour for babysitting?!?!?! Wow did I ever get ripped off in my teen years I was only getting $8 an hour.

 

[lorrainesy]

I appreciate everyone's replies and thoughts. I asked a question to gain input. I really didn't appreciate someone trying to broadcast my kid's ages, if I wanted that out there I would have said.
I feel sorry for parents whose kids are not trustable.
Where we live is out in the country and kids out this way are raised to do chores and have responsiblities and are expected to follow rules and do so.
I see city folks on tv who let their kids walk a city block to a bus stop and I think to myself "there is no way i would ever let my kid do that!", i also know city parents who dump their kids at malls, or movies or arcades and think nothing of it.
I don't think one should judge another's way to raise children without having lived where they do and in their shoes. Obviously, people in cities have no qualms about letting their kids play on sidewalks that I personally think are dangerous, and folks out in the country have no problem letting their kids learn how to drive tractors and farm trucks at young ages(i think that is dangerous too) Different strokes for different folks.
I simply wanted some insight on what others did or experienced or maybe risks I hadn't thought of. based on some helpful thoughts and ideas I think a sitter will be worth the money if we decide to go out at all.
Thanks again

Not that I think it is right for any 9 year old to be left alone..... and by the way personally I would never think it is a good idea to leave any kid alone in a strange place., but the fact that they are from the country just makes a big city like Orlando even that much more out of their element.

 

[dzorn]

I do not get why everyone is judging the orginal OP. She asked a question on what age YOU feel comfortable leaving your kids alone in the hotel room. I started reading this thread because I though it was an interesting question. My kids are still young and just truly wondered. If everyone would have just answered the question honestly about how what age YOU feel comfortable as the orginal OP asked I could have gained some information and so could the orginal OP. I stoped reading after page 3 because I was not gaining anything useful as to what age you feel comfortable. I have not been on the Dis very long but why does everything seem to get off the orginal question.


So now I will add this before I leave the subject.
As for the poster said to meet up with some one from the Dis and trade child care. Would you actually leave you children in the care of some you met on the net? That's taking way to much risk with you child. With all this talk about irresponsible people.