What age to leave kids alone in hotel?

[foofanella]

And my parents ALWAYS left us for about an hour in the evening to go get a drink in the main lodge - it's a famous family story that one night my DS (who was 6 at the time) was scared of the dark and I came flying into the lodge in my nightgown yelling "Mrs. KXXXX, your kids need you" I was 9.

That being said, I live in an apartment building in NY and I won't even get the mail while my kids are asleep and DH's not home.

I have a mother's helper who is 12 (6th grade) and I leave her with my kids ALL the time while I run across the street to the grocery store (literally across the street). She has a cell phone with my number programmed in in caseof emergency!

To sum, I think you are fine as long as you stay in the hotel and your kids know how to contact you in case of emergency (and know exactly where you are).

HAVE FUN!

 

[Mom to Jordan]

We had a situation at my house this week that made be think how important it is to be sure that your kids KNOW how to handle some minnor emergancies before you leave them alone anywhere. My 6th grade son (12) and two same age friends, along with one of those friend's two preschool school age brothers were playing at our home. The 4 year old had a large scab on his ear that somehow got bumped in the horse play. I heard screams and when I got into the the room there was blood everywhere. My DS had gotten a towel and was trying to calm the boy down, but the other two boys, including the child's brother that is left to sit with him alone for hours at a time, were just standing there like, "what should we do?'. It really was minor and we got the bleeding stoped and a sucker made it all better. It really bothered me however that had they been at home alone rather at my home where I was, that the older brother would not know what to do. I praised my DS for doing the right thing but it made me realize that while he really would be ok in a hotel with us at a resturant in the same hotel, many 12 year olds would not be. Make sure your children truly know some minor first-aid , fire safety ect before you leave them.

Jordans' mom