Hello! When not staying in hotels that provide childcare, what methods do folks have for finding a babysitter for an evening while traveling? Or, at what age do you let your kiddos stay in the hotel room on their own so you can go out for dinner?
What are your tips and tricks for an adult night out during family travel?
Thanks!
I've never done it outside of a hotel that offers childcare. Or when we've met up with family who was also traveling. At home I've used care.com, so first I'd look to see if it's available in other countries. Another resource could be a university, either local students who speak English or American students on study abroad. Finally, I would think big tourist cities like Paris might have agencies for this specific situation. A quick google search turned up several but I can't recommend specifically because I haven't done it.
Alone in hotel room - if your room is safe and your kid has access to a phone to call you I'd be fine with leaving them at the same age I'd leave them for a date night at home. Depends on the kid. Mine are 10 and 8 and in no way ready so I can't say when that will happen!
What we've done is less than ideal - take turns going out at night. Not a date, by definition, but I'll go on a food tour or to a play alone and my husband will do the same the next night. We also get apartments so can buy a good bottle of wine and some cheese and have a "date" on the balcony or living room while the kids sleep in their room. All works but a real date would be nice - let us know if you find something that is successful.
If you think your kids are old enough to stay in a hotel room - and if you order a movie or two and room service - they will probably go to sleep before you come back.
If it's only going to be a few hours, this could conceivably work out well for you.
In Paris, there are hotels that offer childcare or nannies, but you will have to ask the concierge to recommend someone reliable.
Bring grandma or grandpa or a trusted relative on the trip. I'd never leave my kids with a stranger in a foreign city.
That little girl from Great Britain disappeared in Spain from her parents' hotel room while they were enjoying dinner out and has never been found.
I would never leave a child alone like that, so at the very least please do get a babysitter.
We never left our kids with stranger babaysitters until they were old enough to tell us how it went ( not toddlers! ) . We left them alone in room by 11-13 or so . Old enough to babysit back home means they were old enough to be alone in a room with orders not to leave room . We stay on smaller hotels ususally where strangers can not just wander past the front desk .
I was once on a trip to Europe with one of my kids , (11 yr old daughter ) we were in Paris and I got dreadfully sick . I had to let her go out on her own during day to find something to eat ( sent her down street as we knew there was a bakery nearby) . Scary for me but she did fine .
Another year I took my 13 yr old son and I let him go down street to grab mcdonalds before bed , lol, he did this several times just fine .
A lot depends on you child's maturity .
I wouldn't leave kids iner 10 alone .
I would never leave my kids alone in order to go out for dinner with my wife, take your kids with you. Having children means relinquishing some of the pleasures in life that the freedom to do as you please permitted without children. I would never allow a stranger to look after my children and as a detective who has investigated far too many cases of paedophillia I'm no stranger to just how prevalent it is. Babysitting services draw such people like a magnet and police checks etc mean nothing, it simply means they've never been caught.
The only people I allow to look after our children are grandparents and a handful of very close friends. I would never dream of allowing someone I didn't know to do it.
Our children stayed alone for the first time, with pizza for dinner, at age 12. Being energetic, they weren't the quietest in the hotel--and that continued into the boys' teens. Usually, we'd have dinner downstairs in the dining room. It never crossed my mind to hire outside sitters to watch my children. To be fair, in France we had a set of grandparents, but I wouldn't have used a service.
I agree with Emily. Bring a grandparent or your favorite teenager from home to watch you child.
Or, enjoy the uninterrupted time with your child and go out when you are at home. Or, go on dates with one child with one parent for alone time with each child.
Your hotel may be able to help you contact a reputable sitter.
Have your "kiddos" ever stayed home alone, without a babysitter?
If you know your kids, if they can keep the door locked, and watch movies and order room service, and you can keep in touch with them by phone, you should be good to go.
Hotel concierges only recommend staff with impeccable references, or not at all.
I know this was not what you wanted to hear, but you need to listen to the advice given by the ones who live in Europe ( like Emily) and also to JC. Do not leave you kids with a stranger. Either bring a nanny or grandparent or Auntie, or take them out with you.
I have looked at Ops other posts .
She is staying in VRBO so won't have hotel help finding a reputable sitter .
Her children are young ( under 6-7) .
Frankly in those circumstances no way in heck would I advocate getting a stranger in to sit . Take your kids with you , we all had to suffer through it , they'll be old before you know it .
During "family travel" it never occurred to us to ditch the kids so we could go out to dinner. Consequently I have no 'tips and tricks' to suggest.
If your kids are as young as Pat infers, no way to leave them with an unknown sitter. Anywhere.
You didn't mention the ages of your "kiddos".
To leave them alone and unsupervised in an apartment might be considered child abandonment or worse.
If something should happen to them, you would be liable, not the apartment owner.
A little boy fell from a 4th storey balcony that was rented by AirBnB in Paris, and was seriously injured.
I think we may be talking in an empty room. Original poster has never returned to help us with some of our questions and provide more detail.
OP here. Yeah, I never returned because it was pretty impressive how quickly everyone jumped to "getting a babysitter is selfish negligence." It's been a while since I spent time on new-mommy forums, so I'd forgotten how judgmental people can be. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to "unfollow" the post so I stop receiving the notifications that another person is telling me that getting a babysitter will ruin my children and/or result in their abuse.
Child abandonment... For pete's sake...
when you sign in you will see at the bottom of your original post 'delete' in blue---- that makes it go away, and you and us never ever see any of it again
lindsey.own, i didn't read all the posts but having raised a bunch of kids myself, I think wanting some alone time is a healthy thing. We used to look for Gypsies on the streets and hire them to watch the kids. Most times things went well, when they didn't, well, mom and dad just got a little extra healthy alone time. Its all good.
In all honesty the most dreaded thing we encounter when traveling is U.S. and / or U.K. children. They are most often little monsters. Well in my eyes at least. In the eyes of their parents the screaming and crying and running around and trashing out their environment is adorable. So I support the babysitter idea, especially if you want to do some grown up things and show some respect to others around you. A crying 3 year old at the Opera isn't cute.
People judged the advisability of sticking two young children with strangers from an unknown agency in a different country. The advice of a season detective would make me think twice.
Okay i read the posts..... geeeeeeee, i left my kids with folks all the time and still got most of them....
The OP did not state in which city she plans to rent a VRBO apartment.
Perhaps the owner would be willing to suggest someone, but again - if anything should go wrong, the owner or the babysitter will not be liable - you will.
The child abandonment comment was in relation to the information from pat that your children are under 6/7. If that is true, then leaving them alone in an apartment would certainly constitute abandonment.
As for getting a sitter in a strange city in a foreign country, where you have no way of verifying the credentials of such persons, I will simply agree with the detective that you are taking a risk. A small one, but real. Like JC I have some experience with child abuse cases in the legal system ( although few of them actually make it that far because they are not discovered). People don't want to believe that this happens, but it does.
So go right ahead and take offense at the advice here if you wish, but I think everyone who posted warnings ( which is pretty much everyone except James E) has your childrens' safety in mind.
Child abandonment... For pete's sake...
Well it is not as far fetched as you might think. You need to remember that you are not in the US and the laws vary from country to country. In some parts of Switzerland it is illegal for a teenager under sixteen to be out unaccompanied by a responsible adult after 8:00 pm. And in most parts it is illegal to leave a child under 14 alone for more than an hour.....
So go right ahead and take offense at the advice here if you wish, but I think everyone who posted warnings ( which is pretty much everyone except James E) has your childrens' safety in mind
Yep, and even James said he "still has most of his kids". Some are just more willing to sacrifice than others.....
Most rental apartments only give out one key, because they are expensive to reproduce.
I doubt that the OP is still reading this, but she would have to actually lock the kiddos inside the apartment...and some of those keys are very difficult to operate- especially with little hands.
