General Chat

What are your views on these.... where you go out for the evening and a staff member walks around listening out for crying kids.... I know they were used a lot in Butlins type holiday camps years ago and they are still used to this day.

Would you use one? What are your thoughts? xx

Nope, never did use one. If we couldn't take our kids with us, we didn't go out. They were family holidays after all.

Think perhaps in the 50's and 60's they were fine but not in this day and age would never consider leaving kiddies alone as Teresa says family holidays means family together

Norah

Hi Muffy ,
i personaly wouldn't use it
as i'd be worriyng all the time .
not that ive got any little children now
mine are all grown up .
i mean what happens if the child wakes up and cries
after the baby sitting service had been .
Hazelx

With you on this one Teresa,wherever i went they come with me

Joan G

I don't have children but would never consider it and neither would my brothers or parents. If you want time to yourself then leave your kids at home with family or bring someone willing to babysit.

Hi hun hope your ok?

We went to Barbados a few years ago-My wedding infact. We took a monitor with us that I bought cos I was led to believe it worked cos of the distance from our room, which was visable to where we were sat.

We put laddo to bed, fast asleep, then settled down with friends prior to my wedding, the unit plugged in and all. The monitor was on the table next to me. So if you can imagine we were sat in Peterbourough live to where Viker was outside? that's how close. We neve heard a thing. After about 20 min I said to Ol go back to our room and shout down the thing- Well to my horror he must have been shouting down it for a few seconds and I never heard him. I was horrified.

I rushed back to our suite and stayed in there all night. After that we used the services of the hotel. It was not cheap, but worth every penny, even though we were in the same place as we were originally. That was 3yrs ago now, now I would not leave him at all as he's old enough to be with us.
c
xx

I used to work at a holiday camp and at one time the way the chalet patrol knew they should listen at that chalet was a big white disc in the window!!! Advertising to everyone that children were alone!
I lost count of the time I would have to look after frightened little tots who had woken to find no parents there and got out of the chalet, running crying in the dark and looking for their mummy in their pj's, and most of them wouldn't know which chalet they had come from.
I doubt they still have them, but I would avoid them at all costs.
It only takes minutes for a child to be abducted.

Never in a million years..

If a child cant be heard crying,doesnt mean its OK,,,,,,,it could have a fit or anything,,

No babysittting needs to be eyes and ears on the spot,,,,,,,not through a closed door,

nope never the kids would come with me and when they were tired id let them sleep int he buggy or id go home when they were ready

a family holiday is just that for the full family

i would never leave them with a companys babysitters either when my nieces and nephew went the holidy club we stayed even tho we didnt have to

which is funny im a qualified nursery nurse and wld nvr think twice bought minding somone elses lol

In the 60s we used the Butlins one, we all did. But we also used to check back regularly because we didn't feel they checked often enough. Actually we also realised that the 'listener' was whistling round on a bike. Our oldest was about 8 and very responsible, don't think i would have left a young baby.

Ann
Glos

I perhaps have another controversial view here. I hate to see very young children kept up to all hours (11pm and later), sitting half asleep on their parent's laps or in their buggies with people shouting and drinking around them on holiday. Except for Butlins as I said above. if we were on holiday with the children (and the Grandchildren, our children feel the same) they go to bed at normal time and we either stay in or organise a sitter to stay with them. Next morning you see all these tired irritable children because they have had late nights because the parents can't forgo their drinks.

Ann
Glos

i would never have used them when my children were young
when we went on holiday if we couldnt take them with us then we stayed in .... in fact we werent a "going out" type family anyway, prefered to stay in and chill out

We're much the same Maisy. If we wanted a going out all night type holiday we'd leave the kids with my mum and dad and go by ourselves.....not that we ever have lol.

I'd far rather see kids safe yet tired with their parents than for them to be left alone to cry for upwards of half an hour. I'm very anti the listening services. xx

i agree muffy :-)
as the children got bit older we did leave them with my mum and dad (and they loved it) and we had a few weekends away altho still didnt go out much at night ...prefered to have nice meal and drink and relaxing evening lol

the thought of children crying alone for parents breaks my heart !!

i agree with all the above keeping kids with you, its a family holiday etc. but also i think either on holdiay or at home if your going to use a babysitter make it someone the children are used to and feel safe with how awful to wake up to a strange face
chris x

Hi Muffs,


Holidays are a luxury we cant afford right now but the one i have had in past two years, which army paid for was at Butlins, there was a listening service but my kids { took youngest 3} were 4,7 and 13 at time. Where i went they went. End off.


Yes they stayed up till 11 when there were things going on in the ballroom but what did it matter, the fun is as a family, thats what matters!!


Caz xxx

n xx

Same here Cazzles. the old credit crunch is crunching us too lolol no hols for us in the foreseeable future either. BUT even if we could manage it we'd still not leave the kids......you don't get a holiday from being a parent. EVER. xx

Hi Ya Muff
i wouldnt leave my kids with anyone i didnt know and trust a 100%
but on holiday if they couldnt comeout with us we didnt go out
end off
Rosex