Traveling with kids can truly be a blissful experience. However, there can be some daunting moments from the time that you leave until the time that you return home again. One of those moments includes the time you get inside your hotel room since the area is different than what you are used to. A hotel is a place that holds several things that can be dangerous to your children. 

Whether you’re staying at a roadside motel or luxury resort, it’s important to protect your family from harm. In this article, we are going to provide you with steps to keep your children safe in hotels that will prevent injuries or emergencies. If parents and family members are knowledgeable of what they have to do in case an emergency happens, they would most remain calm and solve the problem rather than panic. Here are ways to keep your children safe in hotels. 

Gather Information and Get Familiarize 

The internet is a gift! It’s easier to check what a hotel room is like before checking in. There are photos that will most likely show the type of furniture inside the room as well as the pool and other common areas around the hotel. Having this type of information is valuable because it can help parents who bring their own baby proofing and gear plan how much and what to bring. If this information can’t be found online, then call the hotel to find out what furniture may be inside of your room. You may ask what kind of handles the room has if you are concerned about opening and closing drawers and cupboards. Don’t forget to ask about locks on balcony doors and other parts of the room that may need to be addressed. 

Look for Safety Hazards 

Once you arrive at your hotel accommodation, you may do a brief visual scan of the room to find some safety hazards like the balcony doors and small objects. Little objects could be under the beds and curtains. Hide the lamps and cords that could do harm to children under 3. If you’re concerned about outlets, we recommend bringing painter’s tape or plastic plug covers. 

Make sure that you keep your kids away from it by using painter’s tape (it does not leave residue) to secure items or keep drawers shut. Also, try to tape shut the minibar to keep sweets from children if you don’t want to have additional charges to your room. There are hotels that provide covers for outlets, nightlights, toiletries, bibs and bedding for babies to make your stay easier and safer. Try to inquire about these amenities when booking. Several hotels even provide infant tubs or you may also bring an inflatable tub for a safe bath time. 

Inquire About Baby Proofing 

Most fancier hotels will gladly baby proof a room if you ask to have it done before your arrival. If that’s not possible, it’s best to be prepared and carry some baby-proofing items with you. Here are some basic baby-proofing items if the hotel doesn’t offer any. 

• Plastic plug covers (socket size differs based on country) 
• Drawer and cabinet locks 
• Painter’s tape or duct tape 
• Plastic corner covers (make sure to secure it with an adhesive that won’t cause furniture damage) 
• A reusable plastic cup 
• A roll-up bath mat or shower grip stickers to avoid accidents like slipping while bathing 

Check the Lock of All Doors 

Almost all hotel room doors have locks that are up higher than the traditional ones and you would want to ensure that those are attached so that your child cannot go out easily. Always be vigilant to lock all the doors when you are inside because you never know when your child will be curious to want to wander out. 

Give Your Child Identification 

Although you think that your child can never get out of your room, it’s possible that they can. We suggest putting a wristband on them that has all the list of valuable information that a person would need to get them returned back to you. It’s also a great idea to show your child what a hotel staff member looks like so that they are familiar with the people that they need to approach if they do get out of the room or get lost. 

Double Check the Water Temperature 

Your child surely has to take a bath or a shower during your stay, so make sure that you check the water temperature first. There are several hotels that have extremely hot water and you don’t want your child to get burned easily. So be extra careful. As a parent, you already know what “too hot” water feels like. Just adjust the water temperature as you are giving a bath, however, we suggest getting it adjusted prior to an older child using the shower on their own. 

Lock Balcony Doors

Kids are always curious in nature, if you have climbing kids in tow, try to avoid getting rooms with balconies. Good thing is, most hotels nowadays have childproof locks on sliding glass and swinging doors that lead to balconies. 

But if your hotel lacks enough locks, there are other measures that should be considered. You can duct-tape balcony doors shut if ever kids are able to undo locks on their own. Or you can use a small door alarm which comes in handy in this situation. You also need to take caution of balcony safety regulations varied by county and that metal slats can be spacious enough for small children to fall through. Remember that this strategy applies to ground-level rooms near pools, beaches, or anywhere you don’t want kids to roam. 

Train Children to Never Open the Door When Someone Knocks 

Kids have the habit of opening and closing the door, so most likely, they would open the hotel room door when someone knocks. Although this is usually not an issue, well, it may be possible, depending on who is doing the knocking. It is important to not scare your children with this. Just helping them understand how they should never open a door without knowing who it is will be necessary. But this won’t be a big problem if you normally keep the doors locked so your kids can’t get them open.