2 way radios as long range baby monitor

[CP17]

We're staying at WL, and we're looking at ways to be out of the room during nap time:snore: . Has anyone tried two way radios for baby monitors? The newer models have a voice activation feature, so you don't have to push the talk button to be heard. I was wondering how well they work, plus if you could turn the volume down to cut out receiving other radios and still be able to transmit full strength. I was hoping the radios would have better signal strength than regular baby monitors.

 

[Floridasunshine]

I apologize if this sounds judgemental, but I am a mother of 3 and when my children were small enough to take naps, I don't think I would have left them in a hotel room alone, monitor or not. I just really do not think I would want to be at the pool or down at a food court should I hear something on the monitor.

Plus soooo many people in a hotel have key access to a room (housekeeping, maintenance, managers) that I would not feel comfortable leaving my small children alone. And anything could happen... I mean, what if the coffee maker in the room started a fire? Could you get there in time to save your child? Or what if they woke up and immediately turned on the hair dryer and tried to make a boat out of it in the sink?

My younger kids are now 11 & 10 and I do not feel SO worried about leaving them at home while I run down to the Jiffy store and stuff, but it still scares me enough that I probably won't leave them in the room when we go in March.

One time, in Daytona, when my oldest child was 4, my husband and I and my daughter were on the 6th floor watching the ocean. My husband and I were just yakking with each other and not paying a lot of attention to my daughter who had been playing with her "My Little Ponies" on the balcony. We then here a little voice say "Pappy, look at meeee!" And my child was hanging OUTSIDE the 6th floor balcony with only one arm on the rail and one on the ledge. The other limbs swung out toward the ocean! Luckily neither of us screamed and my husband immediately grabbed her and pulled her back over, but it scared the freaking DAYLIGHTS out of me! My daughter was tiny but never in a million years would I have dreamed she could fit through those balcony bars, head and all! And THAT happened with us only 4 feet away from her .... I shudder to think if we had been inside the room, even.

Again, I apologize as I am not trying to be judgemental, but as one mom to another, I hope you consider all possibilities before leaving them alone in a hotel room with or without a monitoring device.

 

[TheBouff]

Seriously you should not be considering leaving your children alone while you go off to play

Especially considering wilderness lodge has

Babysitting and child services

Spend the extra $$ and have piece of mind

 

[Erika]

We're staying at WL, and we're looking at ways to be out of the room during nap time:snore: . Has anyone tried two way radios for baby monitors? The newer models have a voice activation feature, so you don't have to push the talk button to be heard. I was wondering how well they work, plus if you could turn the volume down to cut out receiving other radios and still be able to transmit full strength. I was hoping the radios would have better signal strength than regular baby monitors.

How far away is long range?

 

[Nemo14]

I apologize if this sounds judgemental, but I am a mother of 3 and when my children were small enough to take naps, I don't think I would have left them in a hotel room alone, monitor or not. I just really do not think I would want to be at the pool or down at a food court should I hear something on the monitor.

Plus soooo many people in a hotel have key access to a room (housekeeping, maintenance, managers) that I would not feel comfortable leaving my small children alone. And anything could happen... I mean, what if the coffee maker in the room started a fire? Could you get there in time to save your child? Or what if they woke up and immediately turned on the hair dryer and tried to make a boat out of it in the sink?



Again, I apologize as I am not trying to be judgemental, but as one mom to another, I hope you consider all possibilities before leaving them alone in a hotel room with or without a monitoring device.

I have to totally agree here! Anything can happen, and it happens very fast, believe me! And think about your child waking up in a strange environment without you!

 

[Nansafan]

I don't know about Florida but in Chicago, any child left alone under the age of 12 is considered abandoned and the parent can be arrested for Child Abandonment and/or Child Endangerment. As Floridasunshine said that many people have access to your room, housekeeping etc. If I were in housekeeping and I walked into a room with sleeping children and no supervising parent, I personally would call a supervisor or manager and inform them even if it wasn't standard operating procedure.

 

[pinkrose]

I agree with the others. It's not safe to leave small children in a hotel alone. My kids are ages 8 and 11 and at their ages, as far as I'd go without them at a hotel is to fill the ice bucket. Children are fast and things can happen not matter how "safe" you think you've made the room.

 

[Erika]

I don't know about Florida but in Chicago, any child left alone under the age of 12 is considered abandoned and the parent can be arrested for Child Abandonment and/or Child Endangerment.

I was just about to ask about that! I'm from Chicago too and I thought that might be the case.

 

[MickeyTigg]

I don't know about Florida but in Chicago, any child left alone under the age of 12 is considered abandoned and the parent can be arrested for Child Abandonment and/or Child Endangerment. As Floridasunshine said that many people have access to your room, housekeeping etc. If I were in housekeeping and I walked into a room with sleeping children and no supervising parent, I personally would call a supervisor or manager and inform them even if it wasn't standard operating procedure.

I was just going to add this....if housekeeping or maintenance finds the child alone....when you come back you're going to find Orange County Sherrifs waiting for you and you'll be spending the rest of your vacation in the OC jail.

 

[jesserin]

safe alternative? Set up a pack & Play in the bathroom... You can close the door... and still be able to watch TV or whatever... we've done this when traveling with small children for years - and have always found it to be a smaller "bedroom" - for example - my cousin has to cry himself to sleep each night - quite the pain when traveling with alot of people... however flipping on the fan and shutting the bathroom door - gave him some darkness and muted noise so that he could fall asleep quickly and the rest of us could still talk or watch TV...

To give you the benefit of the doubt - your plan sounded nice on paper - but I'm sure when given proper thought you realized it just wasn't wise... having said that - look for ways your baby can safely nap, and you can still be somewhat active...

Hope this helps!

 

[Erika]

safe alternative? Set up a pack & Play in the bathroom... You can close the door... and still be able to watch TV or whatever... we've done this when traveling with small children for years - and have always found it to be a smaller "bedroom" - for example - my cousin has to cry himself to sleep each night - quite the pain when traveling with alot of people... however flipping on the fan and shutting the bathroom door - gave him some darkness and muted noise so that he could fall asleep quickly and the rest of us could still talk or watch TV...

That is a great idea!!! *takes notes*

 

[Meandude]

How about you take a nap when they do!!!

 

[jesserin]

How about you take a nap when they do!!!

Excellant point - you'll be amazed at how much y'all will need the rest too! (I needed a nap back before I had kids... can't imagine the nap I'll need now! )

 

[Nemo14]

My daughter was queen of the 5-minute nap. People used to tell me to try to nap when she did, but I found that basically that gave me just about enough time to p e e ! :lol:

 

[pinkrose]

My daughter was queen of the 5-minute nap. People used to tell me to try to nap when she did, but I found that basically that gave me just about enough time to p e e ! :lol:

Or jump in and right back out of the shower. :lol:

I was really lucky. Neither of mine ever minded napping in the stroller. It guess it came from "living" at the mall. :lol:

 

[jesserin]

Or jump in and right back out of the shower. :lol:

I was really lucky. Neither of mine ever minded napping in the stroller. It guess it came from "living" at the mall. :lol:

I am so with you girl! my DD has learned the art of power nap - as long as she get's a long one in the afternoon we're good - but in the morning and early afternoon - stroller napping rules! :lol:

 

[lunalovegoddess]

Heck, when the kids were little, I only would go out in the yard with the baby monitor when I had to shovel snow or rake leaves. And that's leaving them in a crib at home... I'd never leave them unsupervised for a second in another state.

Everyone has made excellent points about what could happen. I've waited to travel to WDW until our youngest turned 4. When the kids were napping in the hotel room, my husband and I would switch off so that the other person could dip in the hot tub outside or go play games at the arcade, etc. Your kids are the most important thing in your life, right? So you should remember that they will only be this young for a short time, and that you will always have an opportunity to come back to WDW when they are older. My suggestion is for you to pack a good novel that you just haven't had time to read yet and stretch out on the bed. Plan on relaxing during their naps. If you feel like you can't sit still, take shifts.

 

[CP17]

i don't even no if we would use it, depending on if we could see the door from where we were, i would actually use it at home and thought of using at WL. This wasn't meant so i could go ride ToT, SM or work on my tan, I thought i would get some practical information about the radios, not opinions on parenting. I'm truly sorry for my confusion when i asked the question. I guess what I was really wanting to know are the hands free walkie talkies any good. Sorry again, have a good day. thank you for your concern.

 

[Master Yoda]

i don't even no if we would use it, depending on if we could see the door from where we were, i would actually use it at home and thought of using at WL. This wasn't meant so i could go ride ToT, SM or work on my tan, I thought i would get some practical information about the radios, not opinions on parenting. I'm truly sorry for my confusion when i asked the question. I guess what I was really wanting to know are the hands free walkie talkies any good. Sorry again, have a good day. thank you for your concern.

That clears a lot up. I can understand the confusion when I read the OP. The VOX systems on Walkie talkies are fine as long as the level is adjustable. When they aren't adjustable they either activate when a fly coughs or won't activate unless you use a bull horn. The range listed is really only possible in a lab or on the ocean. Any buildings or obstructions will greatly reduce your range. The only way to minimize interference is to get a high end multiple channel radio. The ones you find at Wal-Mart and Target use very similar frequencies, not to mention everyone has them so interference with those units is inevitable at WDW.

 

[brkgnews]

Interference on these puppies is absolutely vicious down at WDW. Just based on the sheer fact that probably hundreds of families are using them at the same time (in multiple languages). If you want communication between adults, either go ahead and bite the bullet for roaming cell charges (keep in mind, you'd have to rack up quite a few to equal the cost of the radios themselves), or use text messaging.

By the way, CP17 -- greetings from two counties west (I work in Coweta and live in Heard).