I recently spent 4 days at The Nines in Portland, Oregon with my husband and son.
My son is an official crawler and it would be our first time staying in a hotel room with him on the move. When he was smaller, we would put him on the bed while we were getting ready in the room, but then he started rolling. We moved him to the floor on a blanket, next came crawling and cruising. Now, he's on 24-7 "watch" as he crawls around the room.
Crawl around & check it out
When we got to the room, my husband and I did a quick check of the room for any hazards. We got down to his level, crawling around. I'd definitely recommend always doing this for hotel rooms and your cruise ship staterooms.
We looked for:
- sharp objects on the floor
- Potential dangers, including open wires
- Magazines, books, and other items within his grasp
- Anything breakable within his reach
It took only a few minutes and was well worth it. Overall, there isn't much clutter in a hotel room. At The Nines, we didn't find anything that needed to be moved.
Hotel Room Tips
Here's helpful tips for what you need to know when traveling with a crawling baby.
Crib
The crib was already in the room, which was great. We moved it into the hallway of the room. We did this so he didn't see us when trying to go to bed as well as to have a space for himself. We made sure there wasn't anything for him to grab close by when he was in the crib.
Move it up high
Bags, purses, souvenirs, and anything we didn't want him playing with, all went up high onto the desk in the room.
Drawers
While spending time in the hotel room, my son learned how to open and close cabinet doors. I watched him open and close, open and close, open and close. He was opening the drawers and taking out all of his clothes. It was harmless although he did get his fingers crunched in a few times. After a few tries he taught himself to be careful.
Outlets
There were a few open outlets in main areas. It's easy if you remember to throw some safety plug protectors in your suitcase or you can even ask the front desk to see if they have any.
In the end, the peace of mind that comes with using the safety plugs is worth traveling with them.
Bathroom
If he can get access, my son loves banging on the lid of the toilet. We needed to make sure the bathroom door stayed closed.
In addition, the hotel towels and hairdryer were kept in an open cabinet. We moved those up high and out of reach.
During the day, we enjoyed exploring the city and we made sure to take a break to the hotel at some point to regroup but also let him crawl around and get some energy out.Especially in the first year, your baby changes so much, bringing new challenges but also new excitement. Seeing my son look out the window of the plane with such an intent look, was magical.
The adventures of a hotel room crawler were entertaining to see as it's interesting to watch him explore a new space.
FreshCruiser Tip: It's important to always keep your eye on your child no matter how safe you feel a space may be.