DEALING WITH OTHER PEOPLES CHILDREN...??

[Yvonne]

[:'(]

Help.....Can anyone please give me any clues as to how I can deal with the following situation?

Our 5 bedroom cdh is full. We have a family with 2 young children (ages 5 and 2 approx). The children are not naughty but they are very chatty and quite loud. This, at dinner time, appears to amuse other guests for a while but the parents don't have any awareness that this may then begin to irritate other people. They never ask the children not to shout / talk so loudly. (I don't have children but I don't think they have volume 'buttons' at this age!)..

How can I deal with this in order to keep everyone happy? as I said, the children aren't necessarily being naughty but they are gradually taking over the dining room. Certainly not "seen and not heard"! 

 I dont want to come across as an old bag because I like children and families but at the same time I don't want other guests to be unhappy / leave with a bad perception of the place.

We already have a polite comment on our welcome pack which explains that we welcome families but ask the parents to be mindful of other guests who may not have children and may be looking for a relaxing break..!

HELP!

Thanks in advance,

Abi

[Deby]

I would hate to be in that situation, but unless someone actually complains to you, say nothing.  At the moment you are in a lose/lose situation and probably won't be in  a win/win, so fo nothing is probably the best. You could empathise, but that's about it.  Let the guests who have a problem with this do the task of saying something.  Chances are they might not return anyway and if they do it is a bonus.

You don't offer a kid free environment.  I would only intervene if the children were being rude or unruly.  Think of all the hotels, apartment blocks that have the same problem.  If people wish to not be surrounded by children, they have to go to kid free places.  Alot of people I know do this or travel outside of school holidays because they do not want it.  Remember we do not live in Victorian times and where do you draw the line - do you apologise for bad weather?  The situation is not really in your control as you cannot make these guests do anything.

Deby

[KathyC]

Could you offer an early supper to the children, with the explanation that "the parents can enjoy an adult dinner together"? I know that this would be more work but it could solve your problem. If I was one of the parents, I would jump at it!

[Russethouse]

Could you provide a cheap amusement, just paper and crayons perhaps and ask the children to draw something - you - the other guests, something they have seen that day, anything French etc. The parents might get the hint.

[Cassis]

Don't worry unless it is clear that other guests are discomforted.  You may be worrying unnecessarily.

[TWINKLE]

I agree with Gay,

I would play a game with the older one.  'See who can be the quietest at the table this evening'  he/she will win a sweetie/balloon.  The younger one will soon get the idea of it and they'll love playing.  The parents will also get the hint. 

 Don't feel bad about it -  it's a civilised and gentle way of letting them know that you have other guests to think about too.

[Cassis]

Or strap them in a chair and electrocute them.

[Tresco]

Cassis! Think of the electricity! If you're going to make thowaway comments like that please include advise about tarriffs, etc![:D]

Sorry for the levity; I thought Deb was very sensible, as always.

It's always  going to be tricky. There are silent 'looks' that parentsand people in positions of authority have.

Original Poster do you have access to any of those 'looks'? If so, use them. You can set the tone.

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Cassis"]Or strap them in a chair and electrocute them.
[/quote]

 

That's naughty Phil!

[Russethouse]

Cassis - those Belgians have a lot to answer for [:D]

(Sorry - off topic for a moment - as you were)

[TWINKLE]

Sorry off topic too but I forgive the Belgians everything!

[Yvonne]

[6]

Thanks to everyone. I have a large selection of  'looks' so I think I'll give that one a try!

We used to have a 'kiddies corner' with table chairs, paper, pencils, lego etc etc....it was the biggest mistake we ever made! Sadly; parents who would normally keep their children at the table for meal times (supervised) thought that this was a good opportunity to leave them unsupervised in this corner of the room causing havoc. It came to a head when two small boys decided that it would be a good idea to empty the bookcase of games, cards and books onto the floor and then use the bookcase as a climbing frame!! We were busy in the kitchen at this point but quickly joined the guests when we heard the noise! Those parents were very firmy told that this was not acceptale behaviour!

So....withering looks it will be from now on. If not, kid free zone maybe!Having saqid that that would be difficult and we never want to refuse trade.

 I think also, not being a parent myself, I may be worrying a bit too much.

Thanks to everyone for your help. The chocs look delicious by the way!

Abi

 

[Cassis]

Jude also has a fabulous selection of 'looks' which she has perfected on me over the years and they seem to work well on younger children, too.

[Cerise]

[6]I find 'looks' work quite well - but an excellent alternative to the electocution method is to serve the little blighters up as 'plat du jour' - you will probably fiind that most the other guests can't eat a whole one though[6]

We currently have a guest whose perfume is making my husband want to throw up - what should we do about that.  Come on Cassis you must be able to think of something - would hosing her down help?[:)]

 

[Cassis]

Jude hates it when we have a French wedding party in - the buckets of mixed perfumes they douse themselves in give her a headache.  And the women are even worse.

Perhaps if you light a candle near her the offending guest's perfume will spontaneously ignite.

[Cerise]

How did you guess Cassis, they are a wedding party.  As well as the perfume which has been offending us since Friday, the aforementioned scented one also came in at 4.00 am cackling like a hyena and used the cups in her bedroom as an ashtray - despite the fact all our rooms are non-smoking.  You really can go off people.  They have just left having asked if they could have breakfast 'a bit later' and I am faced with the mess.  I shouldn't be here typing but I need 5 minutes off before I tackle it.  Fortunately the incoming guests today aren't arriving until 9.00 pm - but unfortunately they have asked for dinner after that.

If you know anyone who is thinking of moving to France to run a B & B - just get those nice men  in the white van carrying cardigans, the arms of which fasten behind the back, to come and take them quietly away.

 

[Just Katie]

I think you hit the nail on the head by saying you did not have any children.  I have two teenage children and feel fine with little ones running around and believe this to be the case with most people in my position regardless of age.  However, if they started crying or having a tantrum then I would expect the children to be removed by their parents, as I used to do when mine were babies.

Someone quite rightly said on this thread if children were a problem, your other guests would have made sure they would have booked accomodation which doesnt allow them.

[Pads]

I think the idea of playing the game of who can stay quite the longest at the table was the best idea.

I use to baby sit 2 horrible little girls (as a favour for some neighbours who couldnt get any one else to come back) 

I use to take an egg timer some comics, paper crayons ect and play who could lie on the floor quitely and not move. more often than not  they would fall asleep. I would put the egg timer on for 3 mins and while they wernt looking turn it off so the 3 mins went on for ever. if they didnt go to sleep the next one was who could draw the best whatever, then finally they got the comics. and if all that failed i would threaten then with a horrible fate if they didnt shut up  Now i just avoid the parents and dont pick up the phone when its there number cos im a coward.

[Quillan]

Simple solution, don't take children. I was taken aback by some suggestions that you should supply things for them to use, the parents should do this. As to actually playing with them or feeding them at a different time to the adults? It seems that many think B&B owners do nothing all day except just sit and count their money. Believe me you won't loose trade by not taking children, we don't. We actuallty get bookings on the basis that we don't take children and many of the guests have told us it's difficult to find such places. I believe it's a fast growing niche market.

Boiling them alive in oil on a gas burner is much more satisfying we have found, they give of quite a long scream lasting at least 30 minutes [;-)] . 

[Pads]

quillan you dont have the gas up high enough ours only take ten min[Www]

[Just Katie]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Boiling them alive in oil on a gas burner is much more satisfying we have found, they give of quite a long scream lasting at least 30 minutes [;-)] . 

[/quote]

Now if anybody said that about a dog or a cat there would be bloodshed on the forum wouldnt there?

[Quillan]

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"][quote user="Quillan"]

Boiling them alive in oil on a gas burner is much more satisfying we have found, they give of quite a long scream lasting at least 30 minutes [;-)] . 

[/quote]

Now if anybody said that about a dog or a cat there would be bloodshed on the forum wouldnt there?

[/quote]

Yes but then many value a dog and/or a cat of higher value than a child, at least they don't answer back and are in general much quieter and a darn sight cheaper to run [:P] .

 

[Just Katie]

Well I hope that people who regard animals over children are in the minority.  Don't get me wrong I think my dog is well groovy, but his value comes nowhere near that of a childs.

[Miki]

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"]Well I hope that people who regard animals

over children are in the minority.  Don't get me wrong I think my

dog is well groovy, but his value comes nowhere near that of a

childs.[/quote]

Quite right. Katie, bluddy smelly dirty things and watching the things

lick their doodahs then kiss "Mummy" or "Daddy" plonk on the lips fills

me with horror !

Chew this over, we have a family suite, two bedrooms, private entrance and a

private bathroom. Cost €102 euros in summer for a family of 4, they

normally eat at a cost of €76  with kids over 12 years old,

say they have a couple of aperos and a couple of soft drinks whilst

waiting for dinner, making a total of around €190 perhaps less. Let

that room to a couple and we have €56 for the room and if they eat and

using the same theory, we take under a 100 euros. so, how would I not

be losing ?

I would have 5 family suites if I had enough space. Kids make up a

percentage in high season, we take them but we take no nonsense but

most are great, some a pain but bottom line is not how but how much !!

One can kid themselves they are not losing but done correctly, you will

earn more money and that is a fact. 5 suites will beat 5 double rooms,

just as Aces beat Kings !

[Quillan]

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"]Well I hope that people who regard animals over children are in the minority.  Don't get me wrong I think my dog is well groovy, but his value comes nowhere near that of a childs.[/quote]

I'm glad I am in a minority then. I was only joking about boiling them I don't really [:D] .

We don't have suites as we don't have the room but we never looked to do suites and children from day one so we don't mind loosing out on all that money.

We like and prefer dogs thats why we have one of our own but he is kept seperate from guests and has been trained not to lick people so I don't have any of those problems. We have had people with dogs stay in the past but it upsets the cats so we have now stopped that.

On a more serious note it's horses for courses I guess with children, we don't, others do. If you are not happy dealing with children or feel that it disrupts the ambience of the place then don't take them. With the facilities we have it has made no difference to us and as I said we get the trade whilst others round here have none. There is a large group of people either older retired (and they are the ones with the money these days) or young proffesionals (DINKS) who don't want to holiday where there are children and we fill that market.