Targeting parents of toddlers and babies?

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memes
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Targeting parents of toddlers and babies?

Post by memes »

I've been thinking on about my efforts to get my house filled outside the UK school hols, not having much luck finding my retired 'grey panthers' so thought what about the other end of the spectrum - people with young babies and pre-school kids who can take advantage of cheap June and September flights and perhaps would not want to be in Italy when its so hot with young children.

I have a stepson of 10 whom I've known since he was 4 but I have very limited experience of what needs the under fours have - only notice that my mates with babies seem to travel astonishingly heavily with huge amounts of equipment to look after the little loves.
If we could minimise their load and provide lots of things to make babies happy would we have a lot of extra appeal?

At the house we have high chairs, a cot, a potty, child safety gates on the stairs and window locks. The pool is currently unfenced and obviously we would need to make it safe for toddlers but what else would really make parents lives easier?
Provide buggies? playpens? (does anyone use playpens anymore - I spent my first few years behind bars but that was in the early sixties) a sand pit? un-nickable tellytubbies DVDs? get in a big stock of tinned babyfood? baby alarms? nappy supplies?

I can organise babysitting with a local English woman but what about things like bottle sterilisers etc I imagine some parents are a bit 'funny' about using kit which has been used before and I'm aware that there are issues with 2nd hand bedding (I usually suggest they bring their own bedding for the baby) but are there other things which would appeal (or be seen as essential)to Mums and Dads of 'littlies'?
I was thinking of trying to target the national childbirth trust - are there other similar organistions that might be worth approaching that any of you know of?
It would obviously take quite a bit of extra investment but I'm willing to do that if it pays off - does anyone else target this market and find it effective?
Thanks - appreciate any thoughts you may have as to how feasible it might be.

memes
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

A nice, big, safe garden, with swings, slides, trampoline etc. I would always take my own baby food, sterilizers, buggy, sheets etc.
We get a lot of young families in June and September, but all bookings come via the normal advertising portals and my own website. It is also easy for travelling as everyone I think travels by car and there is not much travelling to be done in France as we are fairly close to the ports, which is a big advantage. Being in Italy, your location is perhaps more of an issue for young families as they would probably have to fly and then hire a car, then you have the issue of car seats etc.
I had a quick look at your properties, but to attract families I think you would need to have photos of more outdoor things to do for the kids.
Good luck!
memes
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Post by memes »

Thanks for that - yes I appreciate we would have to change our website to include the kid friendly features. Would love a trampoline but don't think it would make any difference to parents of babies and would be very worried about injuries. We fill the school hols no problem usually with families - its the 'shoulder peak' weeks I'd like to fill.
Thats interesting that providing sterilisers and push chairs has no appeal for you..never having been a mum to a baby this is all food for thought for me..
M
gh
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Re: Targeting parents of toddlers and babies?

Post by gh »

memes wrote: The pool is currently unfenced and obviously we would need to make it safe for toddler
This year we noticed a marked increase in familys with babies and toddlers booking outwith 'peak' perhaps due to the pool recently being surrounded by a security fence this year. As previously the security was an alarm, which was conforming to the reg's, however, going but our guests this year, parents of young children didn't think it was suitable. :?

Hope this helps a little. Good luck widening your market. :)
memes
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Post by memes »

Thanks John, thats interesting about the pool - your security fence looks quite 'hardcore' on your website - I was thinking about something much smaller - just high enough to stop under 4s getting in with an alarm as back up. Italy obv does not have the same rules as France re pools and I don't really want a cage round the pool if possible..
But maybe just getting an alarm and thigh high fence would swing it..
Your place looks lovely - and very reasonable!
M
Foxandsot
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Post by Foxandsot »

Hi Memes

We are trying to attract the young families market too. Our property isn't yet built so cannot tell what will work and what won't!!

We have put together a baby/toddler pack which includes, cot with bassinet attachment and changing table, highchair, baby monitor, stair gates, steam steriliser, baby bouncy chair, plastic cups, plates etc, bottle warmer, potty, toilet trainer seat, step up stool, toys, books, games, kids dvds/cds.

We will be also putting the hardcore fence around the pool, it can be taken down if you don't have children staying. I don't think they look that pretty but if you put in a shorter fence, I'm sure a toddler would find some way of scaling it, I know mine would!!!

Michelle
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Michelle,

Being located in Italy, as you are, I suspect you are not obliged to comply with bureaucratically created “safety� systems for your pool.
I don't really want a cage round the pool if possible..
Hideous, aren’t they?

Contrary to John’s experience, after three seasons of full compliance with the French law I have one observation to make.

Almost without exception my guests have been quite unaware of the law. When the necessity of having one of the four permitted alternatives has been explained to them they have reacted in strong terms. To a man, or should I better say to a woman, their reaction has been “I am responsible for the safety and well-being of my children, not some bl**dy bureaucrat.

Maybe I attract a different sort of guest.

It goes without saying that I am very deeply concerned about safety. I am equally deeply concerned that responsibility lies with the person who is actually responsible. In this instance, it’s the parent. Not the alarm, not the fence, not me – it’s the parent.

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Post by Fraise »

Hi Fluffy, it will be feather ruffling time again, but I don't care ! I'm with you on this. We have a fence and an alarm. The gate of the fence is often propped open. The pool alarm has had it's batteries taken out by one family ( 3 generations), a screw ingeniously loosened by another and another has managed to find a way that we hadn't even thought of ( and I'm keeping it to myself) to disable the alarm! Most of our guests this year had children. :roll:
Foxandsot
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Post by Foxandsot »

Hello Alan

I'm not in Italy, I'm in Cyprus but we don't have any laws as far as I am aware in Cyprus regarding swimming pools but as we have very young children ourselves and hope to holiday at our villa, we thought the safety fence was a good idea. Also, it may attract families to our villa because of the fence.

I do worry that with a fence in place guests may become complacent and think that their kids will be safe and then their ingenious little child finds a way in and it will ours or the fences fault. Not their fault for not supervising their children.

Michelle
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

I too don't like fences - unless the owner is lucky enough for the pool to be sited where a fence doesn't look out of place - eg where there is already a wall of some kind on one or two sides. We have a cover, but it isn't the all-singing all-dancing motorised sort, it has to be hand wound in and out - so I strongly suspect that, although we have complied with French law by supplying it, it is hardly ever used in practice. Parents accept that the responsibility for their children's wellbeing lies with them, so if the safety measures supplied by the owner aren't convenient to use, they know they have to exercise greater care.

Or that's the theory! :?
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Post by gh »

memes wrote:Your place looks lovely - and very reasonable!
Thank you memes :) hmm, perhaps they are very reasonable, may have a re-think; could recoup the outlay of the security fence. :wink:

Agree with all regarding the current regulations that pool owners in France must meet and how our guests treat them.

It is an emotive subject which "ruffles feathers" , however, we all make our choice which system we instal to comply. Another plus for the fence is; it stops most of the leaves getting into the pool, oh and the children; if the parents dont prop open the gate. :roll:
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Post by Guest3 »

It goes without saying that I am very deeply concerned about safety. I am equally deeply concerned that responsibility lies with the person who is actually responsible. In this instance, it’s the parent. Not the alarm, not the fence, not me – it’s the parent.
Alan I totally agree with you!

I do think that having all these implemented 'safety' features actually makes the parent more complacent that their child "is safe" in a swimming pool environment. At the moment Spain does not have any rules regarding fencing or pool alarms...but I personally think that this makes parents more aware of the dangers and thus more vigilant.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi Crystal, :D

I think youre right ,My daughter is duty manager at a leisure complex & supervises the lifeguards,
when Im there I see parents wander off read a paper,go to the shop and leave youngsters unattended because theyres a lifeguard there.'so theyre safe'

As I work with children Im a bit of a 'worry wart' as far as kids are concerned.

Luckily our pool in Torre only has access through locked gate down a passageway[next to the houses]2 mins walk.
A lot of other houses surrounding has had a gate put from their patio[for easier access]

I had considered this but it would worry me that a child could wander through this 'private' gate into the pool unnoticed
[Ive been there when a child of about three has been on the patio on their own for about 30 mins without being checked on] so if there was a gate could have been in the pool.

I know that it would be the parents resposibility if something happened but I would feel awful if it did,it wouldnt be the childs fault. :cry:

I think if people/parents are stupid at home it doubles on holiday. :roll:
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

Crystal/Ros - Despite all the new regulations in France, young children are continuing to drown in pools and the authorities are putting it down to just what you have said - parents feel that as there is a security device, they can be less vigilant so are not surveying their children properly.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi Susan :D


In Spain theyre are quite a lot of laws about pools.
One of them I think is that no Lilos large rings etc[so that the bottom of the pool can be clearly supervised] :

Our pool strictly enforces this and I tell the guests before they go.
It also makes it more pleasant for the people who want to swim[and tidier] :)

I think we may be being kind to some of our guests .

I think the reason kids dont drown at home[uk] is that they havent access to a pool there.....these are probably the ones who would be getting run over...as this is the nearest peril to them.. :shock:

As weve all said its down to parents responsibility.

I live at the seaside and also near the Norfolk Broads and we are bought up to respect the sea and water...but every year children drown.... :cry:
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