Lay My Hat

This is a very common occurence, owners on site will recognise it all too well! It isn't a major problem, but it would be nice to have some opinions.

We have some very nice guests who arrived yesterday. There are a lot of teenagers in the group and I lent them some bikes this morning and a few of them have been doing wheelies on the lawn, which I don't like. If you were on holiday and your kids were doing this sort of thing, would you consider it OK for the owner to say something to them, or let the parents know? I hate being an obvious presence on site and don't want to be an old miseryguts, but I don't want the property disrespected or kids doing things that could result in damage, or an accident (or me being sued!)

LV I can really empathise with you...I hate those situations arising when you feel your guests need to be 'advised' and yet you don't want to seem as if you're watching them!

I sit there thinking 'should I?' ...and trying to think of a situation where I can say 'oh I was just (insert activity) when I noticed that (insert annoying guest activity) - could I ask you to (insert action you would like guests to take )

If you were on holiday and your kids were doing this sort of thing, would you consider it OK for the owner to say something to them, or let the parents know?

yes I would...but not all parents are as keen on 'parental control' as me!
In this case I'd let it go if its not causing any damage (but remember next time when the bikes are loaned out to mention 'wheelies' & lawn).
If its causing damage to the grass etc...great - I'd go and ask them to do it elsewhere (is there a lane nearby - or spare land?).

Alternatively - if they've not got helmets you could always advise the parents that your insurance cover prevents this type of activity, they should understand.

Its a double edged sword living on site. You can stop unreasonable behaviour/activities, but its sometimes difficult to draw the line...as if you didn't live on site you wouldn't know some of the things that do happen.

But they have booked knowing you're there....so I'm sure they won't feel any 'advice' you give them is interferring

have a good weekend Susan (we've got rain and thunder here! )

Mouse
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We've had a similar problem here this week too. Our problem is that we have no real 'private space' as a family, and guests often just come on over, or walk past the house on their way to the shower block or whatever. Some have in the past walked through the patio where we've been having dinner!

The problem we've had this week has been a 5 year old and a 10 year old with their bikes, riding them up & down the path that fronts our house. I've told them not to several times now. So, after having had not alot of luck, I decided upon another tack. Within earshot of the two kids, I was telling my own kids off about walking over the private areas of the gites, AND for riding their bikes around the paths when there was clearly enough space on the field and the courtyard to do that! My kids incidentally are 20, 17 & 15, and know the now-familiar reverse psychology ploy I use...

It worked a treat! No way were the two young kids going to risk a telling off like that themselves! My kids on the other hand took it in their stride and we all had a laugh about the looks on the 5-year old's face afterwards!

We live on site too and we have 4 children 16,13,6 and 1. Most families with children are fine but in 2 years we have had maybe 6 really difficult families. The children's behaviour has been awful but then again the parents just sat in the cottage or drinking wine on the patio and let their kids "free" in our very safe walled 5 acres.

Behaviour has ranged from chasing and catching chickens - one died of fright - throwing stones at windows and cats, moving garden furniture miles away to make dens, throwing thousands of stones onto the grass and as we have to use sit on mowers this is very dangerous, climbing onto roofs to wandering into my house and asking me to make lunch (I didn't ).

One family mum and Dad left to go out at 10am in the morning for a day of shopping and left their 8 and 10 year old in the cottage - they returned at 6pm - to their kids in my house having tea! I said that I would report them to social services if they did it again. We even had a NZ father and 8 year old son come over for 2 weeks - the father was working from 8am to 8pm and he assumed that it was OK to leave his son in the cottage all day!!!I ended up babysitting for 2 weeks for no payment not even a thank-you.

So in summary yes I would tell them that wheelies are not on, yes I tell the children everytime to stop whatever behaviour I find offensive and no I don't feel bad about it anymore

To be more positive we do really love having children to stay here, for lots it is their first real taste of freedom and we don't mind well mannered children exploring or even popping into our house to play in the playroom. We has an easter egg hunt today for 25 children and invited both cottage children - they had a ball!

Thanks for your comments, it is always reassuring to know I'm not alone with these problems! Mousie, I forgot when posting that you started a thread on your own issues last year...I will re-read it.
I'm just really fed up with everything and we are only one week into the main season. In the space of 7 days I've had kids wandering all over my neighbours' land, stealing a neighbours wood (and being caught by the neighbour), the pool light climbed on and displaced, the bikes being used for wheelies and not bike rides, then being left out overnight instead of being put back in the shed, ants in the houses (hot weather), a guest who is 'never ill' getting gastro after eating in a recommended restaurant (no-one else was ill though and they all ate the same things), a broken shower, a broken door handle, electricity tripping, and another bloody broken coffee pot on the filter coffee maker which I couldn't get the correct replacement for at the supermarket, so will have to buy a new machine. It broke because the water is too hot in the house apparently, not the fault of the person washing up.
I must remember that these are paying guests and the customer is king, but it is hard at times.
Anyone want to buy a little gite complex in Brittany?

oh LV...I know how you feel....but you did make me laugh
Why not read all those threads about annoying guests...it always makes me feel better!

My friend puts on her advert, 'only well-behaved children welcomed' I asked her if it made any difference....no she said. Which makes you wonder if many parents are deluded

Mouse (who was only thinking about changing her 'signature' when my season starts to; 'welcome to the pleasuredome' but I think I'll gift it to you Susan! )
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In the space of 7 days I've had kids wandering all over my neighbours' land, stealing a neighbours wood (and being caught by the neighbour), the pool light climbed on and displaced, the bikes being used for wheelies and not bike rides, then being left out overnight instead of being put back in the shed, ants in the houses (hot weather), a guest who is 'never ill' getting gastro after eating in a recommended restaurant (no-one else was ill though and they all ate the same things), a broken shower, a broken door handle, electricity tripping, and another bloody broken coffee pot on the filter coffee maker which I couldn't get the correct replacement for at the supermarket, so will have to buy a new machine.

bless your heart!

remember, this too shall pass... and the fun guests really are fun.

sending lots of compassionate hugs,
debk

A problem shared is a problem halved - hope it works with guests children as I share this...

current guests (repeats - love it here been 4 times in 2 years) are foster carers with a 9 year old girl with really severe learning and behaviour difficulties. I looked after her all day yesterday during my easter egg hunt and she has been in the garden herself since 8.30am this morning arggggghhh

We have one broken playhouse window, 3 traumatised cats and pretty p***** off honeymooners in the other cottage who keep getting a face staring in at them,

OK if I wasn't here (please oh please!) I wouldn't see it/been compained at but I am

I am not even hardhearted enough to tell the foster carers to look after their charge but its too early for the vino - wonder if a really strong expresso will help- or a really big easter egg - I'll try both

Chocolate and lots of it. Sorry you are both having a hard time childwise - I can only send hugs too and hope that we have a good season

Oh, Susan and Fibi..I do feel for you both! You have buckets of sympathy from me. You must have nerves of steel: I'd be flat out with a migraine by now. Here's hoping your next changeover brings you families in 'The Waltons' mould...

Thanks enid and RR for the sympathy - that and the mountain of easter eggs I have consumed has made me feel much better....if a bit sick

Fibi,

but its too early for the vino

What do you mean it's too early for the vino? You're up aren't you?

Fluffy

Good point Fluffy (may I call you Fluffy ?) and it is definately not too late now !

fibi wrote:Good point Fluffy (may I call you Fluffy ?) and it is definately not too late now !

Why not? Everybody else does and I don't mind; actually I rather like it.

Fluffy

In the space of 7 days I've had .......ants in the houses (hot weather), a guest who is 'never ill' getting gastro after eating in a recommended restaurant (no-one else was ill though and they all ate the same things), a broken shower, a broken door handle, electricity tripping, and another bloody broken coffee pot on the filter coffee maker which I couldn't get the correct replacement for at the supermarket, so will have to buy a new machine.

Susan....I do feel for you and the season has only just kicked off! The trials and tribulations above could easily be related to the running of our villa .....so in a way I'm already 'bracing' myself when we reach our back-to-back bookings where the only time we have is for cleaning and dread the stress of any type of emergency maintenance


On the issue of the teenagers churning your lawn..if I lived on site I would say something and have a polite word. Perhaps they don't think they are doing anything wrong....until told.