First guests in newly renovated gite

[Loopy Lou]

Had to be a family of 5 with two small boys, didn't it! Mum, Dad, Gran and an 8 year old (I think) and a 4 year old who doesn't listen and yells a lot. They have signed the form saying they have read the pool rules but still let the boys into the pool area in the charge of a 13 year old girl who happens to be staying in one of the other gites and has the patience of a saint. They also let the boys climb onto the raised flower bed and thus break down the stone walls. I have fenced in the courtyard and had to padlock the gates to keep the boys in, but they climb over the fence anyway. Three adults to two small boys and they don't keep them either supervisedl or entertained. I dread to think what I will find in my brand new, spick and span cottage after they have left. They also let the boys make as much noise as they want when my other guests are still asleep in the mornings.

I am beginning to think I should just advertise the properties for either adults only, families with civilised children over the age of 12, or families with unmoving babies, leaving out the children from toddler to 12 years! Visiting dogs are less trouble, so far!!!

Thank goodness my other guests are lovely and say they intend to come again next year with "Mum" and take all three gites. This will at least ensure they get their morning lie-ins without disturbance. I suppose it is the luck of the draw when you book self-catering on a site with three gites. I hope I haven't made a mistake developing the cottage but it cried out to be done. We'll see.

It's interesting, isn't it, how you take to some guests and not to others. I wish the first guests in my darling little cottage had been more sympa.

LL

[Hells Bells]

LL, sympathies. They will probably be in the minority though, and the rest of your guests will be lovely.

[tree-peony]

oh blimey

I've already decided to make ours "no under 6s" as the pool isn't fenced (koff!!) but maybe I should make that under 30s!!!

[Mouse]

Sympathies from me too LL.

You will eventually grow a 'callous' over those initial feelings you will have when you walk into your lovely cottage and find it a little battered.
Just remember it's a business....and you've got money in the bank. Always helps to keep me focused

I must admit...I have always wondered, from someone who occasionally finds they have to 'temper' only one lot of guests...how an earth do you manage in a 'gite' complex when each guests behaviour/level of noise can impact on others. Or do 'gite' renters accept that it's the luck of the draw & don't therefore expect you to keep order?

I think I would be mortified if one set of guests were noisy early risers whilst others wanted a lie in

Hope that's not TC

Mouse (who's glad she only ever has one set of guests to worry about)
x

[la vache!]

Sorry about your first guests Lou, but there are always some who you are happier to say au revoir to than others at the end of their stay. Re the noise - in my gites the walls are so thick that you really can't hear what is going on outside unless the windows are open - and most of the bedrooms are at the front of my gites, not the back where the garden is. I think if people book to stay on a 'complex' they expect a certain amount of noise - but if anyone complained I would not hesitate to have a word with the family concerned. Also have a word about the pool - my rules state that children must be accompanied by an adult at all times - if they are not obeying your rules tell them! I used to feel embarrased, but it is you who will be sued if things go wrong, so don't feel bad about telling them the rules - and the same goes for the climbing of the fences and walls, tell the kids to get off them! Or have a word with the parents.
In my experience most 4 yr old boys run about, shout a lot and don't listen, they need to be given guidelines, either by you or Mum and Dad (or Gran) to work from.
Bon courage

[Guest3]

I can understand your concerns about the two small boys running riot Loopy.

We've got a family staying in the villa with 3 boys under 8 who have already caused me stress at the beginning of the week by shutting off the water downstairs after finding a stop cock we never knew existed! Goodness knows what else they've fiddled about with when we go to do the changeover tomorrow ...my main concern is that we have the pool heat exchanger with 3 lovely bright RED handles in the back garden....and a water pump for the deposit tank...again with lots of "bells and whistles"...dreading to find them messed about with!

[Mouse]

if they are not obeying your rules tell them! I used to feel embarrased, but it is you who will be sued if things go wrong, so don't feel bad about telling them the rules

That's a salient reminder & well put LV. I remember how awkward I felt the first time I had to 'have a word' so to speak & the courage I got through listening to people like yourselves on LMH who had been there & got the T-shirt.

with 3 lovely bright RED handles

BP I had a real good laugh at that!!

Here's hoping they left them well alone (oh yeah! )

Mouse
x

[Bellywobble]

You have my sympathy too!

Another thought that may help you feel happier about having a word with them....can you imagine how dreadful the 13 year old would feel for the rest of her life if a serious accident happened! The poor girl sounds saintly but she shouldn't have that much responsibility forced on her at that age. She should be relaxing and enjoying her own holiday!

An incident comes to mind when I sent my 3 to a holiday playscheme. At the time they were aged 5,7 and 9 and were with another child aged 10. All the kids were all taken out for the day to one of these large kiddie fun parks and although I was assured they would be well supervised I was horrified to discover that when they arrived they were sent off in little groups and told to come back to a meeting point at lunch time!!! Mine were in a group of four with the 10 year old. The 10 year old had been told to keep an eye on the others! Goodness knows what the staff were doing while the kids were all off in groups! That was the first and last day for my kids at that scheme! Sadly and unbelievably the staff did not understand my concern.

Lets hope your next guests are lovely!

[J&J]

If children are really misbehaving in a dangerous manner outside, (which is very rare), we normally resort to short, sharp comments in order to avoid a disaster. We might then have a word with the parents after. This happened last year, and the offending boys were marched round to us to apologize by their parents who said "you go ahead, they listen to you more!"
I'm not sure in Lou's case that children that young (under 10) should be left alone in the pool without adult supervision, however, and the other girl certainly cannot be held responsible for any accidents.
As for noise, unless it is at an unsocial hour, I think guests staying amongst other properties probably expect a bit of neighbourly noise. Different people have different routines, so I guess it's a case of live and let live.

Judith