Toys & Games

[alexia s.]

What do you leave for children? We have a small swing/slide/ climbing frame for young children, a child's table with chairs (ideal for drawing, colouring in, etc), a toy car to ride (foot energy, or parent energy), various dolls, lots of jig-saw puzzles, educational toys for 12-24 months...... and loads of books. We have a parent at the moment who complains that her 2 yr old can't use the swing because it isn't enclosed, can't use the toys because they are either for under 2 yr olds or for over 2 yr olds, can't use the books because she can't read (obviously). I think she wants to leave the child on its own, but everything I leave requires parental help or presence. Is there any polite answer to this? Any magic toy I don't know about? I haven't bothered to tell her that a 2 yr old could be happy with empty cotton-reels and string: we're not on the same wave-length. As for telling her that she might read the children's books to her child........Help!!

[Clexane]

Wow,

When did entertaining children become part of the self catering service

We provide a sand pit with plastic tools, some baby einstein DVDs, a few board games, swing set, a two kid rocker, a small slide for toddlers and a small batch of safety gear like baby fences.

Other than that we provide for reliable low cost baby sitting services that I suggest you may tell her she may want to consider or draw her a map to the local toy store

Where did she get the idea that you where a fully stocked playground for kids???

[vrooje]

Alexia, you have way, way more things for kids than we do, especially small children!

We have a bunch of kids' movies, but other than that most of our games and such are for somewhat older kids (we have Monopoly, Scrabble, Checkers/Chess, puzzles, that sort of thing).

And it's not like I have kids or anything, but in my experience a 2 year-old can satisfy him/herself for hours with a pair of spoons or a cardboard box! So... what's this Mom on about?

[tansy]

Watch the house Alexia...sounds like one of those working mum's who has a nanny/au pair at home so doesn't know what to do with a child...probably the same with housework...

sand pit is the only thing I can think of..they have them as specials at the moment in Le Clerc,SuperU and I think Champion.

I only provide the beach, videos if it is raining,TV & some colouring books left by others....up to the family to do the entertainment!

Good luck with it.

[Alan Knighting]

We provide much the same as does Brooke. We used to have a swing but removed it - on the basis that if anything went wrong it would of course be "our" fault.

Parental responsibility? It seems that the word responsibility is not in the dictionary these days - everything is someone else's fault. Maybe, but it's not mine.

I know I am just sounding off but I think that parenting is a full time obligation and responsibility, not something to be dipped in and out of, no matter what the "nannie" state might have one believe.

Regards

Alan

[Normandy Cow]

My gosh, I don't know what to say!

I've just looked on your website and nowhere does it state that you provide a fully-equipped nursery with all the toys!

I have NEVER stayed in a french holiday home that provides anywhere even near what you do. I think I would tell her that it is not normal to provide any sort of toys in a fench holiday home and that she is lucky that you provide the ones you do!

I would then send her off to a toy shop...

[alexia s.]

Thank you all for this. You are all very reassuring and supportive.
I didn't mention it, because this is another topic, but the same mother wanted to take the 2 yr old "paddling" in the river. Rivers have- surprise! - moving water. They are fabulous for agile children & adults but not, under any circumstances, for a toddler. Some city folk need a survival course even in rural France. Maybe I should ask for references.

[paolo]

A two-year-old should be happy with a cardboard box and a piece of string, except when he/she wants some interaction with parents. It sounds like this parent is not used to the singular joys of reading books to a child or playing a game. It's a different kind of fun to sunbathing and drinking of course.

[debk]

Good thing it wasn't one of my renters calling with a comment like that. My response would definitely prompt the first negative comment in our guestbooks. Definitely, definitely.

Gracious... I'm surprised the mother didn't complain that the rental was missing the correct size diapers for her tot!

Whole thing has me very sad, actually. Poor little kid... she'd probably love nothing more than sharing one of those books with her mom.

[Fraise]

We're much like the majority.We provide a small table and 2 small cute chairs for outside- I only put them out when a tiny is coming.We provide a selection of DVD's and videos,about 15 in total.We are not a playgroup!!!I would not provide colouring books and crayons as I'd be worried about drawings on the walls!!It really is the parent's responsibility to amuse their offspring!!

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[la vache!]

Talking of parental responsibility, we have just had a chat with Grandad in the party in the farmhouse. He mentioned that the place was lovely, but there was one criticism, there were no boards across the gravelled patio area at the back and his two year old granddaughter had eaten 2 stones. I'm not sure that the two things are really connected, but I've never had a child of any guests eat gravel before and I'm certainly not going to take the responsibility! I was quite please to be fully booked in June this year, but having young children stay seems to bring its share of problems.
I'm sure the gravel will come out eventually...

[Fraise]

"I'm certainly not going to take the responsibility! "

Absolutely right.What a nerve!!!!Has the child never encountered small stones before? Once again,what's happened to Parental responsibility?

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[Alan Knighting]

Talking of parental responsibility, we have just had a chat with Grandad in the party in the farmhouse......................

Now the grandparents are at it.

How far back in the generations does one have to go before one finds a grain of responsibility in the grey matter, always assuming grey matter exists in the first place?

[paolo]

there was one criticism, there were no boards across the gravelled patio area at the back and his two year old granddaughter had eaten 2 stones

That is quite remarkable!

[Hells Bells]

Susan, it sounds like a nightmare. I an havingproblems with my sister who wants to visit my apartment next Summer. She has already suggested I should have travel cot, highchair, baby equipment etc, although I have pointed out that as we have a very small apartment there isn't really much space to store them.............