[FESTIVAL] My Airbnb retirement plan, hosting children and pets in Peru

[Quincy]

This article is part of the Community Center's Festival of Hospitality 2022 . The original  topic was posted in the Spanish-speaking Community Center by @Carmen807, and we have translated it below.

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My Airbnb retirement plan, hosting children and pets in Peru." 

Being an Airbnb hostess in my country house in Lunahuaná, Peru, is my retirement project and the opportunity to continue supporting the development of children and enjoying their company.

I am an early childhood educator and have worked for 40 years in early childhood education and protection, progressively getting involved in complex issues such as violence or child abuse.

When I was 55 years old, I decided to quit and start a business that would sustain me in the future by supplementing my small pension in a developing country. It was a big challenge, but I was very much supported by the experience I integrated into my hosting: children are the center of life, their joy and well-being are my motivation, and so I managed to make my space child-friendly.

Altarpieces Peru has 5 rooms and two of them are family rooms, the beds are painted in fun colors, they have cheerful blankets and I always give them stories or comic books. Reading a story is the best way to close a good day and invite sleep for a wonderful rest.

Fantasy through play:

In the shared area, we have a life-size playhouse where there are many toys, such as a kitchen, pots, vegetables, baskets, and even pretend money. There the children cook, sell their products, invite their parents for "a little coffee", or turn it into a fire station. Everything your imagination wants, having fun with each other a lot. Play in children is part of their nature; everything playful makes them enjoy themselves and be happy.

Enjoying nature:

Being in a rural area, we have access to the Cañete River where you can enjoy its warm waters, look for tadpoles among the stones, throw stones, competing with each other to see who gets the furthest, play in the mud, and of course, have a good swim. Near the river area, I offer children buckets and shovels so that their creativity can take them wherever they want. An invitation to go for a dip in the river, of course.

In our orchard, we have many fruit trees such as medlar, apple, mango and peach trees, as well as grapes and bananas. Depending on the season, children can harvest and enjoy the fruit fresh from the ground. They will always have harvest baskets nearby to cheer them up and enjoy the fruit fresh from the tree.

A good cuddle with the Carlotas:

Our hens, apart from laying eggs, are very friendly with children, they are used to being touched and petted. Picking up the hot eggs is such an exciting surprise. It's beautiful to see a little girl carrying a chicken for the first time.

Pet friendly

We welcome our guests' pets with 'coexistence agreements': be vaccinated, be friendly with other guests, bring their own beds to sleep in, pick up after them, and pay extra for disinfection, among other things. It's a nice experience for everyone because more and more families have pets and integrate them into their travels. Our rescued pets, two female dogs and two female cats are very grateful to us and to those who show them affection. We can confidently allow children to cuddle and play with them, knowing that they will never hurt them.

The most beautiful thing is that they are integrated with the guests' pets, there is a lot of mutual connection between them. Although there is always a jealous one... it ends well.

Knead the dough AIRBNB Experiences

Little by little, we are offering pizzas where the children also participate; they help to knead dough and add the ingredients to their liking. It's a cost-free experience now, and we're testing the reception of guests.

Some challenges:

We always hope that children from different families will integrate with each other, sharing games and toys. 

Matias, my 4-year-old grandson is my co-host and he helps me a lot, he tells the guests about all the attractions we have, and he invites them to play or to go and see the chickens. 

Sometimes parents relax and leave them alone outdoors, time to 'keep an eye on them', and also intervene if there is a little fight between them. I always motivate them to share, play or create. The good news is that I get the kids to trust me.

Some reviews:

Mommy, is Carmen my aunt? Many times I have heard that question from some boy or girl, and it means that they feel trust in me and that I have achieved a bond of friendship and trust with them. It's amazing how being a host has let me meet many children, and continue to enjoy their company.

[Glenna16]

Totally awesome....learning Spanish now....LOL

[Carmen807]

Muchas gracias por sus palabras de elogio al compartir mi experiencia.

Me llena de alegría encontrar personas hermosas en el mundo, que confían en los turistas para darles alojamiento en su hogar.

Un abrazo grande 

Carmen

Thank you very much for your words of praise in sharing my experience.

It fills me with joy to find beautiful people in the world, who trust tourists to host them in their homes.

A big hug 

Carmen