Infants in my opinion should not be free!

[Gilly17]

Hi there

  Allowing babies to stay for free, I can understand....it makes sense... BUT ... I find it absurd that infants are free. In my experience the properties require much more cleaning after infants have stayed; Sticky fingers splodged food everywhere not just at the table . Dripped and dropped ice creams .Biscuits and snacks dropped and crummed everywhere. They also use more hot water than adults or older children because they usually have baths.

  I cannot be alone in thinking this?

What are your thoughts?

Gilly

[Lorna170]

@Gilly17   I am fortunate in that my municipality imposes a restriction on the number of persons my properties can accommodate and they do not distinguish between a full grown person and a newborn.  If it is a human being, it counts as a guest.  I rarely have guests with children, but when I do have a rental that includes children, I alert my housekeeper and I expect to have a charge for an extra hour or two of cleaning.   Children should count, no matter what their age.

[Gilly17]

Yes, ridiculous that the host should shoulder the cost !!

[Cathie19]

I totally agree with the philosophy coming from @Gilly17 , @Lorna170  @Emilia42 , @Dimitar27  & @Sarah977. 

I am a family friendly space that converts beds and can add bed rails, portacot etc etc depending on the cohort. 

When parents aren’t following their standard routine and are on holidays with small ones up to the age of say six or seven, they are often trying lots of new foods, take away, different bed times due to sight seeing, visiting family etc, so there is a fatigue that creeps in on the kids. Therefore, cleaning accidents are going to be on a steep rise...... 

Toddlers and preschoolers are heavy on the cleaning and wear and tear. What about the butter, peanut butter, jam or honey finger-tip stains on the cushions of the dining chairs, or on the wood of the furniture? Not all parents clean up.... trust me. That’s some serious cleaning, before you actually start your cleaning .......

Infants / babies take considerable time for set up and use extra bedding and have accidents = equals extra linen and washing. But babies and non mobile infants do not rip down items off coffee tables etc.

Toddlers use extra bedding if not toilet trained... extra soaking and sanitising layers of washing. They also climb and are much more curious, adding hazard layers to your space and items in it. You also hide any pens, matches etc and hope mum and dad haven’t brought crayons, texts or markers, even if they are washable. Or that they leave them down within ready reach, if they are using them for work.

Therefore more than the usual extra linen and mattress protectors are needed in supplies for babies, infants and toddlers, in the space. 

Adults with babies use extra bedding, due to babies and toddlers being in bed with them as well. Milk, spew etc etc. (But this is acceptable)

Not to mention, extra set up time pre-arrival wash and wipe downs with stored cots, high chairs, toys, books etc etc etc. Then reverse it on departure.

This all before you start on your standard turn around cleaning of the space.

Mobility and age matter! 

Some $ recognition within the @Airbnb pricing needs to be more structured and equitable.

[Gilly17]

Yes, couldn't agree more. We can charge more for pets , why not dreaded infants ?

[Cathie19]

Personally @Gilly17 , I don’t dread infants; but I do dread the lack of financial $ recognition for my extra time, extra energy input and the higher wear and tear on fabric furnishings and furniture.

Even before enhanced Covid19 cleaning, I would make sure I had plenty of day/s between a younger family and the space turn around; in case the space was needing a MAJOR overhaul CLEAN. I use to factor the incoming ages of the booking family, doing this. I love being a family friendly space, for it is emotionally enjoyable, but not a value added business decision.

[Dawn653]

Pets are cleaner and don't require a lot of clean up.

[Gilly17]

🤣🤣😂

[Fred13]

Which reminds of a booking I had the other day, that started out with - "I understand that kids are free". Then I asked her how old are the 'kids', she answered 28,26. 22, 29, 19 and 12 years old. Charming.

[Cathie19]

@Fred13: 😳+ 😳+ 😳 + 😳 + 😳 = Bahahahaha... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Sarah977]

@Fred13  Hilarious. And I bet if she still thinks of them as kids, they act like that, too. Quite a few of the 30 somethings I know behave more like I'd expect from a 14 year old.

[Helen350]

@Sarah977 Careful now! Someone might mistake your personal observation for as "-ism"! 😜🤣😂🤣

@Fred13 

[Sondra32]

Omgoodness!I 😅😂😂 that is hilarious!

Goes to show what we have to deal with sometimes! 

[Gilly17]

Love her humour!

[Betsy16]

Totally agree, we had guests who had a child who had accidents in the bed, I think several nights in a row, we had to wash everything three times to get the smell of urine out of everything. Did I get paid more? No I did not, I should have been able to charge.  I love children, but I have a new rule, if your child wets the bed, the guests will be charged. 

[Cathie19]

Similar @Betsy16!
I had one set of parents need full bed change, (mattress protectors as well) a four days across a week’s stay. I also insist on doing all the linen laundering. The child was obviously being toilet trained in our warm environment, or had slipped backwards due to the late sightseeing and even later bed times. I know this as they would be in the pool well past my own grandkids bedtime.(mine were older)

I literally had to bite my tongue and resist suggesting a night nappy or pull up night pants whilst here..... Before anyone judges, I obviously know that’s not my call!  But I can think it!