How do you prepare for tiny humans?

[Jennifer1774]

Hello Oh Wise Ones!

My husband and I are new hosts in Sacramento, CA.  We don't specifically disallow children at our guest house and we recently received our first booking enquiry from a young family with a toddler.  He's 2.  I'm wondering what you do to make your place welcoming for tiny humans while still protecting your investment. 

My plan so far is to remove the breakables, take out the real houseplants and to replace the fancy velvet pillows and faux fur throw with things that are more child friendly (read: things that can go in the washer if they get jam on them).  I also will pull out the nice analine leather chairs for the dining table and replace them with some goodlooking lucite ghost chairs.  Again, for the jam-factor.  I also have some child sized dishes, cutlery and a sippy cup plus a squishy toy for the tiny human.  His parents assure me that they travel with an inflatable toddler bed and that they understand this is essentially an adult place with a fancy shower instead a bathtub.  

So, I'm not looking for your horror stories about how children have thrashed your place, but rather what you have done to make it work for them.  And...GO!  🙂

[Susan151]

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@Ann489 wrote:

@Jennifer1774  No horror stories--just a suggestion; hide all markers and sharpies/inkpens. 

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Hide all markers!!! Brilliant advice.

[Geri26]

Playing Devil's advocate and as some one who does not host families, while I understand your desire to replace all of your good quality items with child friendly ones, are you concerned at all that you will be marked down for 'accuracy' after the stay?  Advice that I see often is to make sure your listing looks exactly the same as your pictures .... your idea to replace the dining rooms chairs jumped out at me as something that will be obviously different.  Child friendly crockery and cutlery is a great idea as long as there are china ones for the parents to use. 
Just a thought for something for you to consider .... 🙂

[Jennifer1774]

I'm actually not concerned about that at all.  I'd rather take a hit on accuracy that I can explain in a response than have to replace a couple of expensive chairs.  But that's a good perspective.  

[Sandra126]

Borrow a play pen?

[Susan151]

@Jennifer1774 @Sandra126  Oddly, American parents no longer use play pens. In fact, the words "play pen" is now disdained by parents who are in their early 30's. They substitute the word "jail."

[Sandra126]

I have had guests arrive with a portable play pen, gives them some peace as the child is safe. Was an excellent idea. Sorry it is out of American fashion! Rather than jam-proofing the entire house, the child has a small safe spot.

[Jennifer1774]

Huh.  I wonder if that's regional.  I have lots of friends in that demographic who swear by their Play'n'Go-s.  

[Lilly28]

@Jennifer1774 

For an year and a half I was afraid allowing families with children. It is an year since I changed my mind. And I can say that the problems are minimal. I changed the interior for the first two families - great work, for no avail. I think, there is no need to change anything, stay calm - just put breakable things at hight the little one cannot reach. I do not do even this now.  

[Jennifer1774]

Thanks Lilly!  So you just host with your place as it is and let the parents deal with it?  Can you elaborate on what you mean by minimal problems?

[Sarah977]

@Jennifer1774  Make sure there are no toxic cleaning products anywhere in the unit that a child could get to. Even up on a counter isn't safe- an active 2 year old can climb on a chair and up onto a counter in a moment when a parent's back is turned. Most parents of a 2 year old will travel with what is needed for the child- toys, child dishes, travel cot, etc. unless they are staying somewhere that normally caters to families with children. It sounds like this guest is clear that you don't normally host children, so shouldn't be expecting you to provide a lot of stuff just for their booking. Hopefully they also have a waterproof pad that they use for changing diapers, if the child still wears them, if not, maybe you have something around that would work. And I certainly hope you have a waterproof mattress protector on the bed! 

You might also give them a pile of clean, but threadbare or stained towels that they could use for accidents and clean-ups, that could just go into the garbage if necessary afterwards. 

Little people come with as diverse characters as the adults they grow into. Some are loud, rambunctious and and need to be constantly watched. Others are quiet and calm and you'd barely know they were there but for the fact that they need to be fed and dressed and bathed.

I got my kids used to showers from a very early age, even though we had a bathtub, simply because I'd seen too many kids have absolute freak-outs when first having to take a shower, even at the age of 5 or 6, if all they were used to was a bath.

[Lilly28]

@Jennifer1774 

Minimal means - some of breakable items have been moved at a higher place - and now I ask the parents to put them on their place before leaving. Other thing - your bin will be full with changed baby diapers - I do not ask parents to throw the garbish. I buy baby shampoo, and I have a change table which helps the parents, baby cot and something to play with, and a baby bath. I decided though that I will charge for little ones as preparation time is much longer, more work is needed before and after their stay. Also have in mind that often 3 or even 4 years old are written by the parents as infants - just for the case not to pay anything. I always have plenty of towels - the best and whitest ones for the children, but parents can choose different colors.