Never thought I would get it - Pass me the Baton

[gillumhouse]

I got a 1-night reservation yesterday and he said they had 2 children. OK, no problem, we take kids. So I send the conformation letter asking him to respond quickly, please, so I can roast their coffee choice and please choose their meat. He replies with the coffee choice and a I forgot, we have 3 children. then proceeds to tell me - 1 wants steak, 1 wants pork chops, one wants bacon, and 1 wants pork sausage. I responded with: we are a small B & B not a restaurant, could you please at least get the meat down to 2. Steak and pork sausage it is.

then he e-mailed asking if I do dinner. No but these are the dining choices in town or you might want to stop for dinner on the way in. they did - carry-out. I am proud of me! I did some quick thinking and suggested they might want to eat their dinner on the porch since it was such a lovely evening. I would set up a table for them. And that is what was done. Whew. I know what is being served for breakfast - had no idea what was in those containers. Just knew I did not want it in the room nor in my dining room, not with 3 kids (2, 4, &7). Took them to the room first - the kids immediately started jumping on the bed - lucky me. I heard them running around the room after they ate dinner. ?Has thankfully gone quiet.

They are going to a State Park about 30 miles from me. Came here because I have a Tesla charger. Breakfast at 8 and after they leave I get to take down the %^&*( cot I set up for one kid - they are supposed to have a Pac N Play for another so I am praying the one they plan to have sleeping in the bed is not a wetter. (Since I lost so much weight, I no longer have the oomph to work the springs that support the cot.) Sigh.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

“I forgot, I have three kids”.

I see abandonment issues in kid #3’s future.

Very much looking forward to a post checkout update.

 

[Morticia]

Dang! It’s packed in a box. I’ll send it along when I dig it out!

 

[gillumhouse]

UPDATE: They left about 10:30. Other than the kids running around the room & jumping on the bed, it was not as bad as I had feared. Not much mess in the dining room after breakfast and the kids stayed in their chairs (had the 2-year-old in the high chair without the tray. The pack n play was not used - one of the baby blankets I set out for it had stains on it - am tossing, They are cheap enough I am not going to mess with it.

I guess I was pre-disposed to expect the worst when he "forgot" a kid and asked for 4 different meats for one breakfast. Thankfully, other than being FULL of energy, the kids were ok, no screamers. Lights and A/C were left on, but that is normal. I even figured out how to take down the ^&*( cot easily - I sat on the bed and pushed on the spring side of the support with my foot like I was standing on it and the hooks unhooked! By 11 I had dishes done down to the pans and the washer started with the first load. I am "smokin'" this morning! give me 2 hours and I will be doing a crash & burn! But not until I get the sheets on the line to dry.

 

[Northern Dreamer]

UPDATE: They left about 10:30. Other than the kids running around the room & jumping on the bed, it was not as bad as I had feared. Not much mess in the dining room after breakfast and the kids stayed in their chairs (had the 2-year-old in the high chair without the tray. The pack n play was not used - one of the baby blankets I set out for it had stains on it - am tossing, They are cheap enough I am not going to mess with it.

I guess I was pre-disposed to expect the worst when he "forgot" a kid and asked for 4 different meats for one breakfast. Thankfully, other than being FULL of energy, the kids were ok, no screamers. Lights and A/C were left on, but that is normal. I even figured out how to take down the ^&*( cot easily - I sat on the bed and pushed on the spring side of the support with my foot like I was standing on it and the hooks unhooked! By 11 I had dishes done down to the pans and the washer started with the first load. I am "smokin'" this morning! give me 2 hours and I will be doing a crash & burn! But not until I get the sheets on the line to dry.

Good for you! We don't usually allow any children, but made an exception for a 17yr and 19yr (not really a child?) old traveling with the parents...thinking it would be no big deal....umm WRONG - I think your 3 little ones were better behaved than these two sisters - who were pounding on the bathroom door as one was taking a shower and the other wanted "IN"! They are lucky the other guests were out for the day or I would have had to go "parent" them on being others aware and quietness! Beside them fighting over the bathroom, they were late checking out and the girls' room was a mess...even broke a dresser drawer handle...ugh! I gotta stick to my guns - Hangin' my sign again - "No Kids"

 

[Morticia]

@Northern Dreamer we were always certain teenagers wouldn’t get up in time for breakfast and that turned out to be fairly correct. Friends traveled with their teenagers who fought over everything. They also broke things at small properties where their parents brought them. They didn’t get up until after check out and their parents expected them to be fed at that time.

It’s parents who allow this behavior and think everyone should cater to their kids who make innkeepers create policies against all kids. And they never understand these rules were made for people like them!

 

[gillumhouse]

I had more damage from adults that from kids. the one I wanted to smack across the head (and the Mother too) was a 21-year old equestrian competitor whose Mother was paying the freight - rooms (friends traveling with), stable, all fees, etc. The girl talked to her Mother in words and tone that NONE of my kids would have talked to me that way because they knew I would stand for it. Had I talked that way to my Mother, my head would have ben landing in Pennsylvania (we lived in WV - PA was about 8 minutes away). It was so hard to not be asking the Mother why she tolerated that. Believe it of not - I DID keep my mouth shut.

 

[Silverspoon]

Good for you! We don't usually allow any children, but made an exception for a 17yr and 19yr (not really a child?) old traveling with the parents...thinking it would be no big deal....umm WRONG - I think your 3 little ones were better behaved than these two sisters - who were pounding on the bathroom door as one was taking a shower and the other wanted "IN"! They are lucky the other guests were out for the day or I would have had to go "parent" them on being others aware and quietness! Beside them fighting over the bathroom, they were late checking out and the girls' room was a mess...even broke a dresser drawer handle...ugh! I gotta stick to my guns - Hangin' my sign again - "No Kids"

The first rule we made…no kids. Best decision we made. I was a teacher for 34 years and love the darlings. But “family accommodations “ are a lot of work and not worth the work, imho.

 

[Jay Curci]

We allow Children and do not have many issues. Occasionally we have to straighten people out if the Children are running around and potentially in danger of hurting themselves. I think going over the policies from the get-go and reminding them that others are here for relax and get some R&R. Quite time means quite time. We begin to stress the quite policy from the first contact on.... So, if someone is not cooperating after all that - I will have no problem asking them to leave. Never had to as of yet had to throw anyone out of the Inn.

 

[Anon Inn]

Believe it of not - I DID keep my mouth shut.

 

[FHI2426]

When we get calls asking if we take kids (our policy is over 13 only) I turn it back on the parents and ask them - we expect certain level of behavior and if they think their kids will be well behaved then they are wlecome to stay,,, we have never had a problem with kids after we ask that q - 1/2 say "oh no we will keep looking thanks" and the other 1/2 say "yes our kids are polite etc..." and we ended up with some lovely 5 to 8 yo's

 

[gillumhouse]

Thankfully, my kids knew which side of the door to be themselves. I kept being told what polite, wonderful, helpful kids I had. I thought they MUST be confused but it was gratifying to hear. Bless their little pea-pickin' hearts - once on the stoop, they became angels.

 

[alias annie]

I worst behaved children staying were our grandchildren! fortunately, they heard Granny plainly and stopped stomping up and down the stairs (that is a fun noise to make). And we had no other guests here.