As soon as you become a parent-or in my case, a parent-to-be, you start to see things in a different light. Case in point … our bed and breakfast. As a B&B that is located in Calabria’s capital city, yet away from the region’s more touristy towns, we don’t see many vacationing families-especially those with young kids. We’ve never had a need to baby-proof our place and until now, I had never really thought about it.
One thing I have thought about though, is how kids, especially toddlers, can tear up a place.
The Internet is full of advice for traveling families on how to baby-proof your hotel room, but I’m going to talk about how to ensure those B&B owners keep cooing your cutie pie.
Actually, many of these tips can be summed up in one phrase … watch your kids.
However, I know that is easier said than done. Still, think back to the time before you were a parent and imagine how you’d feel if someone let their baby destroy your house. For many B&Bers , our B&B is an extension-either physically or emotionally-of our home and most negative feelings can be avoided if guests realize and respect that.
With that in mind, here are three more specific tips on things to watch for when staying in a B&B.
1. Keys and Other Pointy Things
We have these big, antique doors at our B&B and while I wasn’t around way back when-when they were selected-I am still proud of them. We have had more than one set of guests let their children entertain themselves, either while they were checking in, having coffee or talking with other guests, with a set of keys in their hands. In addition to going after our priceless porte with the sharp end of the key, they’ve also taken a run at the walls and individual room doors.
Ouch.
2. Vases and Glasses
If your B&B has wine glasses, candy dishes or flower vases in the room, consider moving them to a place your kids can’t reach or asking the B&B owners to remove them altogether. They’ll appreciate your forethought in protecting their decorations and might be able to substitute your glasses for plastic, kid-friendly cups.
3. Food and Drink
I can’t imagine a B&B that would take offense if you or your kids eat in the room, especially if they have a small table and chairs set aside for that purpose. However, when possible, avoid eating or drinking hard-to-remove liquids on the bed. B&Bs don’t operate with the same budget as major hotels and often don’t have extra bedspreads or decorative quilts they can replace at a moment’s notice. If you drop pizza on the bedspread, the stain will be hard to remove and the B&B could be set back hundreds of euros to replace their handmade bedspreads.
Do you have any other tips for protecting your kids from the glaring, evil eye of the mean, old B&B owner? If so, leave them in the comments!
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