To think hotels are very child unfriendly

[Ontheclifftop]

We've just come back from a weekend away in a hotel with dd aged 5 and ds aged 3. Three incidents really made me realise how unwelcoming hotels are to young families:

1. When we were checking in after a long drive the kids were letting off a bit of steam. I know how that sounds, but they were just running around a bit, not getting in anyone's way or anything. Two people who were sitting on couches reading newspapers got up and left, one sighing heavily and one giving us a dirty look.
2. At about 7ish the following morning we got a call from reception to say the people in the next room were complaining about the noise. Again I know how that sounds, but dd and ds were playing quietly with some teddies. DS let out one squeal of excited laughing but other than that they were perfectly fine.
3. Following that call I said I'd take them down to the swimming pool as I knew it opened early. When I got down the attendant said it was adult only between 7.30 and 9.00. I explained about the phone call and pointed out there were only 2 people in the pool and I'd do my best to ensure we'd stay down at the shallow end and not get in their way. But he refused to let us in.

The whole thing really pissed me off. What are you supposed to do with young children in a hotel? If they play quietly in the room someone complains. If you try to use the facilities to keep them occupied, you're told you can't.

AIBU to feel hotels are just totally unwelcoming to young families nowadays?

Is this satire?

I’ll leave this here. I’ve helped to look after my nephew who’s now fine from when he was a baby.

Anywhere adult where I take him by myself and he starts acting up then it’s immediately or give him a polite warning that if he doesn’t behave then we leave.

Recently we were in the supermarket as I’d promised him a magazine. Of course this is slightly overwhelming as lots of magazines, you pass an aisle with toys in it and then I took him to the bakery section as well as got him a child chocolate lolly (yeah he’s spoiled!). I do tend to hold his hand and make it quick with him as I don’t really went to didn’t ages there but I also give him instructions before I take hm anywhere. Eg a cafe with maybe children but not lots, I say we are going here I’ll take your iPad or pad and crayons/pens, or we’re going to the pop up charity toy shop, through the park but we are “not” stopping at the play park ok etc.

He’s really good with the above and if he does go to an adult place where he may get bored and mess around then me or his parents take him outside. Because putting it mildly we are not dicks!

Still can’t believe OP says “oh my DC were playing quietly by the side of the wall”. What part of the hotel lobby isn’t a playground don’t you understand? Or one of you can’t take them outside for a second.

Aargh I mean five not fine!

Not even a little bit.

Of course it's not. This is how people think these days. They want consideration but will give none to others are they are more important don't you know.

Of course it isn't.

This is just another one of the "my kid will grab bananas all she wants, fuck you" brigade. There's a depressing number of them about these days.

😂😂😂

I mean I'd never heard of this brigade before but sure, count me in. Yes, I will let my child shop in a shop. I will permit her to pick up some fruit and put it in the trolley.

I will also not be bothered if I have to wait an extra few seconds for another shopper, a young child, a person stacking the shelves or filling online orders, a wheelchair user, an elderly person, someone who's blocking the aisles because they've lost their shopping list or can't find their store card or dropped a bottle of milk. I will not huff and puff or roll my eyes because I've been inconvenienced by two whole seconds, nor will I come onto public forums and suggest that the young/old/disabled/scatterbrained should be banned from doing something perfectly normal a public place just because it would make things a tiny bit more convenient for me.

Exactly. Poor parenting at it worst yet OP wants to blame the hotel industry instead of her lack of parenting. It certainly will not be the last time she gets complaints about her children's behavior. Unfortunately children pay the price for being allowed to mis behave or "let off steam"

I get doing it when it's quiet but it's somewhat dim witted to allow your child to do it when it's a busy time .
No doubt the child would get accidently knocked or tripped over and then it would be screams of " so unfriendly to children"
Serious lack of common sense

Those tunnels!😱.
Going OT for a moment, aged 14 and on a school cruise we were bussed en masse from Alexandria to visit the pyramids. Crawling in a line through the tunnels some pupils starting larking around so-much-so that we had to stop, meanwhile the pupils behind kept moving towards us, so that my group were trapped, unable to move and gasping for air. Many of us fainted and had to be carried out. Claustrophobia has been my constant and increasingly intrusive "companion" ever since.

@PaperSheet Some supermarkets have managed to make the shopping experience more child friendly without significantly affecting other shoppers.

Our Morrison's has free fruit for the kids to eat on the way round, which feels special (plus the resulting slight sugar high tends to last mine long enough to get out of the shop), mini shopping trolleys for kids to join in, and a big empty area by the toilets with rides to bribe your kids.

I'd appreciate it if shops with noisy fluorescent lighting could change it though. The high pitched whine they give off is just on the edge of a child's hearing, and sets a lot of kids off.

I don't buy this at all. I'm completely in agreement re. the rushing around at the tube station bit. No way would I let a kid toddle on the steps there. But the supermarket bit is baffling to me.

Because the magic food fairy doesn't exist and we need to eat?

I get doing it when it's quiet but it's somewhat dim witted to allow your child to do it when it's a busy time
Same here.

It isn't rocket science to have some self-awareness, or shouldn't be.

It's almost like some parents lose any common sense the second they have a kid and then all of a sudden the world stops and everything revolves around whatever ever so important teaching moment non-self-aware parent has decided is centre of the universe.

Online shop? Click & collect? Child stay home with other parent?

It's not difficult
Friday evening or Saturday morning when it's really busy , lots of trolleys etc vs a weekday mid afternoon when it's likely to be quieter.

It's not a teaching moment. It's just living normal life with your kid. "We need some bananas." "Can I get them?" "Ok."

It would turn into far more of a big deal if I said, "no, I'll get them, because I'm half a second faster and the very angry looking lady behind us might be on her way to a job interview and desperately lacking in potassium."

I think it's a shame that people are so annoyed by having to wait an extra couple of seconds. But regardless, we can't ban everything that annoys us, sadly, or else I would ban every MN user who immediately resorts to insulting the intelligence of anyone who disagrees with them.

I didn't say anything was difficult. I know when the busy times are.

takealettermsjones
I let my children take things off the shelf for the trolley, when it's quiet. I don't when it's busy because I know that other people have things they want to be and if everyone takes the mass-participation event approach to shopping nobody gets anywhere.

The whole 'baaaahh I'm going to let my children dawdle on busy stairs because they need to learn steps. Everyone should wait for my child to peruse the fruit and decide what they want to pick. Anyone who finds themselves irritated that the queue is growing whilst I let my child plays shops on self-service or load the belt needs to stop viewing children as lesser/second class citizens/hating on children " thing is an outlook that self-absorbed parents have.

Meanwhile most parents have common sense and acknowledge their child isn't the only person in a shop/cafe/restaurant.

It's hardly difficult to understand that if it's busy it's probably not the best time to have a small child toddling about while other people are busy doing their weekend shop.

It's called parenting to role model appropriate behaviour, self indulgent to allow your children to be in the way, unkind for the child who gets bashed or tripped over.

sigh.
you know those old people now were the hippies, and the original 68ers, anti-authoritarian parents?

The thing is: if children are running around, screeching and being thoroughly brattish outside of soft play, you can bet i am going to a) judge their parents and b) complain.

OTOH i do love to see children playing, having fun, and interacting with the world, learning about social conventions etc etc etc

It's not difficult to understand that if you're impatient at having to wait an extra couple of seconds, you probably shouldn't shop at busy times.

I know what parenting is. I like to role model patience and tolerance to my children.

Oh goodness. It looked claustrophobic on the photos.

You've used the phrase "a couple of seconds" a few times now. You must realise people aren't talking about a literal couple of seconds?
So disingenuous...

Very well said!

I honestly despair for the future sometimes after reading threads on here, I can completely understand why so many teachers are leaving the profession, they are not only having to teach academically but it seems they are now having to teach new cohorts basic manners and social skills on top of that as their parents are failing to do this.