family-unfriendly experiences

[Sosijsmum]

Forgive me having a bit of a moan here. Am I overreacting? Have been trying to book a week's B&B in cornwall for me, dh and ds (19mo). Thought I'd found the perfect one last night and spoke to a v. helpful lady and promised to send a deposit. This morning she rang me back saying she'd discussed it with her dh and he felt it wouldnt be fair on the other guests to have a baby on the premises! She didnt even have the decency to lie and say there wasnt enough room for travel cot/ are double booked etc. What's more i rang 7 more places of which 5 said things along similar lines, including "We've got too many nick-nacks" to "I wouldn't be able to let out the adjacent room in case he's a cryer" and "He might try to climb out of the window." Now, I'm a reasonable person and I know that not everyone adores small children as much as I do, and also that there are lots of companies specialising in "child free" holidays, but when places advertise themselves as "family run" why do they have to be so anti family? What is the worst anti-family treatment you guys have come up against?

PS did eventually find a B&B who positively welcome chn, so holiday is on after all!

[Marina]

Bozza, it depends on a) the type of adult seating in the restaurant and b) if the highchairs are big and robust. We would still perch ds aged 4 in the Handysitts you often find in Pizza Express for example, because he fits and he's at a more comfortable height for the table. Luckily he does not object to being in a "high chair" in these circumstances. I am sure barely being able to peep over the plates makes some preschool children cross and fidgety in restaurants and cafes.
I am not a big anti-bac product user at home but given the state of some of the highchairs we have seen on our travels I am never without a pocket pack of wipes for cleaning dirty surfaces.

[Bozza]

Quick query on the subject. At what age did you stop putting your children in high chairs when eating out? DS is 2y4m and in a booster chair to the table at home and we throw this in the car when visiting family etc. I have still been putting him in high chairs when eating out, but with increasing difficulty in getting him into a lot of them, particularly with fixed trays.

[Bozza]

Northerner I've resorted to cleaning high chairs with a baby wipe countless times. IMO a high chair tray should be as clean as a plate because thats what the child eats off half the time.

[Northerner]

Pubs which belong to a big brewery chain annoy me. We went to one for lunch on Sunday, it claims to be family friendly - has an extensive childrens menu and even a wacky warehouse type play area. The whole pub could have done with a good spring clean. 2 options on the kiddies menu were no longer available, so we decided to go for a child portion of sausage, mash and peas for ds (15 months). We were brought a highchair which looked like it had the remains of many a childrens meal welded to the tray. When I asked for it to be cleaned a waiter brought me a cloth so I could clean it myself! Then they brought our meals and a dizzy waitress placed a steaming hot plate of sausage and mash directly on ds's high chair tray right in front of him. Surely common sense tells you not to put hot food in front of a baby - is this too much to ask?

[helenmh]

It always amazes me the contrast between attitudes to children in the uk (with some exceptions)and abroad. I would always out of choice try and go abroad. In Turkey last year staff seeing people arriving with a small baby/ toddler would go out of their way to help- on one small island they were rocked to sleep in hammocks. When my son was 10 months in greece- waitresses would carry him around while we ate our meals. In barcelona for my 40th- after going through the usual instructions to the boys to behave in a restaurant. We were given a table in the middle of the restaurant and the waiters got them up to play football. I could go on. Also it seems that to get a place that is both child friendly and has good food in england you have to pay an arm and a leg
helen

[Bozza]

Aloha I would also self cater with small children for anything more than a couple of nights. But when DS was a baby we decided to have a couple of nights in the Lakes when he would be about 12 weeks. PIL also came. DS was still at the fairly portable stage and it was the height of the Foot and Mouth so business was slack but the number of B&Bs that wouldn't take us. I researched on the net and what really frustrated me was that several had no mention of a "no children" policy until I rang them hence wasting my time and phone bill.

Lambchops I really can't believe (well I can!) that people would leave a dirty nappy in their room all day - afterall that would be where the worst of the smell was concentrated.

[Bozza]

Aloha I would also self cater with small children for anything more than a couple of nights. But when DS was a baby we decided to have a couple of nights in the Lakes when he would be about 12 weeks. PIL also came. DS was still at the fairly portable stage and it was the height of the Foot and Mouth so business was slack but the number of B&Bs that wouldn't take us. I researched on the net and what really frustrated me was that several had no mention of a "no children" policy until I rang them hence wasting my time and phone bill.

Lambchops I really can't believe (well I can!) that people would leave a dirty nappy in their room all day - afterall that would be where the worst of the smell was concentrated.

[bossykate]

aloha, it's no problem if the hotel has baby-listening or you bring a monitor (always assuming the hotel is not absolutely vast!). Though I too prefer the self-catering option between about 6 - 18m when you need the flexibility.

[aloha]

I'd always self cater with small children because that way you get to put the baby to bed and have some adult time to yourselves like at home. How do you manage that in a hotel?

[Finbar]

I have a wad of soggy chips left at the bottom of the paper to throw!

[Frenchgirl]

I hope you mean continental as in Belgian, we frogs don't dip them in mayo but in mustard (if anything)

[codswallop]

Mine was in mayonnaise - continental style

[Frenchgirl]

Here it goes coddy, dipped in ketchup first!

[TheOldDragon]

JimJams, your 4yo was breathing?? That's disgraceful! Shouldn't be allowed by children in public

[codswallop]

throw the chip frenchie

[Frenchgirl]

I'm so pleased you had a good time with your kids in France!!! I get starved of nice comments on French people you see

What a horrible old bat to do that to your 2 year old! Some people are so anally retentive about kids it makes me mad...

[codswallop]

Ps can we all throw a virtual chip back at her -?

[codswallop]

Old cow - how insulting!

[Jimjams]

Just back from 2 weeks in France and have to say they really are great with kids- even stroppy 17 month olds who think they are 2 and even stroppier autistic 4 year olds. Although they thought being gluten free was mad (obviously) they were still happy to provide stuff for ds1. Had a great time.
In fact the first dirty look we got was from a british woman on the ferry home last night who appeared to be sucking lemons. My friends 2 year old ds was having a bit of a moan (nothing major) and dropped a chip, and my autistic 4 year old was breathing. Obviously this deserved dirty looks and glares all round. Oh how lovely to be home( she threw the chip back at the 2 year old by the way- charming huh).

[lou33]

Finbar I've just come back from a break in Wales I could really 100% recommend to you. In it's own grounds with no neighbours in sight. Three beds 2 bathroom, stairgates, cot, highchair if you want, and they have plastic plates for younger ones so teh good plates don't get smashed! Fully equipped kitchen too. If you are interested have a look here . The people who own it were lovely too.Hth.

[tamum]

Finbar, I don't know whether this would be any good at all to you (it won't be if you definitely want self-catering), but have you considered Polmaily House, near Loch Ness? It's a nice hotel and very child-friendly. Let me know if you want any more info.

[Finbar]

PPH thanks for your sympathy - it was such a lovely property as well -AND we'd just managed to wen my DD off the idea of going to France!

[princesspeahead]

finbar, isn't that completely ridiculous? really sorry to hear that. no practical help, though I'm afraid - sounds like the web and lots of phone calls to me

[Finbar]

Have ranted on another thread about this - but I can't believe that the same thing has happened to me as happened to Sosijsmum.

Booked a fab place to stay in scotland - self-catering and part of two properties in this converted Coac House building - in a wood - no-one else nearby...and they've rung and told us that they can't take children. Unfortunatley DH took the call and did not quiz them at length as to theri reasons - but I'm heartbroken.

Ther were no knick-knacks for my children to disturb , the grounds shared with the other let property were HUGE and now we're back to trawling thro' the Internet andthe Travel agents to find something for ourhols

[tamum]

The AA have just brought one out recently- it's a bit scant on the details, but would at least serve as a starting place. It gives stuff like babylistening, children's menu and things which places are unlikely to offer if they're unwilling to take children (surely??)
It's here