Babies/Toddlers - what do you supply?

[Mouse]

My market has changed and I'm getting more toddlers and babies staying.
My limited experience of what they need is growing, but having been asked by an incoming guest for a 'child step' and didn't know what one was, I wondered what things you supply as I know many of you are more experienced in this area.

At the moment I have:
2 cots & bedding
2 highchairs
baby cutlery and bowls
baby monitor
potty
changing mat
bottle warmer
and now a child step (having managed to find one)
small selection of toys

is anything else needed do you think?

thanks
Mousie
x
p.s. Oh I also have a playpen which my neighbour left in his house. Unbelievably this year I had someone book 2 weeks there ONLY IF I could provide a playpen Mind you I don't know who else would have supplied one.

[e-richard]

Possible additions (that I have been ordered to buy recently for my own grandchildren):

Rubber mat for inside bath.
Car window shades (for those who rent cars).
Blow up paddling pool.


An amusing side story:
Some years back when we had a 2 bedroom apartment with an ancient kitchen, (since remodelled properly!), all the crockery was stored in a sideboard in the dining room. A lovely young couple stayed and afterwards wrote to us telling how they used the kitchen every day, and for the first 3 days of their stay, they wondered why we only supplied small plastic plates and cups for their use ! Kiddies stuff was in the kitchen, adults stuff was all in the side board.

[Pamski]

I don't know if your place has stairs but if so a stair gate could be useful, either at the top to stop the child falling down or at the bottom to stop it going up. We have one that we got for when our first grandchild was staying '- we just leave the fixing at the top of the stairs and the gate itself gets stored under a bed.

[la vache!]

Cots (2 wooden cots, plus 5 travel cots with extra cot mattresses available, one for up to 4 yrs)
Cot sheets/mattress protectors/blankets/sleeping bags
Baby bounce chairs
Baby playmat
Baby monitors
Bed guards
High chairs
Stairgates
Changing mats
Potties and toddler toilet seats
Toddler steps
Baby baths
Plastic plates, bowls, cups
Childrens DVDs, videos
4 child seats on bicycles
Use of an all terrain buggy & for local footpaths & Mclaren buggy
Child back pack carrier suitable for infants of up to 15kg
Young baby front carrier
Bottle sterilisers
Toys, outside and inside
Bath toys

[e-richard]

No wonder LV's Gites are fully booked !

[la vache!]

LOL, e-R, I think there must be some things missing because I only got 3/5 for baby/toddler friendliness of my gites a recent BFB survey (all other times it has been higher than that). Short of providing a nanny for the holiday, I'm not sure what else I can provide??

[e-richard]

LV, new Mums can be soooo fussy !

[la vache!]

I forgot to mention that all bedrooms have shutters or black out blinds and curtains, if not I'd supply black out blinds too.

[Mouse]

thanks! I knew you'd come to my rescue (I'm in awe LV ): baby bath is a great one...never even thought of that, and the shades for the car windows - do they go walkabout regularly though e-richard? Should I buy quite a few?

A stairgate is a real problem for me as the stairs go up around the turret and they're not a standard width, so much wider than any stairgate I've seen. I'm not sure what to do about that. Unless anyone knows a superwide one I can buy somewhere?

Mouse
x

[Nemo]

There should be adjustable ones on the market or I had one that had an extra side section to make it wider. Too long ago to be of use to you, but at least you are looking for something that should exist!

[Dotty]

+ electric socket covers

[e-richard]

...the shades for the car windows - do they go walkabout regularly though e-richard?

I'm sure they would if I supplied them, which is why I don't.

Rental car - return trip to airport !!
Bound to go missing.

(nor do I supply 50% of what is listed above but its nice to know what we could supply)

[greenbarn]

A stairgate is a real problem for me as the stairs go up around the turret and they're not a standard width, so much wider than any stairgate I've seen. I'm not sure what to do about that. Unless anyone knows a superwide one I can buy somewhere?

Mouse
x

We've got some of these Lindam ones . You can get extension side pieces to take them out to a max 137cm.

Other than that, we only supply a highchair and gaffer tape.

[la vache!]

Other than that, we only supply a highchair and gaffer tape.

One to add to my list

[Mouse]

Thanks GB - that looks like it will do the trick with the extensions.

Mousie (also liking the gaffa tape tip )
x