Parent points

Parent Points 
of La Grange du Moulin Child Friendly holiday cottages

Here at La Grange du Moulin child friendly gites, we have striven to provide a family friendly environment and you have no doubt read about everything we offer to provide a fun and relaxing place to stay for all the family. However a family gite holiday in rural France is not for everyone , we are not offering 5* luxury accommodation, the cottages are simply furnished, suitable for a young family (no louis 14th furniture or crystal glasses) , we really are in the countryside so you can't walk to bars and restaurants; you might see a mouse and you'll definitely see bats at dusk, lizards and other creatures. These are usually the reasons families return to us year after year but if you have any doubts as to our suitability for your family, ask questions - we will be honest, we really do want you to have a fantastic time. We also do not profess to have properties 'designed' specifically to accommodate young children. When we first started we did not have children and thought spiral staircases looked beautiful ! But also they were needed due to space constraints. We have done what we are able to avoid obvious hazards (stair barriers top and bottom for example) but also we have to accommodate the needs of all our guests, whatever the age of their children and the cottages are converted from old stone farm buildings. No property could be completely free of hazard and we are NOT providing a 'padded' environment but we believe you should be aware of any potential issues prior to booking so you can make an informed decision.


SPIRAL STAIRCASES

In five of our cottages we have cast iron, open tread spiral staircases. Any staircase is potentially hazardous, but these are obviously, by their nature very steep with triangular shaped steps. Stairgates or barriers are standard for all of our staircases, top and bottom. At the base and top where it is not possible to fit a stairgate as it is designed the stairgate is used as a barrier by attaching it to the staircase using an elastic cord which works effectively but is obviously not quite as convenient as a gate which can be easily opened and closed. These must be placed / fitted as done on arrival to make them effective. We expect young children to be supervised when using the staircases . If you have any concerns, or have trouble fitting them, please just ask. Papillon has a wooden 

open tread staircase which is also steep and also has stair barriers.


GARDEN

The main garden is enclosed by a wall, fence and gates, the lane is very quiet ie only our neighbours usually drive down it and the rest of our property is surrounded by open fields. Your toddler is prevented from running directly into the road to chase a ball but it is your responsibility as their guardian to ensure they are suitably supervised at all times and are not given time to wander off . It is the responsibility of all adults on the property to ensure the gates are closed correctly immediately after use. The rear terraces and parking track are not enclosed. It is possible to leave your front and back doors open and thus allow a child to 'escape' given time if unsupervised. This rear area to the cottages backs onto open fields so is not an immediate danger but we do need to emphasise that you are responsible for your own children. 

Throughout the garden there are uneven steps, slopes and areas where toddlers may trip or fall, parents should explore the garden with their children before allowing children to explore alone. Young children must be supervised at all times.


DRIVEWAY

In front of the cottages there is a gravel driveway (between the cottages and garden) Vehicule passage is restricted to loading / unloading of luggage for arrival / departure and full shopping loads or a parking because of a sleeping child. As a driver you must be fully aware of the presence of young children and move your car accordingly. As a parent you must be aware when a car is present. In reality once our guests have arrived it is rare for them to use the front entrance again as we have a rear entrance where the car parking area is, well away from the garden and cottages.

The gravel has a magnetic attraction for babies and toddlers who explore with their mouths, in our experience no child has ever 

swallowed any or come to any harm and they soon find the sand in the sandpit to eat instead !


SWIMMING POOL

Our swimming pool is fully enclosed with one access gate which is self closing and has a child proof latch. The latch is designed to prevent a child younger than 5 yrs old from accessing the pool area alone.  You must make older children who are able to open the 

gate by themselves fully aware of the dangers of a swimming pool and express upon them never open the gate for a younger child and never enter the pool area without an adult. 

For extra security and to conform with french regulations we also have an alarm system on the pool which sounds if a child should accidentally fall in. There are certain times that this alarm is not active eg when it is resetting itself after the pool has been used (a period of about 5 mins whilst the water settles) and parents should be extra vigilant at these times if they are around the pool with their children. The pool is unsupervised and you are responsible for your own and your childrens safety when using the pool area.


TILED FLOORS and STEPS

These are obviously hard, if you drop something it will break, if you fall, it will hurt. They become very slippy when wet, so don't allow children to run in from the pool and mop up spills immediately. Do not use external plastic garden chairs inside as they will slip. Some of the cottages have occasional steps (1 or 2), on entering the cottage or at the rear, Peche has a step between the dining room and the sitting room, Papillon has a 3 sided step on entering the cottage. These may be an issue with some toddlers.


WINDOWS

Due to the old nature of the propety and its previous use as farm buildings some windows are very low. All our low windows have been fitted with window locks or chains to prevent them from being opened fully by a child. All other windows are at the regulation height. All the other windows have security chains with a lock which may be opened with a key supplied with your door key and will be locked on arrival.


PLAY EQUIPMENT

Our trampoline is a 3m (10ft) trampoline with a safety net. We strongly recommend that all children should be supervised when using the the trampoline and that only one child at a time use it.

Our Pirate ship has a low foredeck which is ideal for toddlers and crawlers to play on. The upper deck is up a vertical ladder which is designed to prevent younger children who are unable to climb it from reaching the upper deck which is 1m40 high. However some 2yr olds are more able than others so we do expect parents of young children to supervise their play on the pirate ship.

A rustic cottage holiday  in rural France won't suit everyone


Families return to us year after year for many reasons . Some of these reasons are also why other families don't !! Ask as many questions as you can to make sure it is right for you. We will be honest. We really do only want you to come if you are going to enjoy

 it !! Here are a few facts and reasons why families love us (and reasons why you may not !) :


We are really in the countryside - it's peaceful and quiet, you can wander along the country lanes and tracks bird watching, hunting for wild flowers, it's a joy to walk, cycle or run . SO you cannot walk to bars  and restaurants - everything is a drive, a car is essential to enjoy what the whole area has to offer. If you want to go to the beach every day we may be  too far away for you, it's an hours drive. There is no public transport. Taxis are not easily come by - they must be ordered and it costs about 30€ for a one way trip to our local town.


It's France - we are located in a region that has the second most sunshine hours after the Mediterranean coast, vines grow and the locals make wine, the houses have shutters to keep out the heat of the day BUT it is northern Europe - it can rain, we get  drizzle as well as thunderstorms, even in summer - coming in August won't guarantee having non stop sunshine, it is just as likely to be hot and sunny / or rain in May or September as it is in the height of the summer. France is not all about the weather - families love the culture, the local markets, visiting small wine producers, discovering a new cheese.... If guaranteed sunbathing is all you want out of a holiday don't come to France !


They are rustic gites - when we first arrived here, all families asked for was a kettle and a teapot, they brought their own bedding and they were surprised our pool was so clean after having stayed in other gites where they had to clean it themselves ! Things have changed (alot !) we have free laundry, we make the beds, provide towel packs, activities for the kids, have heated pools and even a hot tub but the cottages are not white washed apartments - we've kept the traditional 'gite' atmosphere with old oak beams, creaky wooden floors, and rough stone walls - these are positives for most families who enjoy the character , the cool interiors of the cottages on a hot day and enjoy the feeling of living like a French family in rural France. The furniture is simple and functional - ideal for a young family who don't want the stress of thinking their toddler is going to break a priceless antique. If you are looking for crystal decanters and Louis 14th furniture or the bland whitewash of a modern apartment then you'll be happier elsewhere !


Wildlife - we've got plenty !  If the thought of a bat swooping over your table of an evening, a lizard sunbathing on your window ledge or a spider hiding in the corner of your room fills you with horror then we won't mention the mice, ants, toads, mosquitoes and even snakes !! In nearly 30 years I've honestly only ever seen 1 snake that wasn't dead on the road and they are only the same as you'd get in the uk anyway; mosquitoes are around but they arn't really a problem like in other countries but if you react badly you may want to take extra care by using anti mossie spray; ants tend to keep to themselves although in June they may troop along the window ledge but if they come inside and start trooping along your worktop you only need to tell us and we shall stop them in their tracks; mice are called field mice for a reason - they prefer to be outside, if you are unlucky and an adventurous one ends up in your cottage, just make sure there is no food for him to find (don't leave food out on the worktops and sweep up crumbs before you go to bed and please please don't feed them cheese !!) The Kids love the lizards and collecting snails. 


Socialising - with six cottages on site and all in a terraced row you will quickly get to know your neighbours and many lasting friendships have been formed here at La Grange du Moulin over the years. This is a huge plus for our families. Your toddlers can run in and out freely to the enclosed play area and your 6 year old can go to tea with her new friend. On a campsite or large holiday village you could never let your young children 'off the leash' to explore on their own but you can here. We are exclusively for families with children, there are no disapproving looks  from groups of adults when your child cries . So many families have said how they can really relax when staying with us. They can socialise in the evening, sharing a glass of wine with like minded parents once the children are in bed - you can feel like you've had a night out without actually going out. You can still get an evening alone, sat on the back terrace watching the sun go down as a couple, or enjoy a night out together but If you hate the thought of having to chat to other families or joining in the activities then we probably arn't for you.



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