Yay, I’m doing this as a homeschooler too! I think this is the perfect job for me as I was debating working retail a few nights a week. I think it’s also good for my kids to start helping me with this as well.
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We have a large paper map of the world, and each guest puts one star on the map on where they are from. This is a great way to get the kids looking at the world in a very new way! How old are your children?
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I want to do that, I just don’t have a good place on the wall to do it! I was at Hobby Lobby the other day looking at maps and wanted to buy one, but I just don’t have a good place on the wall 
My kids are 10, 8, 4, and 2.
Oh, we don’t either - I just have it rolled up in a corner. ; ) What an adventure hosting with little ones. Mine are 16, 15 & 11 so they all have chores related to the business. I’m sure you’ll have some unforgettable experiences, and make some fun friends! How many guests do you take? We have space for up to 5 so often have families with kids. My son loves making friends with the other kids. It’s cool.
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I’ll take up to 5 if it’s a family, but only 3 adults since the extra sleeping is a futon and a toddler mattress.
We’ve had some weird weather, so even though we’ve had a family here for 4 days now with kids the same ages as mine, they haven’t gotten to play much with each other. But they’re a great family. I hope to keep having positive experiences.
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Where are you, Sarah? Would you share your listing?
We offer a mobile wireless router (hotspot) for guests for use during their stay, so they don’t have to pay roaming charges. All of our guests are international.
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This is for internet, right? Do roaming charges apply to net use? These roaming charges would be for their “home” internet plans?
For mobile data. When you go overseas, your phone usually switches over to roaming, and if you have auto download email or use apps such as Youtube, the data charges can go off the charts.
Hi @hypertokyo,
Yes, I see. But your guests could probably get a local plan for the duration of their stay. Mobile data plans are already very expensive in comparison to regular internet, even locally. You definitely don’t want to use them in roaming mode.
Though, of course, any self-respecting host would have free internet available at his listing anyway. And guests could use that while “at home”.
That’s a cool little place, @Sarah_Warren!! I’ve always wanted to see St. Louis so I’ll keep your listing in my wish list.
Here’s ours: Let us know if you ever want to bring the kids to Washington DC! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6690856?guests=5&s=DVm3uSlT
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You’ve got a nice little family place too! We’re headed on an educational road trip east this spring, so I’ll plan to book with you if you’d be okay with an extra kiddo. We’re planning to camp most of it, but then find places to stay when we’re around NY and Washington DC.
If a guest is renting with kitchen, put some basic ingredients such as salt, sugar, flour, oil, spices etc for your guest to use. It doesn’t cost much money and people really seem to appreciate it as it makes it so much easier for them to make food (they don’t have to buy everything).
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I tried to do that but then I got less bookings. People booking my room go for the more affordable option. Although I still offer enough: tea, coffee, water. Flowers and some dutch cookies when they stay longer. No chocolate because i tend to eat it in stead of my guests. 
I leave a welcome basket on the front table as soon as they enter. I always try to keep the shelves well stocked with good books and dvd’s so that they could keep themselves amused on a rainy or if it is too hot to go out.
I have a hosted about 120 nights to date, and find that my super host status is maintained through great communication, setting clear expectations, and the philosophy that I am in the customer service business and guests have a right to have fun, relax and not worry about too many restrictions.
Granted, I rent three rooms independently of each other in one apartment, and this causes some economies of scale for the seven or eight snack jars that I have sitting on the kitchen counter, and for not worrying about the cost of guests laundering only one pair of jeans.
My wife or I send out a detailed welcome message the moment guests make a reservation with tips about San Francisco, and our home including door key codes. We resend this message within a week of the guest’s arrival, since some of them tend to have forgotten/lost it .
If we are home, we make it a point to welcome the guest personally, and show them the breakfast items and snacks sitting in the kitchen, and walk them through the apartment. We also try to say goodbye in person if we are around.
We are also social, and will spend 5 to 15 minutes chatting with them at least once during their stay, sometimes bringing out a bottle of wine to share with them if we have the time.
We have been advised that it’s fairly inexpensive to provide a bottle of wine and chocolate for less than five dollars, but we haven’t had to resort to it.
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I know that prices of Airbnb in SF are very high. I was surprised to see prices for a private room n SF almost matching those of mid range hotels. For example i did not see any Air prices going lower than 100$/night, my 3* hotels was 125$. Nothing fancy but a very decent hotel in a very nice area, Union square
5$ in this case is a very reasonable expence IF you want to do it, but my room is 40$/night, this expense, even so small can not be justified.
I did not understand about snacks jars in connection with laundry?
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Yeah anyone who is making 5-10,000 a month renting rooms can afford to put out $5 snacks. LOL.
I think a great attitude like the one you have goes a long way towards making a successful host.
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i make jam from the orchard fruit trees, cut flowers from the garden and give them a welcome card. This costs maybe a dollar or so all in all. I also make up their open fire in the house for them and make sure the lamp in the sitting room is on so its pretty. Im terrible at doing my own housework but in the holiday home i am a clean freak. In fall i have a big bonfire party and invite the guests and in summer i have them over to do mozaicing and take them on a local historical walk;
Im up for sperhost status soon but i think its mostly because I really do love people and i think that must come across. I also have three children that always get on with the guests children… Happy children = happy parents.