It is very hard to evaluate a guest when one is doing so based on an email since it is so easy to misinterpret the “voice” of the author. Most times when the thought flashes that something might be odd, i counsel myself to hold steady and experience has shown me that in 98% of the cases, this has worked just fine; and in the other 2% it might have been less than fine but entirely workable.
In this case, since there is a child involved, i might try telephoning the guest. You might say something like thia: you were thinking about the situation, and just want to be sure that he will have everything he needs to be comfortable taking care of the child. Is there anything that you can do to help with the planning. During this conversation, if he is legitimate, which he probably is, he will be very happy for your concern, and share information with you that hopefully will lead to your being 98% comfortable with the reservation.
Many men and women, in all cultures have no business having or being around children. That does not give licence to bash all women as terrible at taking care of children though.
RR
Call me paranoid but with my professional Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults hat on, I have hairs standing up on the back of my neck.
I would want to think about/understand/know the following;-
Given his early flight, when will his daughter be picking her baby up before he leaves?
Why is he more concerned about distance to the airport, than proximity to his daughter?
The scenario I have running in my head, based on experience, is an estranged father snatching his child and high tailing it out of the country to another jurisdiction.
That was exactly what I was thinking! There are a number of countries where women essentially have no say in custody matters. We have one woman here whose husband waited until they were vacationing in Cyprus to kidnap their kids and take them to a Middle Eastern country where she has no rights. He did from Cyprus because they aren’t part of a treaty that the US and most European and Commonwealth countries subscribe to that requires notarized permission from the other parent for one parent to take kids out of the country.
Naturally, I might be totally off, and probably I’m a bit dramatic…If you don’t host this guest, someone else will. I’d welcome grandpa and then show up when baby is around and take a photo of both, then keep an eye out on missing or abducted newborns in the internet.
OMG I must have really screwed with people, being a man traveling with YOUNG GIRLS, clearly they could not be my daughters…
I think the OP should NOT host this guy and take pictures. The responses to this thread are just off the wall.
RR
Well, this thread shows how sexist and ageist hosts can be, doesn’t it?
More evidence that Airbnb hosts should be required to use instant book unless they share space with the guest.
And the sooner they do, the better.
Host who fret and worry, rely on ‘gut feelings’ (whatever they are) or ‘spidey senses’ (whatever on earth they are) will have such a trouble-free life.
That would be a good approach. And we haven’t said anything that i think could have been construed as offensive - at least we hope not.
I’m glad you are having a good experience hosting via “instant book.” Due to the nature of our listing, i don’t think it would work for us. However, a quick review of our guests would reveal a pretty diverse group of people in age, race and lifestyle. Our need to ask questions and get clarifications is not only for our benefit, but our guests as well. We have precluded what would have been disasters for our guests simply by asking a few questions and finding out what they were hoping to accomplish. I think what works great for a particular host or even a group of hosts might not work for some hosts. And…boy did i stir things up with this posting!
Hampton, could I ask what it is about your listing that means that IB wouldn’t work? I, and readers here, would be really interested in knowing more.
I and many others believe that Airbnb will gradually phase in IB for all hosts. Would you be able to adapt to it or not?
Ditto.
Was a single dad from when my girls were four and seven.
We had some great fun travelling as a family unit of three. Always booked a room for the three of us and, as far as I can remember, never had an issue.
Mind you, that was going on twenty years ago! Both big girls now and both still love travelling, except it tends to be with their blokes rather than their old da!
JF
I agree with you that Airbnb will gradually phase in/force IB on all hosts. Not sure if we would be able to adapt to it or not. I think, if I understand how it works, it will mean a lot of cancellations for us. (either by us or even our guests) We list a guesthouse that overlooks our pool, and we specify in our listing that we are open to small, intimate, pre-approved events with special pricing. (big difference between hosting overnight guests and being a venue) However, we spell out very clearly that we do not allow indoor events and the guesthouse itself will be closed off for all events. Alas, very few guests read this far, and many of those that do simply don’t care. If we had $10 for every time we had a local booking for two that turned out to be a party for all their friends, we’d be able to go on a nice vacation. Also, we have saved many guests from certain disaster because we were able to ask questions up front and discern that we just weren’t a good fit for what they were hoping to do. (BTW, the line between discrimination and discernment is very fine and difficult to walk) Case in point, this morning we received a booking request and the message read, “Looking forward to a weekend of relaxing in your guesthouse.” After a few questions and more communication, we discovered that the guest was planning to have a dinner party for six while she was here. We don’t even have a table in our guesthouse, and even in Georgia, it is way too cold this time of year to have an outdoor dinner party. If we used IB, that would be a booking and she would have arrived a very disappointed and perhaps disgruntled guest. In the end, she was grateful that we helped her avoid an embarrassing situation. Does that help?
It does, thank you. It’s always interesting to know more about hosts and how they operate. We have so many people who read here and it’s great when we can show a rounded picture.
Another additional factor for us - we have an unusually high number of “local” guests. By local, i mean in the Greater Atlanta area. We have found that local guests can provide challenges that those traveling in from a distance do.
I now have placed you and your property in my memory. I can see why IB won’t work for you the way it does for me. But like as Jaquo said it won’t be a surprise if they force everyone to instant book eventually. And now that I know what place he has booked I completely understand why Grandpa picked your place, I’d drive 40 minutes as well. 
I personally like IB and have had zero issues as a result of using it. I’m also always near the top of page one of 300+ listings, so there’s that bonus as well, which I attribute (mostly) to using IB.
I wonder if they will change and adapt their cancellation policy if they force Instant Book on everyone? In @Hampton’s case, it seems like he would be having to initiate many cancellations or asking the guest to, the latter of which would not be ideal.
I’m the same. But do you find that you also get potential guests who get in touch with queries? Usually the ones I get are to do with early check in.
It may be that Hampton has to use another service rather than Airbnb if and when they move towards IB for everyone.
As nice as Hampton’s place is, I think Airbnb sees hosts as an expendable commodity. So they will do what is in their best interests. They may have a special exemption for some hosts, or grandfather established hosts in or any of a number of things. I just think for all our differences from hotels they are going to keep going that direction.