Found first baby holiday so stressful

When both ours were <1 I think we only went to centre parcs....out of season. We didn't try and go abroad or have our pre-kids holiday.
We were happy with that. Places like CP are great because you can prebook the cot and high chair etc. We got to relax. We couldn't afford multiple holidays and minibreaks

We also did day trips like Chester zoo and never had an issue with a full day out of the house.

We didn't go abroad until after we stopped bottle feeding....this made things much easier once they were on cows milk.
Holidays abroad stopped involving day trips and were focused around being outside early, and nap times for everyone.

Once they were big enough we really enjoyed those family resorts with kids clubs.

No it's not the same as pre kids and I am sure some people would scoff.....they are not high brow cultural trips or active holidays. But it was a break for us too. The time they were in kids club was our time.

When DD was a baby we had a camper van - it was big enough to fit in a small travel cot, it worked well for us as could stop anywhere for naps or feeds, even just for days out
The longest holiday we had in it was 2 weeks travelling across France and Spain
Sadly when DS came along it didn’t work as well for toddler plus baby so we had to sell it

Yeah this was our experience. We're definitely very, very lucky! Travelling with our son has always been a dream thankfully. Covid stopped us taking him abroad until he was 18 months however so his age was definitely also a factor in how well it went!

Next holiday isn't until August sadly but this time we'll have a three month old as well 😬 We've picked a pool apartment in Vienna over our usual Italy due to the city having brilliant public transport and lots of brilliant looking museums. I'm so excited 😬

It does irk me when people issue a blanket statement like 'you can't have a holiday with children' because, honestly, it all depends on how you personally define holiday. Ours have always been go, go, go city breaks so adding a child into that was actually pretty easy 🤷🏻‍♀️

I didn't enjoy holidays until my kids were around 5 and could do activities reliably. Before that it's just the same shit but different location without all the usual things that stop the meltdowns.

I remember my youngest first holiday. 2wks chasing her around the pool in Tunisia! We did make some nice memories but once they are 4 plus it’s easier. My youngest is 16 now and holidays are holidays again!

Kids are older here now (7+) but we did Cornwall beach holidays for years. June and September to avoid school holidays. It is easier with one baby though - they fit in with you.

First baby we tried to stick to routine but had given up by the time baby two arrived. I think trying to stick to routine is the killer on holiday. Babies are pretty flexible. You can re-establish routine in two days when you get home

We had great holidays with ours when they were babies/toddlers, but often did self catering while buying in what we could eg French caravan sites often had takeaways selling roast chicken and fries and we just made the salad! We did one hotel stay where we knew the hotel already and how well it caters for DC. We did Disneyland with a baby , a 3 year old, a 4 year old, and drove from NW England to Austria and back with a 2 year old.

The trick is to make sure you’re well prepared and think through what one of you will do with the little one while one of you is with the older one. Make sure there’s a toddler friendly swimming area and a play area on site or nearby. Eat your evening meal with them early and then put them to bed and sit out on the caravan decking or hotel balcony with wine and snacks. We love travelling and there is no way I would have gone without a holiday for years.

Yes, they take some effort to plan and do, but we were always willing to do that. A long summer stuck at home if we could afford not to? Not a chance.

Our child was a terrible sleeper so travelling made no difference to our tiredness levels or routine. We’ve travelled all over with him, good backpack to put him in and be as organised as possible with also low expectations.

Its a priority for us but we have been lucky that he has always been good in the car, we regularly drive 8 hours in a day and don’t have too much trouble (he’s 3 now). I think a fair bit of it is luck and you being relaxed with low expectations.

I travelled with mine from almost day dot, so it was part of life. They’re very easy going, which probably helps too.

11 months is a rubbish age, they’re mobile and easily bored, quite strong willed. It’s much easier with babies.

We could manage things like a short walk in baby carrier or stroll around nearby town with pram but going a bit further to do something for several hours like a day trip just felt like too much

Why did doing more than a walk feel like too much? And what was it specifically that made you both ready for bed at 6pm

Every family is different.

We have never taken the kids abroad. I don't do airports and the like very well so it would stress me out with would make it miserable for everyone else. Last year we did a cheap term time caravan holiday (DD was starting school that year). Went with very low expectations. We would get up make packed lunches and drive out to some attraction suitable for a 2 and 4 year old. Let them wear themselves out, the youngest would then nap in car. An hour or so chill back at the caravan so books, cup of tea or whatever. Then stay close in the afternoon, so soft play, outdoor play area or pool. Dinner would then be self catering back at the caravan. After bedtime DH and I would break open a bottle of wine over a board game or cards as we normally wouldn't get the time at home. It's not how we would holiday before kids but lowering expectations worked well for us. This year we are planning a long weekend camping, kids will be 3 and 5 this time. Sure it'll be chaos with not breaking their necks on the tent pegs but we'll give it a go. When we are away we try not to stick too rigid to routines or plans and just go with the flow.

How can anyone be naive enough to think that the shit on social media is any kind of reality?

In my experience it’s only from age around 3.5 that it’s become actually fun to travel with my ds. Still tiring but he appreciates being in a new place and seeing/trying new things. When they no longer nap you can be much more flexible with plans.

I just think we're all different, and more importantly babies/children are all different.
Travelling/holidays with mine have always been our absolutely favourite thing to do, we both have very difficult stressful jobs so when we're off work everything else is a breeze!
Ours are currently 6 and 3 and have been to Majorca, Menorca, Disneyland Paris x 4, Salou, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, lots of CenterParcs/Haven. We have a UK break at least 6-8 times a year (even just a night or 2 in a Travelodge). Never ever try to stick to a routine on holiday and they've ate in restaurants/pubs/cafes at least a couple of times a month since birth.
Off to Florida in October and can't wait. I'm about as far from an Instagram/Backpack travelling mam as you could imagine but genuinely don't get any stress, so much easier than juggling everyday life at home.

We didn't even have the headspace to think about travelling with a baby, but Butlins tots week for a 2-year-old was everything I could have wished for even though I thought it would be cringeworthy. Super easy to entertain them, highly affordable, and we had a dining plan so someone cooked for us twice a day, that was my base requirement for a holiday!This thread has made me wonder again about being slightly braver for age 3-4 before school starts. But with a baby I couldn't imagine going further than grandma's house.

Yup same here.

Went away abroad when DD was 6 months old. Just the three of us.

The only hard part I found was not having a kitchen in our hotel. Big mistake.

I didn't have any expectations when I went away, I also didn't plan anything.

We're going away in a few weeks to a hot tub lodge with our now 2 year old and 8 month old (don't worry. No hot tub for them lol just us when they're in bed)

It's thankfully only an hour from home, so not too far and we will be sticking to our same routine.

Currently on holiday in Florida with my 5yo and 2yo. We went on our first holiday with DC1 when she was 3m and DC2 from when she was 4m (to Disneyland Paris). We've never found it stressful, but tbh our days at home are very busy (we live in London so we are out and about all day) so sticking with the usual routine works well for us. Our dcs really look forward to their holidays and always have a good time. For the adults it's hard work, but our holidays even pre-dc always involved lots of planning and sightseeing/activities, not lounging by the pool.

We mostly don't drive on holidays so don't lug lots of baby gear around, I breastfed and just hired cots and our main buggy is a Yoyo normally so very compact anyway. Now the youngest is a toddler, she still breastfeeds at night but she just eats whatever we have, and she naps in her buggy when we're out with a snoozeshade.

Maybe leave the dog at home.
Also go away with friends. It's easier.
Stay in a villa or apartment.
Abroad where it's warm is better.

We took our 4&6 year olds abroad this summer for the first time and glad we waited until no naps/no prams/both eat food/ can swim age!

A lot of people are talking about disruptions to routine. Yes, that can be an issue (sleeping in the car and not at the destination, for example) but for me, the issues were more about feeding and baby proofing. It was just a faff to sort out bottles in a tiny hotel sink. In some ways, it was even worse when DH insisted on lugging the steam sterilizer and perfect prep machine with us.

But babyproofing was an absolute nightmare! A mobile toddler is understandable curious and wants to explore. Especially when you are lugging tonnes of crap in from the car and need to leave the door open. Power outlets and cables are exposed. Knives are within reach in the kitchenette. The shower is too slippery for a toddler but too small for an adult to join the toddler. Walking around barefoot, your feet get dirty from the carpet and then you start to wonder about the hygiene of everything! And, to top it all off, you can’t find Bluey on the TV!

It sounds like maybe your babies routine is a bit too rigid....which is fine but makes it very hard to flex it.
Try and work on a less rigid routine with cues rather than fixed sequence of events.
But yes you have to plan your days around the baby....I wouldnt really plan a full day out unless it was essential. And would always do shorter trips.

We went for a weekend away when my now 5 year old DS was 7 weeks old. We hired an air b and b and it was lovely - probably because he was so tiny it didn't make any difference to him!

We then did a couple more holidays before covid hit (he was 14 months then)

We then went abroad when he was just over 3 and then the following year at 4. They were both lovely holidays and he was well behaved, maybe we were just lucky! Number 2 is due any day now and we are booked in to an air b and b for a week beginning of August, let's hope this baby is as easy as DS! Lol

Yeah it depends where you’re going, we stayed in a city centre hotel with a small outdoor pool in Antalya so convenient to pop out to the main streets but could swim, too. Day trips to the beach were easy anyway because it’s a sea side town. I like mixing beaches with seeing local culture, all doable with kids. I hate playcentres, plus can do that at home.

Not to side track the thread, but I genuinely felt baffled when another couple we met on a bus on route back to town said it was the first and only time they’d been to the actual city on their seven day holiday. They’d been in the resort the whole time! Never seen the actual country! I’ve got to say I like doing it all and it’s all doable with kids. Other people just like the beach but I feel it gets boring after a couple of days.

It depends on what you like from a holiday! I'd say 'never book in the old town for God's sake' as you're too far from the beach / pool to cool down. We reared water babies who liked sandcastles and water and to this day hate all shopping and markets. But I think if you do a rough version of what you like it'll be fine with loads of breaks. And a definite YES to any pet farms / playgrounds / kid centred places. One of our best hotels had a playground beside the bar where the kids could play after dark when it was cool and the parents had a drink and a chat. Everyone tired and home at 10pm.

It was your first holiday with a child so yes it's quite a reality check.

With every holiday you have you will learn what to do differently for the next one, and maybe one day in the distant future holidays will become relaxing and carefree again 😆

I have a 3 and 1 year old. My husband is talking about a holiday abroad. It's filling me with dread just thinking about it.