"Holiday" with toddlers

Absolutely, it can be same shit with a different backdrop at that age. We had a couple of crap holidays!
Our most relaxing holidays with young kids were Center Parcs and Bluestone, with playgrounds and pools and bike riding on tap.
Also 2 Neilson's holidays which would be far too expensive now they're all at school but we stretched to it before school when we could go off peak. Kids clubs and activities all included so we had a real break and went sailing etc. while the kids were having a ball.
It gets much easier in a few years though, don't worry. Mine are now 11, 9 and 4, we've had trips to Lapland, Disneyland and the Welsh mountains recently and I genuinely look forward to holidays now.

I found a decent way to hide from my family, I've dropped them all off at the holiday flat and driven off to charge the car for tomorrow's long drive home!

Currently sat alone in the car munching haribos, if I could have a glass of wine, I would! 🤣

@RaisingFlames I have found the easiest suncream is boots soltan 8 hour roll on. Then the 3 hour water cream one for the pool. It's still a bit of a challenge (DS2 also not a fan) but it's less issues as doesn't need reapplying as much. Also a factor 50 swim suit which is full arms and legs!

We have definitely found AI is the way for us for the next few years and also avoid Spain/Spanish Islands as dinner is later and my 2 can't cope. Found Greece to be the ideal in time difference and meal times.
We also book holidays which have creche options to get a bit of downtime for DH and I. They are only in 3 times in the week but it makes a huge difference!

@NoCloudsAllowed Well, he's never actually chosen chips for every dinner as we generally go to Italy so he's also has pasta and pizza 😂 I was just saying I wouldn't stop him if that's what he wanted so true I don't know what would happen. Plus he always has his usual breakfast and a sandwich for lunch on holiday so the rest of his diet isn't altered from what we eat at home.

@Rainyspringflowers I do have a pretty easy pre-schooler to be honest. He's a good traveller and doesn't tantrum (he strops instead which is much easier to handle). Expecting number two any day now so it's likely they'll be the difficult one as I don't think lightning strikes twice! 😂

I think it’s about expectations and finding what suits you . I had 3 under 5, at that age self catering worked best, get up when you want, no rushing to get to breakfast. All they wanted was a bucket and spade and some sand really. We usually booked somewhere with a pool , hours of entertainment, and whoever needed a nap could have one while the others played. Even me , on a lounger with a book by the pool ! A change of scenery and some sun . When they got a bit older we used to take one of their friends as well, my middle one is disabled and my youngest loved having a friend to play with. Happy memories

I loved our holidays with DC when they were young. We always chose a small hotel where the DC could nap in our room and we could still sit out. We had a room level with the pool and could still close by. We went out and had an early supper with them. Ordered their main course to come with our starters and then they usually had pudding whilst we ate our main course. Then back to the hotel and bed for them and we then enjoyed the evening sitting on our terrace reading, card games, glass of wine etc

Keeping a reasonable routine for them and not trying to keep them up too late worked well for us.

We didn’t bother with holidays until ours got to 4 & 5, as it was easier to be at home to be honest. No trip with toddlers is a “holiday” more a test of endurance! 😂

Couldn’t agree more. I always struggled more on UK holidays as had to find entertainment for rainy days and entertain them in a small airbnb without toys.

Plus I end up spending ££ on indoor pools, soft plays, more toys, Sealife etc when abroad we can go to a playground or the beach.

Agreed, until you’ve lived a newborn and toddler full time it’s hard to imagine! @Ipylou, if you think about everything required to look after a 6 month old for 24 hours, possibly multiple night wakes and feeds, settling for naps multiple times are day and trying to keep asleep, changing, feeding, winding, weaning, preparing food and clearing it up, playing etc etc, then add this in to every day of your last holiday you mentioned and throw in a toddler to mix it up a bit and that’s the level of stress we’re talking about!!! Yes, there are many wonderful things about having x2 with a small gap but it can’t be compared to the effort required with x1, (and being pregnant too, I always found people were very nice to me and you got more breaks!)

I definitely agree with other posters that UK holidays are harder work and work out more expensive unless we go camping.

Our camping trips are never chilled we are constantly juggling and the kids never go to sleep at their usual bedtime. We still do it but limit to 4 nights max.

We live in Scotland the weather is very variable and both my children hate the beach or swimming in the sea so there goes that free activity.

Definitely agree with PP who says the more kids travel the easier it gets. Both DSs have travelled from babies a plane is pretty straight forward they both enjoy it (2 and 5).

Yanbu, the very reason why we waited until DC2 had turned 4 before we spent >£3k on a family holiday. After taking dc1 on hols age two and chasing them round the perimeter of the pool all day and not getting a minutes peace I learnt my lesson. Age 4 they can go in kids club for an hour or two so you get a Break

Eurocamp holidays are the best option for that age, safe pools, outdoor play areas, bike hire on site, kids club on site and quiet time at bedtimes. I had 3 kids under 5 and I would never have tried anywhere but eurocamp. We went back to the same one in Spain for years same animation team each year and they all got to know the kids and remembered them each year it was lovely

Mine would get constipated 💩 so it would hurt them in a roundabout way.

It probably sounds overly controlling but I wouldn’t like that (it’s not a criticism of your choices so please don’t take it as such) but personally I find a big deviation from the norm with food or sleep or whatever leads to some really poor behaviour usually cumulating in a massive tantrum / meltdown over something small.

A day is fine but a week would definitely not be fine.

No long term harm no @TheBirdintheCave but tummy ache, constipation, grouchiness? Yep

I always had one specific goal that I would enjoy on holiday and focused on that.

So not expecting enjoyment for an entire week, but I'd look forward to a particular food or place. Eating a croissant from a French bakery, visiting a particular landmark etc.

I think it also helps to do lots of planning so if need be you can rustle up a day trip/rainy day activity fast. I also used to stock up on charity shop toys, books, puzzles etc and sticker books. Can be a sanity saver.

It depends. A lot of the problem is people te d to let routines go out the window. If you still put them to bed at 7pm, give them their nap (if they have one) and you don't expect to sit quietly by the pool then it can be lovely.

We replicate being at home. It means we are in by 5:30 at night for food, bath bed at 7 but they eat and sleep as usual. Our normal is for them to be out walking with us, swimming, bit of free play.

@lilyathena On holiday we let our son (3) eat whatever he wants. If that's a plate of chips for every dinner, so what? He's happy and a week of chip dinners isn't going to hurt him.

Hotels and kids club is one thing but you still have to deal issues with hotel food or paying for restaurant food that they don't really eat, them not really wanting to sit still if food takes a while to come, and lots of other peoples' DC twirling about! Planes and toddlers is something I gave up on quite quickly. I went self catering uk after DC1. I worked too hard for it all to be organised - they ate well at least but it all felt like a huge planning project and we had many rainy days and hauling things around to the beach - along with no toilets at the more remote beaches we preferred. I missed something I realise but I look back at those holidays and slightly shudder which I realise is a bit sad. I've missed the joy somehow.

Same.

I don’t think the poster meant any harm but when someone casually says their toddler naps in a pushchair then you know their child is a tad laid back!

I think outdoor holidays can work well if you get the weather. Your taking them out to play in potentially nicer and more interesting locations and it can tire them out nicely.

My best holiday when my kids were that age was staying at my in laws caravan on a camp site about an hour away from our house.

had never experienced this before and tbh was a bit snobby about it, but only went because it was free and I had run out of excuses.

it was genuinely restful. I remember sitting outside the caravan with a glass of wine watching my kids play with other kids from the campsite thinking ‘I am actually relaxed! I can’t believe it.’

love those caravan holidays now!

No such thing as a holiday with toddlers, it's the same old shit but in a different place!

I saw your post before it was deleted @MissAtomicBomb1 , I was surprised, I don't remember anything crazy in it.

Anyway as I was saying... come back to us @lpylou (or @tobeconfused as it seems you're posting from multiple accounts) when you've got a 2yr old and a 6 month old. We'll be all ears 😬