Just want to go home

Going to a shit accommodation will only amplify a already challenging holiday with a little one especially when you paid a few thousand for it expecting it to be pretty decent through the photos that were advertised where you feel robbed. If you were in a luxurious hotel you would have felt a lot better. This is one thing i never negotiated on, the resort must be top notch otherwise it's not worth it. Single child free years i stayed in pretty grim places but i was out sun seeking all day or doing tours and then drinking all night but with a 1 year old, you will end up spending more hours in the room to protect them for the heat and if they struggle to fall asleep in their pushchair by the pool which my first dc certainly did and if your evenings are cut short, you will be back in your room. So I'd rather spend those hours in a nice room with a nice view and balcony than a grim room which will make it a much better experience.

Adults smoking around the kids pool is diabolical. I'd complain to the manager and ask for this to be banned. Actually I'd ask for no smoking around any pool. It's inconsiderate and frankly rude.

Holidays with toddlers or preschoolers need to be someplace slightly upmarket/family orientated with good kids entertainment, facilities or food. Otherwise it's pure hell. I have no qualms paying more because it's cheaper than therapy in the long run. We've had a couple of really shitty holidays because we made the mistake of booking a "typical trip" like we used to and then just bringing our toddler along. The arguments, mental load and faff was absolutely not worth it.

I would also argue that you don't need to travel far unless absolutely necessary. We've only started flying holidays recently because DD is old enough to understand the concept of other countries and she's genuinely excited to see new places. With younger kids, the entire travel process is a faff and they're equally happy in a hotel 2 hours drive from home.

Holidays abroad with such young children are often a nightmare for parents and those around them. But surely you knew that Greece is hot in June?

I took my little one to south east Asia at that age - temperatures were quite toasty to say the least.

little one lived on smoothies and ice lollies (yes - I know about the risks, lived there for years ; she’s got her mama’s immune system thankfully! ) as a future thought for other trips - we used a woven wrap so she could regulate her temperature off mine . If you can get hold of a foundation brush to apply the sunscreeen she tolerated that much better.

as others said , we did some later nights than usual to make the most of the cooler temperatures.

And we just rolled with the fact that nothing was like at home - so nap times/bedtimes happened when they could. (Unlike me, she had absolutely no jet lag which just wasn’t fair at all because I struggled!)

i will acknowledge that she is a blessed pixie child and somehow just managed to get us upgraded everywhere we went so that helped.

As for sunbeds in the shade: just take the towels off of the ones that have been “reserved” and sit there xx

I used to have completely unreasonable hopes and dreams about holidays. They were no holiday for sure.

Can you adjust your thinking to Mediterranean style? I'm afraid that might mean a lot of hiding away and comig out in the early mornin g or at night?

Definitely complain about your accommodation OP

We had two really nice holidays with our one year old (both to Greece, funnily enough) but the tricky part for us was meal times. They were absolutely absolute battle and she wouldn't even eat simple things she loved at home like pasta and tomato sauce. In the end we just had to let go of all expectation and she literally ate watermelon and ice cream all week on both occasions. It was fine, she's two and a half now and it hasn't done any lasting damage 😂 Also agree that beach days are great - a ready made sandpit, what could be more fun for a little one! xx

If you can get an early flight and go home. Greece is far too hot for a child this age. I wouldn't even have tried it.

Best holiday with little ones we ever had was a place in France. Four holiday cottages with a pool that was locked and gated off (we had a key but it meant kids couldn’t get near the pool unsupervised) and had an alarm for accidental falling in. So safe.

Loads of toys under a shaded area with sofas. Cottages all set up with stair gates and other safety features. Craft shed, toy library, games room. Gated grounds and quiet road. We actually got to sit and read in the shade or the sun while they played. First book I read after becoming a parent.

It was so thoughtfully set up. Clean and well equipped cottages. We went three years running after that - before the pandemic. We just couldn’t face risking another stressful holiday.

Countryside but five min drive for pastries and supermarket. Beaches a short drive away. Aaaah. The memories.

I don’t think I’d ever go to Greece. Too hot for me and only going to get hotter.

Hope you manage to to turn it around OP.

It's really hard with anyone under 4. We have started taking DS5 now, but once to Disneyland and once to Port Aventura, last week. This time of year Spain is a much more tolerable temperature - about 27 degrees.

Even at 5, he would only eat burgers and ice cream at the buffet but we managed!

Son and DIL ,other son and DIL and children aged 8 months and 2 1/2 (by the time they go) are going to a Park Dean caravan in September. They have always holidayed abroad and went to Spain last year. It was hell. They have accepted that naff holidays are going to be far more enjoyable for the next few years. Holidays with small children are never relaxing in the way pre- children hidays are.

Our first holiday with DC started off badly but ended up as one of the best. Our DC were 6 months and just turning 2. We booked a very cheap week in Greece which had brilliant reviews. We arrived to find an absolute dump of a place. The cots had goodness knows what stains on them, there were cockroaches crawling everywhere and the apartment was filthy.

My usually laidback DH even found it inhabitable so he found a wonderful AI hotel nearby and moved us all there (we didn’t have much money so put it on a credit card). We had a room with a swim up pool so we could swim while the babies napped in the lovely air conditioned room. There was lovely food on tap as well as activities for the DC. And as it was so last minute, we had it for next to nothing.

That said, we do love an adventure so we had no issues carting two prams, two change bags and beach bags off for the day on the bus to explore different beaches. I look back now and wonder how we managed it - grit and determination to have a good time. The beaches were definitely preferable to the pool and we took turns - one relaxing while the other was entertaining the DC.

I remember the first holiday with a 1 year old… we did staycations for the next 2 years. 🤣

They went to nursery for a couple of half days too. We ate a few takeaways. Had a few pub lunches, and filled in other time with trips to local petting farms and a trip on a train.

…And everyone slept through the night!

They loved Haven holidays though!

I took my dc abroad aged 4 and never took them again (aged 20 now.)

First things first- do mourn the loss of holidaying pre kids. It’s a rite of passage and it’s fine to love your kid and miss the lack of spontaneity. Also remember your memory of your own holidays as kids will not be how your mother or father remembers it and will probably be from when you were a lot older.

On a practical basis we have always travelled (to see family) or holidayed since the kids were little. Just with different expectations. With hotels I think of not having to cook or clean for a week. So it’s a holiday for me in that sense. We have also done lots of city breaks. We live in a big city so we plan city breaks as we would in our own city- one activity in the morning, something to see, lunch, nap, park time and one more thing before dinner. It’s again not like an adult holiday but we did a lot of North America and Europe with small kids this way without totally losing our minds.

I also relax my expectations- as someone said if they eat chips and ice cream for a week it’s fine. The last time mine went to India (where I am from but we live in the US and DH is Indian American) my kids ate ONLY dal and rice and maybe some yoghurt. I don’t think a vegetable crossed their lips except for the one day we ordered pizza and there was tomato sauce on it. It was fine. They are fine, we survived. If she sleeps better in your bed, so be it. You can re-set everything when you are home. My kids have always co-slept on holidays when they were kids and within a day or two adjusted when back home.

I think the hardest period is between 9 months and 4 years old. After that it does become easier, but with a 1 year old it can be tricky.
I think you need to speak up a bit..if the room isn't clean or as you booked, asked to be moved. If there aren't any parasols for a 1 year old, ask the life guard. If anyone needs sun protection its your little one!

I think our next trip abroad will be a villa or smaller hotel.

And go in May or late September when it will be lovely weather and not as hot. I'm sorry you aren't having a great time.

We all have this romantic idea of how great a holiday will be with our babies. It’s not. It’s hard work and they hate being out of their routine, they get frightened on the flight and don’t like the heat.
we have started going abroad again now mine are over 5 , but before that just pick somewhere in the UK. It’s really not fair on them and you won’t relax/

We’ve been abroad every year we’ve had the DC and even when they were small toddlers we still had a good time. We’ve always done AI resort geared towards kids though. So there’s always been a splash park or kids pool with slides or a kids club. Anything to keep them entertained. One holiday DD was about 2 and refused to eat anything but watermelon. So that’s what she had for breakfast lunch and dinner. It’s always going to be hard work, going with the expectation of it being a relaxing break is foolish. Even now ours are 8 and 10 it’s still not a relaxing holiday but we have always had a good time

The best thing about living in Asia when dc were small was being able to “go on a plane holiday” to the good old UK where they’d be totally wowed by farm parks, tractor rides, adventure playgrounds and duck ponds because that stuff doesn’t exist where we lived- ds saw an elephant before he saw a cow- when he saw a real live sheep near my mums he was ridiculously excited and insisted on going on a walk to see them every day. We probably did get lucky with the weather but those holidays were easy compared to a few Villa holidays we did because so much to keep them occupied.

You have my sympathy. I have no other advice than to take those fucking towels off the loungers and sit in the shade. I can't stand that entitled shit.

Exactly why I'm not taking my two (4 and 2) abroad for a little while longer. Looking after them can be a challenge at home as it is. It's bad enough when we stay in a hotel room in the UK with them when we go to visit relatives. Why subject myself to the same thing but abroad?