To be annoyed at this child and family (on holiday)

Agree. A good telling off is as far as you can go.

I've seen it. I still don't recommend that course of action. Like I said, we can agree to disagree. The OP will make her own decision.

Just to say as well OP I know you probably realise this but please don't do anything to the kids as some pp are suggesting. As hilarious as some of these suggestions sound and as much as I'd love the little turds to get their come-uppance you can guarantee that if anyone was to so much as break one of their nails the parents would be the type to sue the pants off you. Not worth the hassle

Stick your legs out as the little shit is running by and hopefully he’ll land on his face and break the water gun as well.

I would go to the resort manager and make a complaint. Tell them that if this is not addressed you will ask for a refund for your entire stay and will report the behaviour to the police as assault.

Basically escalate this and give them no choice than to take action.

I am so tired of useless, entitled parents who won't control their kids...

What a horrible family. Water on phones, books etc will damage them. Can't believe this hotel allows this abuse to continue. You need to go back to the manager with alot of the other guests here. I'd hate cold water being squirted ok me as I imagine every single person would if they won't expecting it. Family needs moving or banned from the pool area and the guns removed.

This would really spoil my holiday. I’d be complaining loudly and often to the manager.

This is terrible to try and gaslight OP into thinking it's her problem! They're doing it on purpose! It's one thing to be splashed once or twice accidentally by kids. It's their holiday too and can't always be avoided in a pool full of playing kids. As long as they and their parents are taking reasonable action to prevent it then that is normal public pool in a package holiday stuff. I've been on plenty of package holidays though and spent most of our time by the pool around multiple children. Not once has anyone repeatedly and deliberately sprayed water at me even once never mind when I've explicitally asked them not to. It's really not on the OP to shy away from a typical family holiday. It is on the parents to remove the waterguns from their little shits and remove them from the pool and give then a good talking to about consent and public behaviour. If this was my daughter the water toys would have been removed the first time she splashed somebody that didn't want it.

I most like the idea of filming yourself saying you don't consent to this OP then filming any other incidences and telling the family that you'll report them to the police. Sorry you're having to go through this on what should be your relaxation time.

This requires what is called an asymmetric escalation.

Get a bucket with ice and make a bucket of icy cold water. Throw it over the older child. Saying “now fuck off you pair of little shits”

Go up to them in the restaurant and tell the younger child you will break his fucking legs if he comes near you again. Then smile, and go “holidays are such fun”.

walk past their table with a glass of coke in each hand whilst they are eating lunch, pretend to stumble and throw the coke on their food.

i’m sure other people will have some other better ideas.

The hotel is being negligent here. Unless it is a private villa, such items should frowned upon - even forbidden, much like air beds etc.

As tempting as it is to take up some of the ideas on here, I would escalate through management and tell them that your injury is a result of them not taking action when you first reported this antisocial behaviour.

Be a little more demanding in your exchange with the staff and demand proper action and express how it is ruining your holiday and you are expecting them to handle the situation by confiscating the guns, telling them you are very surprised they are letting this continue.

It is worth speaking firmly to management one more time.

Unfortunately, unless there are pool rules, where items such as guns are not allowed, things like this will happen around a shared pool, as some people just do not care about the comfort of others.

It was a different world back then though...

Haha please see post above by @Bookbears

Don't respond in kind by squirting water/pushing in the pool or any of the other stupid suggestions. The family will up their game.

Kicking up a stink at reception in front of all the arriving guests and demanding to see the manager would be the way I would go about it.

And agree with PP who asked you to name and shame the hotel.

Fwiw, I feel sorry for those kids squirting you. They're the way they are for a reason. Sounds like they haven't got a hope in hell of becoming decent adults with parents like theirs.

Let's just agree to differ on this. You think retaliating with water would be the best idea. I think it's a terrible idea. We don't have to agree. Ultimately, the OP will make her own decisions about how to handle the situation.

Complain to the hotel manager first thing this morning. Loudly in a public area. If you booked through a travel agent or tour operator tell them too.

Someone needs to remove the toy (don’t break it, tempting though that is), and hand it in to the hotel - make it their problem.

1. Speak to the manager
2. if that doesn’t work, go the nearest shop, buy a kids beach bucket, fill it with water and chuck it straight over them including the parents individually.

We had this years ago when i was little (not with water pistols but just this kid constantly splashing). He did it to everyone, some parents tried splashing him back but it didn’t work. The kid ended up making my sister cry who was 4 at the time and in a floaty. My dad got so fed up he cannonballed in front of the kids family who were on sun beds and it was like a tidal wave 😂. Everyone cheered and clapped, they left and we didnt see them again. Sometimes you have be childish and play them at their own game.

I'd be channelling my peri-menopausal rage and smashing the f**k out of those water guns right in front of the little tossers.

The op (and others) have tried the adult approach by speaking to staff at the hotel who were not bothered and op has also spoken to the parents and the parents laughed it off and told the op that she’s at a pool so should expect it.

Well, that is not a risk that I would recommend that the OP should take. I think an adult approach is more likely to get results than descending to the same level as this disgusting family.

Brilliant 😂😂😂

I doubt it would “escalate” the water fight. And I think they would care if they were getting splashed, their sunbeds, clothing and towels were getting soaked. I have done similar things back to people (different situations not involving water) and it soon wiped the smile off their faces when they realised they were getting a taste of their own medicine.

Get the men together to confront the father of this little scrote and tell him to control his brat......or else

I’d love to see your reaction if you were targeted by super soakers every day of your holiday, by the pool, whilst walking to dinner and when you are going to your room. Directly in your face.

OP it’s really awful and I would be fuming. I’d keep going to management and complaining and yes I would consider police if the assault continued.

They probably won't care though.

And with the OP's phobia of being splashed, I can't see how escalating the water fighting is going to help.

Do they leave the guns lying around the pool while they go for lunch? I would take my DC to lunch at the same time so they see you there (that way they can’t accuse you as you’d be a prime suspect), meanwhile have DH take out the bit in the gun that actually allows it to work (it’s a springy piece) and then put them back exactly where they were left. He could then rejoin you and DC for lunch.