Not looking for advice, this is just a moan.
On holiday with the kids (5 and 2) and DH. Overall it’s been lovely and I’m pleased we came but fuck me, I’m every bit as tired as I am at home, if not more - without their usual stash of toys and a stair gate, staying in isn’t really an option as they just climb the furniture and fight (marble type floor so we’ve had a few bumped heads already).
So we’re constantly out - beach, park, playgrounds - all great but I can’t switch off for a single moment. Maybe it’s just my kids but (and I really do love them!) even ten minutes of relaxation is impossible and everything is so PHYSICAL. My youngest is a runner and you need eyes in the back of your head, he never sits still and wants to climb and jump on everything. My oldest complains like it’s an Olympic sport and when she’s not complaining she heavily questions me on everything - it sounds like a trivial complaint but by the end of the day she must’ve actually asked hundreds if not thousands of questions, mostly holding me to account over things I said in passing weeks ago. Such as ‘you said we might see X/Y animal here. Why haven’t we? Will we see them later? Where do they live? It’s so unfair we haven’t seen them. Can we go somewhere we can see them? Why did you say we might see one when we haven’t?’. Everything I say feels like some kind of legally binding agreement that she remembers and scrutinises.
Both kids are like clockwork and if the youngest doesn’t get his nap at the right time he throws the most horrific tantrums. They’re just not relaxed, flexible kids - probably due to the fact we have a fairly solid routine at home with school/nursery/family visits etc.
Anyway please don’t get me wrong, I love the kids and parts of the holiday have been fab, but I’m just craving an hour with a cocktail on a sun lounger when I can mentally detach. DH offers to take them, but honestly they’re a 2 person job right now and I wouldn’t relax anyway. I just sat outside on the balcony with the door locked so I could read my book for 10 minutes and the kids just banged on the glass and screamed at me to look at them.
And breathe..