British weather on holiday with bored kids help

[Towelles]

On holiday in Norfolk with DH and SDC for a week. It’s overcast and windy. I am an outdoors person but SDC (primary aged) aren’t so we can’t do activities any water sports. They don’t really like walking far

The caravan park facilities are ok but the arcade and food is expensive. It’s too cold to swim in the pool longer than an hour. The on site park is shit. The beach is lovely but very windy and the kids are bored after an hour or so. There is evening entertainment so that’s all covered it’s the day times

We have been mostly driving around trying to find things to do. Went to a play park today with a zip wire that actually charged adults to go in and frankly it was a rip off.

We went to see the seals the DC thought that was boring.

I would be happy to do coastal walks or hire bikes I think it’s beautiful here

About to hire a boat to go on the broads (for ££££) (I would also like to walk around but I don’t think this will be popular) so basically it’s me sitting in the back of a boat watching the SDC argue about who is steering it

Can anyone suggest ideas?

we tried crabbing yesterday but the kids got bored as we didn’t catch anything

they then slept in till 10am so most of the day was gone by the time everyone got dressed

please help me save my sanity - is this going to just cost me £1,000 to make this week any good?

It shouldn’t be, but OP is the one on here complaining, which is why people are giving her suggestions.

They don’t play independently or creatively. They kind of hang or walk around listlessly everywhere asking to go back to the arcades.

I get this from my kids.

The way to deal with it is as follows - "We are here. We are staying here for an hour and then we'll go get ice-cream. Up to you what you do in this time."

And then walk off and collect rocks/build a sandcastle/gather seaweed or whatever appeals to you. Ignore the kids. They'll work it out. If they're really struggling, suggest meditation.

Sometimes you need to take kids to places and let them figure it out for themselves.

Which is why I said DH needs to do his share.
The rest is OPs fault. She’s on a holiday with kids she doesn’t really like and doesn’t want to take any responsibility when they don’t enjoy the things she wants to do.

What 'responsibility' exactly should she take?

You are in a good area for lots to do and I know too late today but perhaps avoid loads of extra, lengthy driving. I am dubious about the appeal of the woodland...hope it works out.

Well, I've said what I think of the 'suggestion' that she takes the role of default parent and lets her DP drag along like an extra child.

I think you're taking on way too much responsibility for the success of, and the expense of, the holiday OP. Why?

Tbh they sound like the kind of kids where a week somewhere sunny with Tui would be better. Just pick somewhere with cultural/outdoors stuff to go to separately if you get bored by a pool all day.

In the UK, lots of places do Fri-Mon and Mon-Fri which cuts down the time to put up with each other and the expense.

why are you paying for everything when they’re not your kids

God I have just read some of your updates and the whole situation sounds grim You clearly don't really like the kids or have any respect for your partner as a parent. Maybe you need to have a bit of a think about this set up when you get home... clearly you're not happy and no one else seems to be either.

This.

Sorry OP but I think you are a big part of the problem. The holiday is not designed for children. Driving 2 hours for some woods and another 2 hours back does not sound fun for kids.

Firstly, not all children are outdoorsy. Or adults - I'm not. But for those activities, like PPs have said, you make them fun with games, challenges, riddles etc. Just a walk or looking at seals is never going to be fun for a child. Why not be the instigator of some fun rather than just sitting simmering that your husband isn't doing it?

The reality is, in the UK, you need a lot of spending money - just beaches in overcast weather are not going to be fun for kids unless they have lots of other kids to play with. Campsites can be great if they make friends and can go off and play. Places that other posters have suggested like the pool with slides sounds perfect. You need to understand that other people's idea of fun is is not yours.

They are not my kids. If I was acting like their mother then mumsnet would have even more to say about it. Stepmums are damned by other women either way. They have a parent on this holiday. I am doing my bit. I am coming up with ideas and suggestions. I try to engage and encourage them. It is very hard work and only one way, 3 against 1! If DP would join me in encouragement I wouldn’t be on this thread at all.

DP messed up his annual leave and this is why we had this trip as our last resort. It’s not my first or even third choice I am here because it is designed as a family holiday

I made him take the DC swimming this morning instead of end of the day

Give over that a UK caravan holiday isn’t for kids Jesus Christ. This place is sold out full of families. I genuinely think a lot of people are so far out of touch nowadays it’s quite sad. I know it’s hard to conceptualise holidays on a tight budget but it’s an actual reality for a lot of people, they have to try to find things to do low cost or free. DP and I grew up this way and it is our reality. Money isn’t unlimited and poor people deserve holidays as well I think you will find. Poor kids being taken to a.. beach. Or a wood. Whatever next. Full child neglect. Call social services 🤣

It's the 2 hour journey I was querying re: the woods. I hear you op. We have always done caravans and chalets. Where we differ is that we try to avoid driving long distances once we are at a place.
My children much older than yours but still love a caravan or chalet.

The OP wants to do all of this but is getting no buy in

Mine love a caravan holiday too but we do the pool, play park, arcade, beach, down time, evening entertainment. No more than an hour or so doing each thing, they're allowed to watch TV and no long walks or drives.

The thing with family caravan holidays is generally if the kids are having a good time then the parents will be happier and more relaxed, so it's better to plan things around what the kids want to do rather than make them do things they don't enjoy.

But did you really have no idea before this that these kids are not the kind of kids who will be fascinated digging holes in sand in cold wet weather? It sounds like youve determined this kind of holiday should be fun therefore there is something wrong with them.

I don't understand why H messing up annual leave means you had to do an outdoors holiday. Sounds like a self catering city break might be more fun for these kids and not necessarily more expensive.

That he has the animation of a dead jellyfish and the charisma of limp seaweed is not the OP's fault.

his personality is of course not her fault, but she did choose to be his partner/wife (it’s changed throughout the thread(

I feel for you OP. Some ideas - would also really recommend Norwich, it’s lovely, does not deserve the Alan Patridge associations. Especially good if they’re not outdoorsy.

Depending on exactly where you are Minsmere is not too far and you’ll likely see some kind of wildlife from the hides and less of a walk if you’re heading to a hide, there’s a good cafe and play bits as well.

Also National Trust or English Heritage could be good - most sites have big entertainments on for the Summer holidays.

Are they fans of monsters and stuff - you could always go on a black shuck trail and look for the burn marks in blythburgh church door. This may well be a ridiculous idea!

They are not my kids.

Exactly. So stop stressing yourself out and let your DH deal with them. Go off and do whatever it is you want to do.

I’d go home and leave them to it. Do you live with them normally or do you have your own home that you can go back to?

So maybe a trip to Norwich, one up to Cromer, or maybe south to Southwold

we loved orford ness as its bonkers and cool but 8 and 10 might be too young to appreciate the history.

You clearly don't like them very much. I don't really think there's a solution to that. It's fine not to want to do very much on holiday, it just isn't compatible with your idea of fun.

My kids are now 13,12,7 and 5 and I’ve been taking the kids to Norfolk (in my caravan) on my own for the last 5 years!! We’ve stayed in various places around the coast and have always fond loads to do! Thetford Forest is really good, they have an interactive kids trail as well as go ape, hiring a boat on the broads is brilliant fun and there’s the miniature museum near where you can get boats from. These might be slightly too far but Holkham Hall and Sandringham House are good days out. You can get the steam train from Sheringham to Holt too.

I do actually think it’s the kids that may be the problem - mine can last hours on the beach whatever the weather - buy a cheap kite and go and fly them on the beach. Amazonia Zoo is a good trip out too. There’s so much to do in Norfolk!

i think it may be Cromer carnival this week too so that may be an idea, also there are fireworks I think in Yarmouth on some evenings but I cant quite remember!

We went to Norfolk in October. We were mainly birdwatching but I remember going to Grimsby for the best fish and chips and a stop at Wisbech.

I would go to the nearest big tourist information centre. Tell the kids your budget for the day and let them plan what they would like to do. Tell them maximum hours per day in pool/arcade and they have to plan the rest of tomorrow around that. They need to realise you can't magic up amazement and wonder in every second of the holiday.

Also, how much is their dad actually interacting with them? This is their time to spend with their dad and he needs to connect with them as much as possible. Their "boredom" might actually be a feeling of lack of connection with their dad. Can he take them to do Pokémon Go or some geocaching. He needs to set the activity up and engage with them as they do it.