Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not understand holidays where you just sit by the pool every single day?

197 replies

MeetMeinBaaBar · 09/06/2013 19:28

Now I get that a holiday is about doing exactly what you want to do and to basically relax.

But I just don't get people who go to a different country and sit by a pool all day every day. My friend just came back from 2 weeks away, I asked her if left the hotel at all and she just looked at me blankly and said no.

I love relaxing by the pool, but I also love going to a different country and actually seeing that country - if I'm by a pool in a hotel I might as well be anywhere.

I guess it's like going to Egypt and only living within the walls of the hotel and never seeing the Pyramids.

She didn't even go to a beach ... meh, I know it's her holiday but yeah I just don't get it.

OP posts:
MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 15:58

On the subject of making holiday friends... it's always me that attracts them. It does DH's head in. By day two, I have found out people's names/where they're from/where they work etc. I just seem to attract chatty people. Don't know why cos I've got a face that just screams "fuck off away from me!" Grin

On every holiday we've been on, we've been invited out for dinners with people we've got chatting to. I would be happy to go along with it as I am sociable and like chatting to people, really. DH always puts the knackers on it, though. The miserable old goat. I am friends with a lovely woman we met in Kos and she is always trying to get us to meet up and do something. I would because I liked her and DS loved her DD! But DH said that the husband was a spanner so we're not going. Hmm

whopayswhat · 10/06/2013 16:06

I think I love you a little bit marmalade. Its so nice to hear from people who do the friendly thing on holiday. I have an only DS (6), I'm not able to have more DC and it is absolutely no issue except on holiday when I worry about him making friends as he is a really sociable boy.

To be fair it usually turns out to be an non-issue but I still worry about interfering in peoples' right not to have to talk to anyone but their own family on holiday. So its great to think some people don't mind.....

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 16:11

I agree OP, it's such a shame not to be going out there and properly seeing another culture, instead of just sitting by the pool eating chips or whatever.

It must get very boring too!

MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 16:13

I also have an only boy who is 6! He is also very sociable. TBF, other children usually seek him out as he has usually got a massive inflatable dolphin. A sure-fire way to make friends Wink

I absolutely don't mind other kids coming up to us. I taught another child how to swim (sort of) last year in Corfu. I don't really let DS wander over to others as you never know whether everyone is the same in mindset as you, but I will let him muck about with other kids by the pool.

The best place we stayed was a lovely hotel in Crete a few years back. Everyone was so lovely. It was only small (30 rooms) and we made friends with pretty much everyone there. When I was young and childless, I would have hated the idea of talking to others on holiday but now I've got DS I like it, for some reason!

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 16:14

Just noticed the detail in the original post that your friend didn't leave a hotel in two weeks. Shock

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 10/06/2013 16:16

I used to think it was my idea of hell, spent all,my holidays exploring, sight-seeing, walking up mountains etc. Then I tried it. Wow. Never known anything so relaxing in my life. I don't sunbathe, but am very happy on a lounger under an umbrella on a beach or poolside with a few good books, and drinks on tap. However the DCs (7 and 9) aren't up for this sort of holiday, they are happy to spend an hour or two in the pool but then want to be doing other stuff. I also can't relax properly and get absorbed in a book if I'm keeping an eye on them. I also still like a bit of sightseeing, couldn't do 14 days by the pool, but a few days of it would be heavenly.

whopayswhat · 10/06/2013 16:17

Ah another madly sociable only child! That has cheered me up.

I am going to take a leaf out of your book Marmalade firstly I am going to get in there with him, have some fun and see if any other DC fancy joining in. Secondly I am going to spoil him rotten with a child magnet type inflatable (apologies for bowing to the only child spoilt stereotype Grin).

MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 16:17

It is possible to sit by the pool during the day and then do culture of an evening, Bacon.

Couldn't think of anything worse than wandering around a town in the blistering heat tbh. I'd much rather do that at night when it is cooler and everything looks prettier lit up at night anyway!

MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 16:19

Ahhhh see, we always leave our inflatable for other kids to use! We do it on the premise that it's a nice thing to do but really it's because it's effort to pack them back up Grin

whopayswhat · 10/06/2013 16:23

Another great tip, thank you Flowers.

LtEveDallas · 10/06/2013 16:26

I have a madly sociable DD (8) to match my madly sociable DH! She never has a shortage of friends on holidays, and TBH I barely see her barring a 'is she still alive, is she happy' check every half hour or so.

Last year we had one day that was unbearable hot - DD and the 3 girls she made friends with stayed in the pool for 10 hours Shock. None of us (the parents) could get them out - not even to eat. They were ALL bloody knackered that night - peace!

KansasCityOctopus · 10/06/2013 16:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whopayswhat · 10/06/2013 16:30

LtEve any top tips to help sociable DC make friends on holiday?

MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 16:58

I agree, Kansas.

I've been on holiday with friends with fucking itineries to work to. It's so sad. One day included getting up at 5am to get an 8am boat on the other side of the island. We did this trip around the island on a boat that threatened to fill up with water half way round, were given a Mars bar and a can of hot cola by way of snacks that were included in the 80 euro pp price and then dumped off the boat unceremoniously at 2pm. All I could think was "I just want to be guzzling up vitamin D and Mythos by the pool" the whole time.

I suppose it depends on the type of holiday you book, too. I've been to various places in Italy, for example, and done loads of sightseeing and culture. I wouldn't book a holiday to Italy and stay in the confines of the hotel. But if I'm booking a week on a Greek island, I am booking a week on a greek island purely for the sun and relaxation.

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 17:01

The alternative to sitting in a hotel for two weeks isn't some horrible rigid schedule. It is possible to have a couple of relaxing days as well as some days where you go for a mooch too.

I don't really 'do' organised tours. I like to go and explore properly, go for a walk around the local area etc.

MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 17:08

You say "sitting in a hotel" like you're sat in your room watching the idiotbox...

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 17:15

Okay, sitting in a hotel outside.

MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 17:18

Yes sunbathing and swimming and spending some time with your family. How boring.

I wish I had the kind of life that made me want to have a busy holiday. As it is, I don't.

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 17:31

I'm confused... I still do stuff like that.

I just think it sounds boring to do it for a week or two weeks without even leaving the hotel complex.

Kernowgal · 10/06/2013 17:32

After getting back from my really not at all relaxing holiday at the weekend, all I can think about now is even a long weekend of doing nothing. A week to sit by the pool and read books sounds utterly idyllic.

But I'd still have to intersperse it with a bit of exploring (yy to foreign supermarkets). Just not day after day of driving and monument bashing.

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 17:33

This thread sort of reminds me about debates about taking children out of school for holidays. I often tend towards thinking that it's okay, because it's educational and healthy for children to be exposed to another culture, see the different way of life etc. But that doesn't really account for holidays spent next a pool for the entire time Grin

MarmaladeTwatkins · 10/06/2013 17:33

You can sit by the pool in the day and leave in the evening. Just because you choose to spend the daytime by the pool (which makes sense when you have small children as there is shade/drinks/pool) doesn't mean you have to spend the evening in too.

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 17:33

I don't sunbathe though actually, forgot to say. I sit in the shade and swim Grin
I hate sunbathing.

BaconKetchup · 10/06/2013 17:34

Marmalade ...but that's not what I'm talking about Grin
the OP is about a woman who didn't leave a hotel for two weeks.

LtEveDallas · 10/06/2013 17:36

Whopays, DD wasn't always sociable, but we taught her just to go up to kids who looked like they were around the same age and say "Hi I'm XXX, what's your name?" Or "Hi, I'm XXX, I like your Lilo/Gun/Shark, where did you buy it?" They'd generally start talking then.

But bribery works well too - of the lilo/inflatable shark/mask and snorkel kind! We buy a couple for DD and she shares with the other kids.

Or I'll get in the pool with DD and start throwing her around - kids always end up watching and laughing so I then ask them if they want a go - couple of throws and I say "right I'm tired now, see if you can throw each other" (they never can, but it breaks the ice)

Last year we ended up with a crowd of about 10 kids diving down to pick up coins that me and DH were chucking in the water and shouting "Fetch Puppy" to them. Again, once we'd done it for a while we told them to take over.

DH will do stuff like get a round of soft drinks or plate full of pizza and call them all over to make sure they eat/drink etc, and i might start up a 'stupid way to fall into the pool' competition but generally we let them alone.

I suppose in a way I'm engineering friendships for DD, but it never takes long and she's then playing all day without a thought of boredom.