To not choose holidays based on what there is for the kids to do?

[MrsWinnibago]

It's struck me that I'm the only one of all the families I've talked to recently that doesn't choose holidays based on what there is for the kids to do.

I've just never even considered it! Mine like the beach, the countryside, shops and walks as well as walking round castles and towns they've not been to before.

They like shops and galleries and they just seem to enjoy new places.

I was talking to my sister and she was suggesting a particular resort as it has a good kid's club and other things that would appeal to most kids she said.

She went on to say that I'm selfish as I never book anywhere like that. Am I?

Our kids are similar in age...between 6 and 10.

My last holiday was a cruise. We went ashore each day that we docked and dc's did water sports and swam in the ocean and had lunch etc.

THEN we came back aboard and the dc went to kids club while I went for a massage.

Everyone was very happy with these arrangements.

Nope never had that kind of holiday and my kids are now 18 and 13.

My kids have learned to enjoy hiking in national parks, damming up little streams while eating a sausage roll, sightseeing, eating big drippy ice creams, running round castles and digging cavernous holes in sand.

That to me is a perfect kid vacation, not a kids club sort of one.

Oh and we go on holiday as a family because we like doing things together, kind of misses the point it if we shuttle the kids off for more than an hour or two. If we wanted kid free time alone it would make more sense to have a romantic weekend away somewhere or a couples day at a spa, both of which we have done.

The smuggity smugness on this thread is making me .

My kids do ALL of those things and occasionally go to a kids club, so we've never been on a "kids club kind of holiday" either, whatever that is!

Agree, loads of people use them as a base.

I think everyone needs to have a sit down and watch holiday showdown.

We never have the chance of a weekend away without dcs, don't even have anyone to babysit. They're still a bit young now but I think it would be fantastic in the future to get some alone time for a couple of hours whilst dcs had fun. I wonder if people saying they wouldn't want to be away at all from dcs on holiday have support from families the rest of the year.

I remember going on camping holidays as a child, lots of going on the beach and going for walks/hiking. In all honesty, beach was good- rock pools, paddling, walking not so much. I can remember trudging along with my mum shouting 'a little rain never hurt anyone' with big drips dripping down the back of my cagoul (although there have been improvements in waterproof fabric since then) and just feeling like they would never end. The disco in the next door campsite always did look more tempting. If that's what you can afford, fair enough, and if you mix it in with other interesting activities even better, but I can't say I remember our camping holidays with a great deal of fondness even if we did get an ice-cream at the end of the very long walk.

We generally stayed in static caravans in Great Yarmouth or Hunstanton. There were discos etc and we LOVED it. Parents got pissed and we got to go off and do our own thing a bit.

I'm a lone parent and have no child care at all. So booking couples spa weekends and romantic days away wouldn't work for me .

We don't go on package holidays and I've never stayed anywhere with a kids' club. Kids' clubs just strike me as childcare, and I don't think they're being deprived by not being put in childcare on their hols.

As long as everyone has a good time (mostly!), you're choosing the right holiday for your family. My DC's favourite two holidays featured no playgrounds and no pools, though plenty have involved playgrounds and pools and they liked those, too.

If your children have fun on your holidays, then there's no reason to force yourself on a holiday you would not enjoy to assuage a pointless guilt!

not smug on my part just trying to be honest what my kids and I enjoy. I honestly have enjoyed watching my kids do that stuff more than I enjoy having a quiet massage sans kids and on the most part, once I tear the kids away from electronics they have always really enjoyed them too.

We didn't like kids clubs and all that when we were younger. The worst holiday I've ever had was with my extended family where me, DSis and the cousins just got chucked in 'Mini Club' and the adults went in the pool and sunbathed and did all the things we would have liked to do!

DM did a balance, so for every archeological site, there was a zoo or museum. We didn't enjoy traipsing after her to look at every castle in every country or place with a castle we've ever been to, and she didn't enjoy looking at the millionth aquarium she'd seen in her life. She likes stupid old stones and we like sea life- it's all about the compromise

When we did Haven type deals, we'd go to the arcades and cabarets which we all enjoyed, but wouldn't sit through the kids shows every night. We don't feel cheated out of hearing Tiger Club a billion times, and we also did 'grown up' holidays with them to 'boring' places and found our own fun in things. It's good for the imagination to get your kids to find joy and fun in, say, Glossop

YANBU OP.

You pick the holidays you and your family enjoy. I hate crowds and wouldn't like a resort/reps trying to flog crap excursions all the time. Other people like lots of activities to be available. Horses for courses.

But my kids and I enjoy those things too but I think one massage once a year is worth sacrificing two hours with my dc for.

Our families live on another continent. To be fair though, while there have definitely been times I needed a break more than I needed to breathe (and DH was generally good at accommodating that) on the most part I enjoyed my 24/7 time at home with the kids when they were small. There were a few intense years when one of my kids was young, but he wouldn't have gone to a kids club and we didn't holiday much. I did primary education at college and worked as a nanny for ten years. I really enjoy the company of small children, often more than adults.

I'm not sure why the sneeriness towards "resorts". You obviously have a very restrictive idea of what they entail. I'm not sure how you know this if you've never been to one though

I have to hold my hands up and say "yes" i think I am snobby about them.

I see freinds pic s and the apartments never look nice, no character or personal touches - just bland and plain.
usually in a massive block or hotel, which is white and huge and plastic looking again with no character or charm. then a pool...lots of pools.

they usually moan about the buffet too...

so no I dont they look nice and your thrown in with hundreds of other families.

to me there is no comparison to a beautiful self catering apartment, often the families own holiday home so really pretty decor, paintings and so on and a really homely feel, board games....and so on...neighbours are locals....so I feel like I am immersed in foreign life for a few days..

THEN I dont trust the prices....people moan about the buffet because the buffet is usually cheap crap? I did one once many moons ago and hated the whole feel of it...they want to make money so they will do things very cheaply...

I just didnt feel like I had been away and wouldnt...I cant see the charm or the character or the point, some people fly huge distances for the sun, to be in white plastic complex with pool? it doesnt make sense to me....why not get a sun bed and paddling pool at home?

My sil did one to Turkey....she kept saying use as a base.....

But why?

You can use tent as a base, or anywhere as a base...why somewhere thats just not pretty? I want to go away to enjoy myself not feel like I am in a prison.

See I am a lone parent and I home educate one of my dc. I have no child care either, they don't go away to their Dad or anything like that. A few years ago I probably would have been lambasting kids clubs too and I certainly never put them in before they could ask to go. As I said in an earlier post, they went for the first time last year aged 7 and 11. I think rock climbing and doing crafts and running around with a gang of kids from all over the world they'd never otherwise know, has equal value for a couple of hours, as walking round a castle or building a dam.

I wonder if people saying they wouldn't want to be away at all from dcs on holiday have support from families the rest of the year No support here.

Nicki as a single parent I would def look at places with clubs to give me a break no question. But In paris, in a play park were kids from all over world all playing together...so you dont need a kids club on a resort for that.

But as a single parent....YES.

I've been to resorts too. Nice ones, and yes for a change they have been fun. Still would rather do a road trip to a national park and hike somewhere and tell jokes and laugh about stepping on a slug or getting stuck in the mud.

I'm not sure anyone here is really truly saying you shouldn't go to a resort if you enjoy them. Horses for courses. I truly loathe the sort of holidays some people I know LOVE. Casinos, cabaret and getting rat arsed while sunbathing. Not my thing at all. The point of the OP was to ask if kids are being short changed if they don't ever get to go on the kind of holiday that their cousins go on.

...oh and frankly I'm kind of thrilled that many people don't seem to like doing what we do otherwise it would be a lot more crowded.

I never said you did need a kids club for that to be fair, it was one of a few examples I used.

having said all that I have been looking at more child focused camping places in europe....not for the kids club....but for the fact you have play chances on the door step....without going to look for it....will def sdo that one day but they look nicer to me, in the countryside and more attractive.

I still saw all the sights from all round the world and went ti the childrens clubs (but we did used to go on numerous holidays every year but always with kids club)

We mostly tour around, visit cities, get a villa with a pool in a nice spot for relaxing. Couldn't do an apartment with a pool, even though I'm sure the kids would enjoy it, I'd hate it so we don't go....have done Disney - stayed in a villa, I couldn't stay in Disney, I needed a daily escape, it was a one off and I surprised myself and enjoyed it but never again.

I suppose we like a balance, kids like doing a lot of the stuff we like doing - we suffer some of their activities, they suffer some of ours, to me that's what being together as a family is all about - their needs do not trump ours, everyone's views are taken into account during the planning stage. We'll often book a hotel with a pool because getting into the pool at the end of a day exploring a city will revive them.

Our kids have never wanted to a holiday club, they like spending time with us and they get on really well together, so there's no need.

I don't think it's only single parents. I am also a bit at the "just take a romantic break" notion.

DH and I have no parents and live in another country to our DB's who lived miles away anyway when we were in the UK, and would never offer childcare. DH was in the army so I would often spend weeks and weekends alone and working full time.

We've had a handful of nights out in 9 years thanks to a babysitting company, and a nanny on one of these resorts people are chastising.

We also like to visit destinations that get quite warm, and for part of the day it was always good to have the option of some crafts or activities in a cool place out of the sun for DS when he was younger. So he would have lunch and perhaps go and make pizzas, learn to Calypso, decorate a tee shirt until it got a little cooler, then he could join us and enjoy a splash in the sea/pool or time on the playground.

I'm not sure of the resorts others are looking at, but the ones I've stayed in at St Lucia, Barbados, Maldives etc had menu restaurants so if wasn't all buffets, trained Nannies and if there was any evening entertainment it was usually calypso bands, hog roast dinner on the beach etc hardly bingo and warbling show tunes.

And if I recall, we were allowed out too, to swim with turtles, climb the Pitons, night fishing, zip line through the rainforest.

There are resorts, and there are resorts.

Plus, don't people have a mix of holiday types? This year we've had a city break in London and Venice (DS's choice), a camping trip to Lake Garda with family friends (which had a kids club for younger children, ours enjoyed swimming in the pool and lake), a villa in Spain, and we'll do some survival camping in the mountains later in the holidays (thanks ex army DH ) which DS is also looking forward too.

Now that he's older DS does have a say in our holidays, not always the destination, but as a member of the family we'll look together at things to do and he'll pick one or two that sound good to him. This week he picked some caves with an underwater lake and a glass bottom boat.