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AIBU?

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Original poster

I'm not enjoying my holiday.

155 replies

Polkadots72 · 29/04/2018 21:45

First family holiday with our 2yo dd 1 week away in a fairly chilled part of Spain. Husband booked it. Hotel not child friendly we are self catering in a bedroom.. No lounge area no kitchenette not even a kettle!

No evening entertainment or other guests in the hotel. Majority of tourists are German so feeling a bit isolated. Getting dirty looks from locals if we dare go for a quiet drink in one of the local pubs or bars so each night we are stuck on the balcony while we wait for dd to fall asleep.. also its unusually cold here at the moment had a bit of nice weather but it's very windy. I know I should be grateful to go on holiday but there's no fun to be had here it sucks and ita BORING!! early flight home will coat in excess of £300 so not really an option got 3 days left and I'm feeling thoroughly miserable... any advice. Please be gentle I've had a rough few days dd is playing up and being sugar nearly every where we go oh and she's frightened of the sand. All there is to do is walk up and down the same strip of shops and bars day after day can't even find a boat trip or anything.

OP posts:
DannyLaRuesBestFrock · 30/04/2018 00:18

I remember going to Majorca when my daughter was 2. It was awful. She just kept eating sand

😂 Sorry but that did make me laugh.

We tried to go abroad when dd was little, but we had our own villa with a pool, so was different.

We gave up when she was school age though and went to Butlins for a few years. We loved those holidays, but I cannot fucking wait until she is a teen and we can go to Greece and she will sunbathe and iPad all day and we can get back to doing holidays properly 😂😂 sunbathing, cocktailing, reading trashy books, late evening meals. Lovely. Just a few more years.

ReginaGeorgeIsAFuglySlut · 30/04/2018 00:23

To all the people who are so disbelieving about the Op getting dirty looks, the one restaurant I clicked on in the tripadvisor link someone posted earlier had multiple post about the staff giving sour looks and acting like they wished the patron would get up and leave. Good luck Op holidays with young kids can take a bit of getting used too. I hope things improve for you.

MildlyMiserable · 30/04/2018 00:37

Buy a small paddling pool - supermarkets are one block behind the beach - fill with a couple of buckets of water for the baby and let her splash without having to touch the sand (my now 14 yo wouldn’t step on sand until about 5) but this worked a treat and only cost a couple of pounds.
There are buses to all sorts of places from where you are, very cheap too!
It’s also easy to walk along the beach to Arenal, you can always stop for a coffee/ icecream or paddle on the way.
I’m sure it’s changed a lot but I found this a great resort to be in with a toddler - beach across the road, paved, easy access, plenty of eateries etc. Don’t stick to the bars/restaurants on the front, try some on the roads behind or head to the harbour to your right, I’m sure it’s even busier now that when I last went. Try and relax, and remember it’s cold and rainy here 🌬

penguinsandpanda · 30/04/2018 00:49

This place is good and they do hotel pick ups from Can Pastilla:

www.click-mallorca.com/en/excursions/marineland-mallorca--free-bus/

Gwenhwyfar · 30/04/2018 00:53

My mum did the 'self catering' thing. Told me it was self catering. Got there, no kitchen, what she meant was that she hadn't booked food. She also said the woman who ran the hotel didn't like it if she prepared food in her room. Not surprising!
Luckily we went out for dinner in the evening.

Jamiefraserskilt · 30/04/2018 01:00

Take your toddler down to the beach. Put their feet on your feet and hump about. Gently over time remove your feet and then distract distract distract.. had one who hated sand, grass etc. And it worked for us. Within no time he was squelching about in rock pools!

JJS888 · 30/04/2018 03:43

You poor thing,thats absolutely miserable. As soon as you get home, book something nice, even if its just a weekend at a really nice hotel nearby or centre parks type thing.
Holidays are supposed be a break and relaxing and when they don't match expectations it's just miserable.
People laugh at us for always going to the same place but at least we know it's lovely!

Wdigin2this · 30/04/2018 04:14

I would never let my DH book us a holiday, I plan, book and research every holiday we go on.....that way there are never any disasters!

Ozgirl75 · 30/04/2018 05:32

Holidays with small children are often crap. We went when my first was 18 months and I was about 2 weeks pregnant. We were in a beautiful part of Australia, weather was perfect, hotel ideal, but the kid was a nightmare the whole time.

Whinged from morning til bed, pool was cold, he kept sleeping at weird times, ate nothing but plain bread and pasta for a week.

Then we got home and he let out a sigh and went “we home” with a huge smile.

Didn’t holiday with the ingrate for 2 years!

Now they are 7 and 5 and are a pleasure to holiday with.

americanlife · 30/04/2018 05:38

I feel for you but you are having a holdays will never be the same again experience. The truth is the first holiday that you have, with a young child you realise that you cannot do many of the enjoyable things that used to make holidays great. This is why people do centerparcs. Now you know you will never book room only again- self catering or all inclusive and honestly we knocked holidays on the head and did staycations for 4 years when ours were little as we saw that it was more relaxing just staying in our own homes with all the toys and stuff and doing day trips. Survive the next 3 days and never book thsi kind of holiday again. Some lessons in life are hard learned.

Quantumblue · 30/04/2018 05:44

Gigha looks amazing! .
Why do we let men get away with ignoring family needs?

elderflowerandrose · 30/04/2018 06:03

If it is chilly then it is bloody hard work with a two year old. Spain is not known for the many things to do inside when the weather isn't great

So you have two days to go.. as one day you will be packing and going (thank goodness) Two days means that dh can take out your little one for an hour (up and down the strip) to give you a break?

Hire a car and drive around the island? Take a picnic? At least dd might fall asleep and you can find somewhere a little more friendly for a drink?

Failing that pack up a picnic, buy a ball and find a park. I spent a lot of time on my own in spain when my dc were young, as dh was working, and the one thing they have is parks everywhere.

Play ball in the park, have a picnic and enjoy a glass of wine

On some level you need to put this down to experience and swallow the disappointment, and next time you are in charge of booking holidays. The summer is coming here, so you will soon enjoy some sun anyway.

Battyboo82 · 30/04/2018 06:17

Holidays with two yr olds are not really holidays. But we learnt our lesson with our eldest, now 6. We never go to places where we'd all have to sleep in the same room. Always somewhere with a kitchen so we can cook our own meals and they can misbehave at home if that's what kind of mood they are in. Just learn from it and make it better next time you go away :)

RhurbabAndCustard · 30/04/2018 06:21

Get the bus to Palma Nova and get a good meal at lunchtime. Kids always welcome there. Then you won't mind sitting on balcony for the evening

And next time book it yourself - I never trust anyone else to book a holiday for me after I let my friend be in charge of a girls holiday to Kavos...!

toolazytothinkofausername · 30/04/2018 06:22

Spend a day in Ikea :)

Camí Fondo, s/n, 07007 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

www.islas.ikea.es/mallorca/desktop/en_gb/

PrimalLass · 30/04/2018 06:24

The food market in Palma is fun.

PomPomtheGreat · 30/04/2018 07:15

"We home!" is adorable. Glad you punished the little ingrate, though. It's good to keep them in their place:)

We had a dreadful experience with four children under six in Devon. One small caravan on a caravan park and it started raining the evening we arrived and didn't let up for a week. I remember running from the caravan to the pool with them all to swim and then back in the pouring rain to a caravan which smelled of dogs and made my oldest child sneeze non stop! They had no spare caravan to offer us so we went home a day early to find they had enjoyed wall to wall sunshine back home. We moved to Oz soon after!

OP, if you have the money, get a taxi to the nearest town tomorrow and just do something. Ask for suggestions at tourist information. Anything is better than sitting in a room staring miserably at each other. And when you get home, make it a priority to learn how to research and book holidays. It seems to make you nervous and I can understand that if you have never done it but it isn't difficult if you use a computer and spend some time browsing. You'll enjoy the holiday much more next time if you do.

QueenArnica · 30/04/2018 07:26

Holidays when the kids are really little can be very trying. I know Can Pastilla, lost my virginity there Blush . As others have said, go to Palma, lots to do and places to explore and a change of scenery will do you all good. Hope it picks up for you and you manage to enjoy your last few days.

yikesanotherbooboo · 30/04/2018 07:36

I'm sorry you are not having fun. I would aim for Palma in the afternoon and eat there then back for late bed for DD and have your glass of wine then. This will mean getting her v tired for a long buggy nap so that the restaurant meal isn't stressful.
Work backwards eg sandwiches for lunch either readymade or we usually buy a knife and a small cool bag if we haven't brought one and then you have the fun of buying ham or whatever in the shops. Walking,mooching and swimming all morning . Breakfast can be at the hotel or a pastry and drink in a cafe.
I can see that having to 'go out' for three meals a day and not having a nice place to lounge around while the baby is napping or sleeping must be ""awkward .
I really don't understand the dirty looks part.ignore them . I must admit that we have tended to self cater over the years to increase flexibility . Eating out once a day depending on the activities .we stayed in Nerja when the children were 2 & 3 . We are not really pool people and we felt we had exhausted the local area after a few days. We built the children up to staying up late and acclimatised ourselves to the heat and then had a beautiful day on Granada and a couple of days in Seville. We did loads of sightseeing and all four of us had fun with all the different experiences . On the basis of cost we have often ( even last year with our youngest DC aged16) shared rooms ; I take your point about having a glass of wine together when baby in bed .
Enjoy the rest of your holiday and think about what you could have done differently for next time.

Yogagirl123 · 30/04/2018 07:52

Sorry you are having a rubbish time OP, holidays with young babies and children are always hard work, it’s often easier to be at home.

We had a nightmare trip in the UK when DS1 was nearly 2 and DS2 was 6 weeks, it was like a test of endurance! Needless to say we didn’t bother having a holiday again until they were 6 & 4.

On the bright side, it’s only a few more days, if there is a resort hotel nearby, often if you buy lunch and a drink you can use the pool etc. Next time make sure DH books an apartment, so you have more space and cooking facilities. Try to chill, you will be home before you know it.

CookPassBabtridge · 30/04/2018 08:05

It does sound particularly shitty but holidays in general are really not enjoyable with babies and young children. We went to Cornwall and Spain and it was just really hard work and quite stressful. I vowed to not go again and waste the money until they are older!

PomPomtheGreat · 30/04/2018 08:27

And the blighters never even remember them, which only adds insult to injury!

Whatalovelymug · 30/04/2018 08:54

The holy grail of a resort that’s suitable for small kids and near a decent town and is affordable etc. I always found it’s one or the other. We had a nice holiday in an apartment in Nice when dc1 was 7 months but we haven’t bothered going abroad since. It’s all centre parcs and air b n b’s in the uk now.
Bette luck with your next holiday.

PoisonousSmurf · 30/04/2018 08:58

Whoever booked this holiday needs a good kicking!