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Original poster

To never take my children on holiday again.

175 replies

MyBrexitUnicornDied · 30/08/2018 21:11

Argh. So pissed off. Kids are 7 and 4, have taken them to the Lakes for a supposedly fun week.

The 7 year has done nothing but whine, the four year old keeps dissolving into temper tantrums. They aren’t sleeping well at night but are still up early in the morning.

I’ve had enough, I normally take loads of pictures on holiday but there’s hardly any on my phone as there aren’t any I really want to remember.

I’m seriously considering no holidays for the next two years at least.

OP posts:
travailtotravel · 30/08/2018 23:26

Another vote for the pencil museum! You'll enjoy the fact they're occupied, they'll love the colouring in stuff. It's a win all round.

Nubbin · 30/08/2018 23:30

Don't discount Disney - it may not be an adults first choice but we have done Euro and Florida and both were great. It is set up to entertain kids non stop if you plan it right round the rides and shows. America especially but euro also good but less set up to make is super easy for parents. Euro was no more expensive than a weekend at Alton towers or chessington (assuming you need accommodation) and the shows themselves are brilliant and provide easy entertainment.

Misty9 · 30/08/2018 23:37

We had two holidays this year: one week beach holiday, half board, 2 bedroom apartment in hotel, and we found a playground with a cocktail bar next to it. The second holiday was a two week multi stop trip to Copenhagen and Stockholm including fun sleeper train trip, a stay on a boat hostel, and airbnb accommodation.

Guess which one we'll be booking again next year? Grin (hint: we came home early from the second one) we've learnt our lesson.

Longdistance · 30/08/2018 23:38

I throw food at mine when they whinge Blush
I then distract them with something random like, look at that tree. Let’s pet that dog. That duck has one leg (debate goes on as we can’t see the other leg). We pop to the pub where there’s dogs, tv, garden. Look at this sign/map. ‘Shall we do a silly selfie?/pic?’.
Feel like Coco the fucking clown sometimes 🤡 having to entertain them.

IDrinkFromTheKegOfGlory · 30/08/2018 23:51

It definitely does get better and easier with age. Mine are 8 and 10 and we took them backpacking in Thailand for nearly a month this summer. They weren't perfect, let's be honest! There were definitely times when they whinged and fought and basically drove us mad. But, on the whole, they really stepped up - put up with long train/bus trips, dealt with the humidity, tried all sorts of food from all sorts of places - and, as a consequence, we all had an amazing time.

We definitely couldn't have done it a couple of years ago though! But hang in there, it will get better!

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 30/08/2018 23:56

Lol, yes, my ds is six and has some SEN and our holiday was bad this year.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 30/08/2018 23:57

Although my dad’s funeral was day after I returned so that’s a factor too.

Thesearepearls · 30/08/2018 23:57

Wow that's incredible

I've never taken the kids out of what could be described as the western developed world (apart from Ethiopia, which is a family thing). How impressive and how enriching

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 30/08/2018 23:58

Although my dad’s funeral was day after I returned so that’s a factor too.

NapQueen · 31/08/2018 00:01

Itll be the crap sleep affecting them. Are they getting enough rest time?
Ours wake bang on 7am every day so 7am til 9.30am all I want to achieve is clothes on and food down the neck. They fill in the rest of the time with tv/tablets/toys. Whatever keeps them entertained.

Out for a beach day or woods or some castle/walk. Back home for 4pm for rest. An hour or so again tv or tablets or toys.just chill. Dinner. Then an evening walk and a relatively early night.

Pack the sleep in as early as you can get away with. And let them rest.

TheLastNigel · 31/08/2018 05:27

Mine aren11 and 12 now. This year I took them on holiday on my own for the first time (as separated from their Dad). Was nervous because holidays before have been fairly
Hard work even with two of us (bar one when they were 8 and 9 at a very expensive AI place with a lot of entertainment etc laid on, which was great). We went to Croatia for a week and honestly had a great time.
We had just one day of pre teen brattiness with dd2 but I just let her ride it out messing about on her phone. It did annoy me a bit as I don't like her on her phone that much but tbh as we were on holiday and I didn't want it spoiled by argument, that seemed the best option. Their dad took them to Centre parcs as well and that also went great.
So there is hope for when they get a bit older.
If I had my time again I wouldn't take them abroad on holiday until they are about 4 or even older. Before that it's just transporting tons of equipment, and stress. One of you ends up sitting in the room half the time whilst the kids nap or they both go to bed in the evening. The endless sun cream and making sure they don't drown in the pool....
We took ours to Gran Canaria when dd2 was about 12 weeks old and dd1 19 months. I don't know what we were thinking really! Who wants to cart a travel steriliser and a bloody double buggy through an airport if it's not totally necessary!

toomuchtooold · 31/08/2018 05:38

We've spent 2 weeks just outside Stockholm, we went swimming in the sea, built sandcastles, built a fire and cooked sausages. We went and played in the Pippi Longstocking house, exhausted ourselves at the excellent science museum, travelled round the city on the open topped bus, we've eaten pancakes and collected wild blueberries, we've seen elks, slept in a traditional old Swedish farmhouse with the beds in the roof space... the kids have whinged and fought with each other every day except yesterday when we took them to Tivoli, and I have learned my lesson. Next year, we will either stay home and do stuff (our kids are spoiled in that we actually live in a tourist area) or we'll go to Disneyland Paris, or something else with a kids' club and activities and stuff.

tomhazard · 31/08/2018 07:18

I love taking my dc on holiday but would only ever do something that was mostly beach/pool at their age. I can imagine that they would absolutely hate walking round the lakes and also moan. We will also take them on a well planned city break, Eg Paris around Christmas where there are impressive lights, Xmas markets, ice skating rinks etc eg lots to do.

Your holiday Sounds like a child-free or older teen holiday to me!

DinosApple · 31/08/2018 07:29

When ours were little little I seemed obsessed with getting them down to bed at their usual time on holiday. Honestly I wasted hours of my life doing this.

They're now 7&9 and pretty good company when not bickering I honestly don't mind if they go to bed at 10 on holiday and then they sleep in in the mornings.

It does get easier and much more fun. Hang in there!

DinosApple · 31/08/2018 07:31

Oh and your holiday is the type of thing we do and did with ours OP.

Essentially we have EH and NT membership and use that to visit places, do the kid friendly stuff, go for walks and visit the beach if not inland.

ChampagneSocialist1 · 31/08/2018 07:37

Eurocamp was great when ours were at that age. Great Kids clubs, fun pools, a bit of freedom to go to the on-site shop, make friends with other kids and hang out a bit interspersed with trips out in a foreign country. Everyone got a break with very little moaning

recluse · 31/08/2018 07:48

I’ve had the same with teens, I’m not going away next year with them it’s like a punishment for all of us

Same here. I am just back from taking my 12, 14 and 16 year olds abroad to see a relative - admittedly it was very hot and we were a bit house bound, but even if it hadn’t been, there seems to be NOTHING they are interested in doing.

In the middle of our stay with the relative, we went to the beach for three nights, and while the 12 year old and I loved it, the other two were completely meh Hmm. One got in the water once (though she does have OCD so this was part of it) - the other did not set foot in the sea or pool once. Oh and repeatedly told me that his trip to another country with his Dad (we are recently separated) was much better.

Next time I am saving my money Grin.

SouthWestmom · 31/08/2018 07:51

@recluse my 15 year old was the same. Bored by everything. The pool, the beach, the gym etc

Next time I'm doing something with all on site where he can disappear and 'do something'.

Teen dd loved it - pool and books

The smaller ones spent most of their time in their room telling each other how awful it was.

It's too hot isn't it? Yes and the food is horrid. I don't like long holidays, so you? Etc 😂

Goldangel · 31/08/2018 07:55

Holidays with young children is not a holiday it’s basically just childcare in another location! (Hence why we never did self catering/cottages etc, we did full on AI so no cooking, cleaning etc with loads of activities, entertainment, kids clubs... )

Hang in there it does get better, mine are 12 & 9 now, and it’s been so much easier the past few years. 😎

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 31/08/2018 08:00

Are they normally good at home? Were they bored?

DeadBod · 31/08/2018 08:03

A holiday isn't a holiday in this house until I've trotted out the line about them spoiling my holiday and never going away again. I used to say it every year, forget I said it, then book another holiday Confused

bambootwentytwo · 31/08/2018 08:04

It’s a shame your youngest can’t go in water as that’s the easiest way to have a fun holiday at that age imo. Could you do ear plugs and a neoprene band?

From experience of my kids only the best holidays have been when there’s no need to go anywhere e.g.
Apartment with pool
Cottage on the beach
Campsite with space to play and friends to make.

As soon as we start organising day trips, no matter how much they enjoy them while we’re there, it becomes more stressful.

We tend to stick to one or two days out and a few meals out during the week otherwise we stick to our base!

Some people would probably find this boring but right now it works for us and we all enjoy the holiday which is surely the point!

WipsGlitter · 31/08/2018 08:08

Please don't video the whinging - that's really mean. Can you take them out alone for a bun and explain how it's spoiling the holiday?

There's a castle with a great play area in the lakes - can't remember what it's called though! Cinema? We went down a mine which was good fun.

Ive realised we need WiFi and a pool on holidays!!

tillytrotter1 · 31/08/2018 08:18

Our first trip abroad with our two wasn't a barrel of laughs. The eldest, about 5, moaned it was too, hot, too cold, too windy, too sandy etc etc. I love hearing about her children's tantrums now!

NoWordForFluffy · 31/08/2018 08:30

Wray Castle has play stuff inside, though they've moved the foam building blocks upstairs to a smaller room and it's not quite as good now. It has a large Peter Rabbit area too, but some stuff has been removed from it and, again, it's not as good as it was. However, in wet weather it's a godsend!

We walked round Rydal Water with ours last week and they loved it. There's a brilliant cave to go into and a tea shop and pub (we chose the pub!) on the way round.