AIBU to think that a holiday with a toddler is not s holiday?

[shesellsseashell]

We've only been away to English seaside for a few days but I'm absolutely exhausted. Today he started the morning by trying to eat a large handful of sand, and hasn't sat down since. Non stop charging about, towards the sea, towards the rocks, chucking his ball in the sea for me to collect x 1000. Struggling to sleep away from
Home, taking ages to settle down and get to sleep. I'm utterly exhausted.

Is this what it is always like with a toddler? I thought things got easier once they started walking

Agree

Why on earth would you think it got EASIER when they start walking?!?!

Haha OP I do sympathise. My DS is nearly 3 and there is no such thing as relaxing at the seaside any more.

The baby and toddler years are bloody hard work! I think things eventually got more chilled when my youngest was about 7! These days I can actually sit down and relax for long chunks of time.

You're definitely NBU. Especially on a beach with all the added risks and dangers. Can you book a weekend away/adults only anytime soon?

Is any holiday really a holiday?

You have to pack, stress and fuck about. Organise pets, money, other shit.

Travel. (FML).

Spend a week not knowing where you are, how much things cost and sleeping in a strange bed.

Then you get home and have to unpack and do a week's worth of mad laundry in a day.

Then go back to work when really you need another week off to get over your holiday.

I have a two year old and a four year old and we will not be going on holiday for a long time!! I generally find holidays stressful anyway but with kids it's more work than being at home.

No it's really not. But it gets better! Mine are 5&6 now and I can have a drink in relative peace (except when they start scraping)

Childcare in another location... That's the phrase we used for holidays when they were little

Depends who you are sharing the load with! I am a single parent to a toddler and a teenager. We have been on 4 holidays together. 2 of which were with wider family and we have had an absolute ball! Sometimes it can be stressful but if you try and relax in to it is such a special time together

Yanbu. It does get easier, I promise. I'm able to relax now whilst in charge of my 4 year old.

Things get 1000x worse when they start walking! You need eyes in your arse. But I agree, its definitely not a relaxing holiday it's more of an adventure than a holiday.

Not a holiday just a change of scenery now . Same shit, different location.

I agree.

A tip for toddlers at the beach is to buy a small inflatable paddling pool, fill it up from the sea and they can play close by. my two ds used to love this and entertained themselves in it with various toys.

Until they are about 4.5-5years holidays are just the same shit different location.
I preferred to do day trips at that age.

Same crap ... different location. I now holiday with a 15 year old. That comes with pitfalls as well let me tell u.
I honestly can’t wait till I book that first holiday for just myself and my husband.

No no no it never gets easier when the get mobile! Suddenly you have to keep an eagle eye on them, stairs are an accident waiting to happen, streets are a nightmare and if they like to climb all the furniture is a potential broken bone.
But agree holidays with young children are just taking all the hassle and work to another location where you don’t have all your stuff and familiar things around you.

I go with extended family a lot n usually get 1 day a week relaxing time as they take him out.
I usually sleep!!

Yanbu. We took our 2 year old on holiday in May. Still exhausted from it. Planning our next holiday for when he leaves home.

Same shit, different pot.

I'm in the minority here then but I don't find them hard at all, i do only have 1, maybe thats it. Sorry your having a stressful time OP, hope you manage to get some rest

We had an amazing holiday with our toddler this year. Spent all day in the pool or at the beach in his blow up boat with toys, or wandering the markets. He had a 3 hour nap every day because he was shattered, danced the night away at the evening entertainment or little bars in the old town or watching the sunset over the boats in the marina. Crashed in his pram or at midnight at the hotel when we did so no problems getting to bed and slept til 9am. Was great! It can be fun! Yours maybe not though 😂

Same shit, just a bit sunnier. I'm actually dreading our upcoming holiday as my toddler has morphed into the spawn of hell recently. The idea of being in France, where ALL children seem to behave perfectly, is making me feel quite sick.

Depends what your expectations are. I found holidays with baby, toddler or kids very much still holidays. I love them, and would happily have more than 2 or 3 a year if I could afford it.

-there are 2 adults at all time
-no rushing around from work to nursery to school to club
-you can be as lazy as you want
-my favorite holidays are renting a villa somewhere, we eat breakfast when we feel like it, eat out for lunch, and grab something from a deli or other for the evening. We don't have to keep the kids quiet and we can drink a glass of wine in peace.

-everything is new, and we discover new places, so you never wonder how to occupy your kids

A beach holiday is probably the most difficult choice with a toddler. I took ds to Butlins and to a caravan in the lakes. We pootled around doing safe, child friendly things for the week. Definitely not a rest (I'm on my own) but nice enough for a change of scene. He was 5 (almost 6) before I ventured abroad, he was a dream by then and we had a nice time.... still not a rest though.

Maybe when they're teenagers?

Yep. We’ve just had a few days glamping. Spent most of it stopping him eating/throwing/kicking gravel. Kicking and throwing balls/shoes etc in the stream. Not screaming and shouting at 6am. Not running around the campsite naked when trying to get him ready for bed. All in this heat! Bloody exhausted. Happy to be home 😁