to think this might be our worst holiday ever?

[Oneborneverydecade]

We're in the South of France for 2 weeks, arrived Wed. We're staying in a small s/c apartment (think 1 main room, separate tiny kids room and bathroom), no pool but 5 mins from popular sandy beach. We have budgeted £100 per day but obviously France is kinda pricey.
The main problem is the kids; they're 12, 7 and 16 months. The 12 and 7 don't get on, the 12 yo is very much a teenager, the 7 yo has anger issues and the toddler is wonderful but obviously demanding. Plus she still naps twice a day. They're entirely dependent on us for entertainment.
DH is great and does all the cooking, plays with the older 2 at beach etc. We have a hire car.
I know we'd be better off with somewhere with kids clubs - but our accommodation was free so this is a cheap holiday for us.
So AIBU to think this is the hardest it's ever going to be?

I was a student in this area a loooong time ago, but it might be worth looking at driving down the coast to Collioure and Banyuls sur Mer if you get bored of your current location. Oh - and make sure you get enough Muscat to drink!!

Go to nimes. There’s a train round the town and a gladiator museum around the colluseum.
There’s also a Stone Age cave with wall paintings somewhere around there too.

We spent a few summers inland from Grau the beach there is really nice.
You’re not far from Aguemortes (sp?) which is an old walled town food for a day trip and there’s also river trips up the Camargue

If your youngest only naps in bed could you consider trying only one nap a day? Gives everyone some chill out time after lunch at the hottest part of the day

Pont du gard is a good day out we went in June. Take swimming gear and a picnic as you can paddle in the river. Museum is good not too big and cool. Cheap day out and all should enjoy.

Yes Nimes is lovely train round town and the fountains are lovely. My 9 year old loved the Colosseum again picnic world be fine. Cafe in the main centre park by the c museum wasn't too pricey

Honestly, that sounds shit to me, and I haven't had a holiday for ten years.

Same shit, just a different location and without the things at home which probably make your life easier.

We did a big food shop when we arrived and spent £175 so about £50 more than back home - but there was a lot of giving into pester power because we're on holiday

1 adult does the shopping next time, whilst the other goes for a walk with the kids.

Buy a blow up boat from decathlon, the kids will love it and you can tow the toddler around in it. The zoo is in a massive park and is free in Montpellier.

Try Geocaching, the older one and dad should enjoy it.

Could you give the 12 year old a budget for buying food for a meal or BBQ he could do with you partner? They could cycle to shop or you drive them but 12 year old is in charge?

Holidaysmoliday - this is really good advice! I love practical sensible people!!

We’re in a french village in the south we go have big gaps. The first year we came I wasn’t sure how I was going to entertain them as the village is very sleepy but that’s now become the best thing about it . We do a big shop, send the kids to the bakery for fresh croissants in the morning. We go to the local pool for a couple of hours walking there and back, play cards drink cheap local wine go to the markets we rarely eat out. Over the week we’ll do maybe 2 or 3 trips but other than that it’s a great opportunity to teach the kids about other cultures and also to encourage them to get along. I highly recommend audible too.

Toddler holidays are rarely relaxing but if I were you i’d encourage 1 big nap rather than too and be flexible. Also a paddling pool at the beach filled up with some toys is a great way of getting them to stay in one place for 5 mins.

Sounds like it might be the perfect time to try to teach the 7yo to ride a bike too.

Tricky age gaps. Hols with DC at that age can be 'same shit different place.'
Bear in mind that when they get home they will say they had a great time. We used to holiday on French camp sites but in a caravan. We bbqd a lot and had meals in the on site restaurant a couple of times. The best bit about France is the free parking at fab, half empty beaches . Try to relax.

Yes, that is as hard as it will be. Big age gaps are tricky, especially if the kids don't connect well, and some don't. But it will be easier as the littlest gets older. Does your 12 year old enjoying playing with the toddler? Could she do sandcastles with them and leave the 7 year old to play football with dad?

I'm setting off to Wales in a hired motorhome tomorrow, my kids are being arses and really feeling like being in a cramped space with my ahem cherubs - its not an especially pleasant thought. We think of these holidays and it all seems a good plan at the time!

Drink lots of Provençal rose, that's my advice.

The Haribo museum is in Uzes. Close to the Pont du Gard. A winner all around I'd guess.

I have spent months in this part of France in years gone by and there is a lot to do. Aigue-Mortes is beautiful, historic and very interesting. There are dozens of gorgeous beaches along the coast. St Remy en Provence is a great day out for the older ones with the Roman and earlier sites and all the van Gogh stuff. Nimes and Arles and Montpellier are stuffed full of Roman sites. There's a huge funfair park at the end of the canal de Rhone a Sete. If you can't entertain them all, relatively inexpensively, then pick up a few local free sheets and see what's on. Jousting boats are in seasons right now along the canal and the etangs.

I have 3 kids with a large gap between 2 and 3. Dh and i always split for many days out on holiday. It's just so much easier that way. You can always arrange to.drop your dh somewhere with whoever he is taking out and pick up later or he can do something public transport accessible.

Difficult age gap. I found that when my boys are arguing a lot we let them get bored together and they usually manage to find something they can play together. It is as if our attention makes them fight. So I keep an eye on them but let them find something to do together themselves or just given them a very slight nudge and disappear. Play with sand, play fight with water where no much skill required and can be fun for both ages. I wouldn't have days out every day. Expensive and exhausting.
Or male games that involve the entire family. Just back from holidays and we spent hours playing cards on the sun was too hot ( Uno and normal card games) They loved beating us.
You need to facilitate their relationship for your own sanity

1.5 hours to gorges de heric. You hike up from the car park and there are lots of idyllic clear pools it’s a brilliant day out. Take a picnic but stop at roquebrun.

*make

Surely the 7yo finds people to play with on the beach and the 12 yo is fine on the beach for a while with a phone MP3 player and a book?

This could have so been writing this post last year. We stayed in a caravan on a campsite in the South of France the campsite did have a pool and a little bit of evening entertainment but most families were french or dutch. Last year was exceptionally hot about 37 degrees most days and we just stayed around the pool every day because it was just too hot busy and expensive to do anything else. The kids bickered the whole time, my husband had enough and hired a bike and did his own thing. So I was left with the kids. The whloe having to shop and still cook 3 meals a day really got me down I read 8 books though!!!! I honestly think an all inclusive holiday with things to be the children entertained does take the prressure off and gives you more of a holiday!!! I have friends who have children but hate anything child related ie soft play, swimming pools, parks etc and they have never done anything child related with them - they do hiking holidays in the welsh hills and the kids had never complained and would walk miles until the grandad took the little girl to a camp site with childrens amenties and now she has discovered "a childs world" their argument free hiking holidays are over!!! I was so mentally exhausted last year I couldn't do another self catering holiday abroad this year so we are going away to center parks in october but next year we will look at an all inclusive somewhere because I then think at least you get a break too!! Holidays are hard and in my experience very rarely relaxing!!

Will the baby nap in the car or pushchair? So you can use the sleeps as the travelling time to get somewhere? Apart from working around the naps it doesn’t sound awful. Are there any water park amusement park type places nearby? Can you split up so you, baby and 7 yr old do something (eg go to a pool) while dh and older child do something more adventurous?