to imagine recklessly that a 'self-catering' holiday will be anything other than forced labour for me now I am a Mum?

[Verso]

You can all pat me on the head now and say 'there, there', with the voice of experience.

Forgive me - DD is only two, so it's still a shock to find that the concept of 'holiday' now applies to her and DH only. When did the rules change? No one showed me the paperwork!

I will learn, no doubt!

Ooh, but I was (am?) bitter . Can anyone empathise?

Have you just been or about to go???

oh yes holidays for us with 2 under 3 are really just a home from home.
Still have to sterilse bottles, do bedtime routine etc.
But I insist on lots of takeaways and going out and doing things that we wouldn't do at home to make it worth the effort.
Sometimes i have to remind myself that a change of scenery does me good when I feel what's the point... lol

Just back, skribble, and greatly relieved to be home. It was just the eensiest bit grim (can you tell?!)

I love self-catering holidays!

We have two girls, 4 and 1.

Love 'em!

Take along lots of wine and beer and every evening's a wee party with your man.

Doesn't help that DD has decided to cut an 'extra' tooth (dentist assured me she had them all - sigh)... so up at 2am, 4am and 5am most days. Also developed aversion to doing poo on the loo despite brilliant success w potty training, so additional visits to the bedroom during the night to sort out poo-ey bott.

Great.

Also cooking/cleaning/tidying - the usual.

Also cooking/cleaning/tidying - the usual

no no... takeaway, huge amounts of wine, no cleaning or tidying until the last day
meals out too
no cooking
it's the rules

It is easier when they are a bit older, slef catering is so much better than hotels as once kids up to bed you can watch TV and relax with out fear of waking them. That is UK cottage self catering not tiny med apartment self catering.

I do cook a few meals but I enjoy cooking, refuse to cler up though and cook all the lovely meals I like best, easy to prepare packlunches for days out and a few pub dinners, space for kids to do jigsaws or draw if weather crappy.

We've always done sc holidays and I love it. Not drudgery at all.

Exactly, Lucy!

Or frozen pizzas, Chicken dippas, the like.

We tend to do mainly self-catering holidays.

DH does his fair share, the boys enjoy helping out - far more so than when we're at home.

Good balance of simple meals, takeaways and occasionally eating out.

And I second Expat with the vino and beer for the evenings.

Usually do one roast chicken and one gammon for nibbling, sandwiches, etc.

And I usually do one vat of soup, too.

But otherwise, we love the flexibility of self-catering.

Nothing like it when you go with the grandparents or sister or brother and then you get to go out w/your man, too.

yes, just bung a lasagne in the oven and eat with chips
what's to clean up?

your dh must do his fair share on holiday

Weather was appalling all week (Norfolk) then beautiful sunshine this morning just as we left. Wanted to smack the people who had written unbearable Boden-smiley copy in the visitors' book. Grrr.

Am grotty mood. Will stomp about. Have wine. Go to bed etc. Just get v few days off a year and bit bitter re DH being teacher, so wanted it to be my fab week off. Hey ho!

you should become a teacher too

Canned food, too.

Kids eat favs like spagetti hoops on toast, baked beans with bangers, ravioli with toast, chips with baked beans, etc.

Pure stodge. Best of British.

Less washing up, too.

Frozen pizzas all the way.

And a big frozen lasagne from Costco on the way out.

Beer, wine and a bottle of whisky.

Don't forget the deck of cards and luxury bath foam.

When we went last year, my dad had only two requirements: a king-sized bed and Sky+ so he could spend the evenings watching Mexico play in the World Cup, or, if they lost, Brazil or Argentina.

I like to do a few luxury meals like steak and peppercorn sauce, I cook mostly from scratch now but used to get a few of the expensive ready meal type things like chicken enchiladas etc from the chill cabinets.

Oh must get planning my Oct hols as we don't go away in the summer.

My must have in cottage is a dishwasher and washing machine/dryer.

The trick is to take a break and not make it hard on yourself, hence, easy to prepare meals with little clean up and a few luxuries.

Same here, Skribble!

I gotta have a dishwasher AND a w/d.

Open plan kitchen a plus.

It was on holiday (we had two then, of 2ish & 6 months ish) when I finally had enough courage & steam to insist that we start doing alternate mornings (me one, dh next, etc. etc.) - lifesaver which has now lasted for years.

Holidays are kind of power labs for that kind of revelation. What (now) would you like to change?

I don't have a problem with the cooking etc - I know perfectly well how to make easy but nutritious meals - just would like it not all to be down to me for once! Never mind. Was just trying to let off steam.

As for becoming a teacher - nice try (!) but I am older than DH and significantly more advanced in my career - and we are planning ahead in case he has to give up work soon (he has a progressive illness) so no chance of retraining I am afraid as I have to keep up with where I'm at, if you see what I mean.

Sorry - just feeling a bit sorry for self. Glad as ever to have a forum to rant on!

Hmm don't know about open plan kitchen, sometimes I feel really left out cooking but mostly I like to retreat, open the wine and eventualy appear about 8pm with dinner.

Bink - thanks. Sounds like you have been through similar. All I wanted to hear was a bit of empathy and I really appreciate it.

Verso vent away, I think any holiday with really little ones is still going to be hard work, but honest it does get easier if you find a type of holiday that suits you.