To be considering cutting our family holiday short?

[Babybabybabyooooh]

We are currently in the Lake District (live in the south west).
We have three children aged 11mo, 1yo and 2yo. So far it’s awful, our 1yo is a total flight risk at the moment, the 2yo is acting incredibly difficult (which is definitely down to her routine being upset but it’s still making it very difficult) and the 11mo is being his typical baby self, but it’s much harder to accommodate him with the added stress of the older two and the holiday.

I’m not having fun, the kids kind of are but the location isn't having much of an effect on that, and they’re mad they can’t just run free like at home because it’s not enclosed, it was such a long trip to get here and we’ve only been here two days but the thought of staying until Monday makes me feel sick,

Would I be unreasonable to pack up and go home and just holiday from home? There are just as many zoos and parks a driving distance from our home that they would love all the same!

Agree that holidays with very young kids are just child care in a different location with extra work! We concluded that Centre Parks was the only thing we could bear as at least the pool exhausted the kids so they would nap.

As for your trip, can you maybe get them to the pool early each day to tire them then maybe do one other activity in the afternoon? Try to give them a loose routine for each day. Or maybe divide and conquer; partner takes baby whilst you take the other two to the pool and vice versa.

It's a hell of a drive home and would be a shame to miss out but if you don't think it will get better, don't feel bad about jacking it in! Take heart that one day, you will get to enjoy more relaxing holidays. Mine are 8 and 10 now and can sort of pack for themselves and be civilised in restaurants!

I didn’t find holidays with young kids harder work away from home. It was lovely to get away from home. However would usually go with grandparents and it made life a lot easier for us all.

@mynameisbrian

I didn’t find holidays with young kids harder work away from home. It was lovely to get away from home. However would usually go with grandparents and it made life a lot easier for us all.

Can you honestly not see that the presence of two extra child free adults probably contributed to your feeling?!

Marmitemarinaded i would say one extra adult as FIL did nothing, however they were not in every holiday. I have been to villas, camping all sorts with a baby and older DC. Having a break away from home was good for all of us. OP should have lowered her expectations

As many other have said, I think your expectations were too high.
When I go on residential school trips the schedule is jam packed like this, essentially to try and squeeze as much in as possible and to make them tired so they sleep well at night!
Your kids are tiny though, they won’t give a shiny shit about a Beatrix potter museum or a boat trip, it’ll just be an exercise in ninja parenting trying to contain small bored kids. Who is it all for? If it’s for you, cut back on the amount you’re doing. If it’s for them, also cut back on the amount you’re doing!
Plan one thing a day if you’re the kind of people who need to have things planned in advance (you seem as though you are - hope that doesn’t come across as me being snide, some people like plans, others hate them), the rest of the time just do what they seem happy doing.
Or else just go home

@Pumperthepumper

usually he works 50 hours a work so he’s not really got the best patience when dealing with them 24/7

Jesus. His own children. There’s the problem then.

Who would have patience for 3 under 3?

Reminds me of when my friend took her 16 month old to New Zealand for a motor home holiday and had the worst time ever.

Teething badly, and the motor home and various overnight stays in hotels that weren't childproofed didn't equal much fun.

"Pumperthepumper
usually he works 50 hours a work so he’s not really got the best patience when dealing with them 24/7

Jesus. His own children. There’s the problem then.
Who would have patience for 3 under 3?"

The people who created them hopefully?!

I also took one of the nurseries nursery nurses one year to a nice apartment — we had plenty of room there so it was only really a cheap flight and she did it for a free holiday— so wasn’t paid on top . we mixed it up 4 nights babysitting in a week and 3 nights out with us paid for and then 2 full days where she took him off to activities— and rest of days to herself — this worked well

Reveal in the silence

I doubt there's much silence with 3 under 3

Who would have patience for 3 under 3?

Plenty of people do, hopefully the ones who chose to have them in particular!

I had 3 under 3 years ago. They’re 9, 10 and 11 now so a long time since they were small. I didn’t go away with them until they were older, there’s just way I’d have coped. Routine got me through those early years, they thrived on it and any time it went out of whack there was hell to pay. I was on autopilot most of the time tbh, I’d say the first 2 years of DC3’s life are a blur! So in that respect you’re braver than me OP, I barely left the house in all honesty because it was just easier to stay at home.

The Lakes are lovely, took my DC a couple of years ago. Hope you decided fo stay and try making the most of the trip away in the end. The Beatrix Potter museum is great, as are the boat trips and we liked walking a lot too. You’ll be ok, I know it’s bloody difficult though.

Reading the itinerary is like reading the itinerary our together by a childless well meaning great aunt.

NOT the actually mother who presumably knows how own children and how three under three is a challenge at the best of times

With one under 3, we had a holiday rule of one day in, one day out. So we'd do something one day and then just hang around where we were staying (always booked somewhere with pool/playground and an enclosed garden) the second day.

Your itinerary sounds...ambitious.

@Marmitemarinaded

Reading the itinerary is like reading the itinerary our together by a childless well meaning great aunt.

NOT the actually mother who presumably knows how own children and how three under three is a challenge at the best of times

It certainly sounds as if it was put together by someone who doesn’t know the meaning of relaxation. Those three kids are in for an exhausting childhood if that’s the way it’s going to be. I bet DH is dying to go back to work for a rest.

You've planned an amazing sounding holiday....for junior school aged kids! Very little children really needs lots of time to just be. 99% of the world is still mind blowing to them, they really don't need lots of extra stimulation - it overwhelms them very quickly.

There's only 53 weeks between our DDs, so I can sympathise a little, but we quickly learned to keep it very simple whilst on holiday (and we also went to the Lakes when they were toddlers). We soon realised that all they were really excited by was the big, fancy ice creams from the van at the edge of the park in Ambleside. And they loved the swings! So we all ate a lot of ice creams and played on the swings a lot.

What saved our sanity was using sitters.co.uk several times in the evening, and they sent us the most lovely, paediatric nurse with long red hair. Can't remember her name, but our DDs loved her.

@Marmitemarinaded

There is only one way to enjoy holdings with very young children

Throw money at it

We went with a baby specialist treacle company
It was incredible!!

Even had a baby purée menu. I kid you not.
Everything was included and very high end - bjorn etc.
Bliss

I really really want to learn more about this! You went to a specialist treacle company for what? A holiday? To dip your babies in treacle? A nice café?

I need to know! Googling luxury holidays ,childcare and days out that I can't afford is definitely a part time hobby of mine

If you can throw money at it, and want amazing wrap around childcare then you need to Google Powder Byrne holidays....

You're welcome x

Porto Sani
Or baby friendly bolt holes

Uber pricey
But my word - totally worth it when children very young.

All the recommendations for baby / toddler friendly holidays are basically places where you can palm your children off to someone else , that is not my definition of a family holiday .

@Floralnomad

All the recommendations for baby / toddler friendly holidays are basically places where you can palm your children off to someone else , that is not my definition of a family holiday .

You have no idea

It’s bout turning up and having really superb high quality baby cot, high chair, bedding, toys. No dog eared and smell.

It’s about them picking you up from airport with quality and age appropriate car seats, and fresh juice and fruit for young children.

It’s about providing black out curtains in the room, really good monitors, loads of shady quiet spots by the pool, amazing kids menus that aren’t just nuggets and chips (we went to one with a beautiful organic baby purée menu!).

It’s about the pool being electronically fenced off, superb and safe playgrounds on site.

And yes, if you want ofsted registered childcare.

So stick that in your pipe!!

So a normal nice hotel then .

@Marmitemarinaded

Where are these places? I need to go to one please!

[quote Merryoldgoat]@Marmitemarinaded

Where are these places? I need to go to one please![/quote]
Porto Sani was sublime if looking for hotel resort
But you won’t get change from many multiples of £1000s

Or if renting - baby friendly boltholes was good when we hired in France

@Floralnomad

So a normal nice hotel then .

@Marmitemarinaded

www.sani-resort.com/en_GB/our-hotels/porto-sani-village?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0emHBhC1ARIsAL1QGNfbopIMn30oJD0p7iYxTRdupaPGdpIScppjhO10kTUUW4yysED-2qoaAmHkEALw_wcB

This place?