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!

I only have two DCs but they are twins. I made a point of never even attempting any sort of holiday until they were about 5. Then we had a couple of 3-nighters in Haven-type places before biting the bullet for a proper holiday when they were 7 (Spain - fab).

Three under three - no way. As a PP said, at that age it's just childcare in a different environment. It's no holiday for you, and they won't remember any of it. I would cut your losses, go home and have fun in local places. And don't try again for several years......

Why do you feel the need to do so much in the next few days? The kids won't remember or care. You and Dh are setting yourselves up for more stress. Just go home or at least cut way back on the plans.

For next year buy a cheap tent and a paddling pool, set them up in the garden and let them have fun with their toys out there. Get takeaway for the week. You could then sleep in the tent for a night or better still just use it for shade during the day letting everyone sleep in their own beds/cots. Personally I wouldn't be wasting money on a holiday again until the youngest is at least 3. That way they'll all remember the fun times they'll have by then.

Geez go home!
Ikwym about being away with little ones, so much harder than being at home!
Get lots of treats in at home and visit your favourite places

I would stay but massively scale back your plans. I would be doing things like going down to the lake and throwing stones in and collecting sticks etc. This could easily take a whole morning then go back to the caravan for nap time.

Are you in flookburgh?

I would suggest places like grizedale forest go on the trail and the park there is lovely.
If you like zoos south lakes animal park
The lakes aquarium
Fell foot park
A trip to morecambe to happy mount park, then a walk along the promenade for ice creams there is a fun fair set up too.

I would watch the boats on the lake, maybe some paddling and an ice lolly each. Ideal if you have a double buggy as two can sit down.
Find somewhere with ducks to watch and talk about, have a break for more food.
Any forestry commission woods nearby? They usually have pushchair friendly paths and stuff like gruffalo trails. Have another ice lolly.
Musuems with tractors and animals in are popular.
We go out a lot and normally on holiday a lot. We do pace ourselves and don’t do loads of activities. Some days if they are very tired I drive round until they nod off then park up and read a book and eat chocolate!

At that age (admittedly only 2 kids but elder has asd) we took road trips mostly. The keys to a successful holiday are play parks McDonald's with indoor play areas lots of driving as they slept in the car and a double buggy. For some strange reason I also took them backpacking at 2&4, was rather stupid looking back but we cooed got nearly a month

Ah man, sorry but this made me and oh laugh alot. Ours are 4, 5 and 6 now so we understand totally.

It does get easier, I don't know how we survived looking back.

Potty training with three that close is a special kind of hell tho! Get through that and you're there

Honestly sounds like you've planned a holiday around actual children. You have 2 babies and a young toddler. Even taking them swimming must be hard! I wouldn't bother with museum or pottery painting. Simple, easy activities where they can be their age and you can relax. Lots of good suggestions from pp.

I have 2dc 2 years apart and we went on holiday when they were 6m and 2.5. We kept it very simple. Beach, playground, soft play, park, pool, farm - anywhere they could just run around and have a nap in buggy when needed. As pp have said, routine similar to home esp evening routine.

I hope you enjoy the rest of it. It is hard work at this age so make things as easy as possible for yourself!

Id head to ravenglass and go on the little ratty train, its fantastic for kids that age and fills a full day.

Oh and grizedale forest. Massive playground and loads of trails including a gruffalo one and one with giant instruments and hobbit houses.

Some great suggestions on here.

All I can picture now is a gruelling itinerary, a heatwave, nappies, potties, suncream, hats, parasols, more suncream, water and fluids, worrying about being late for bookings, food, snacks, stopping for petrol, swatting flies, driving, snappy behaviour from the DH, babies crying, and the OP stressing.

And that's before we even get onto covid stuff, lack of sleep etc.

That would be a real challenge for any adult. Who set the itinerary?

Honestly I can't imagine anything I'd want to do less than take 3 kids under 3 on a holiday. It's never going to be easy or restful no matter what you do. So no yanbu to go home

Reading SpindleWhorl's description of what your holiday is probably like, I need to ask you OP are you a masochist ?

I've put that yanbu - because you're not at all. But also if you did want to stay I would honestly cut down on the planned activities. It's loads to cram in with tiny children during a heatwave. Take everything back to basics, and takeaways/ ready meals are a definite. There's loads of lovely kiddie ready meals available

Find a nursery / crèche or get a nanny you need a break woman!

@Dancingonmoonlight

Holidays at that age are just childcare somewhere different but without your stuff. I’d go home

This. I always choose to stay at hone when my kids were little. When we did holiday, it was to my sister’s house in another part of the country. We started going away when the eldest was 6!!!

Absolutely this.

When ours were very small, we did little outings from home, to the park and an ice cream, trip to a near beach for an hour.

We did the pool in the garden etc.
Got them down to bed and had a babysitter in and went out for dinner nearby.

We were all in our own beds so everyone slept well.

Any of my friends that went away with babies just wanted a divorce afterwards 😁, too bloody hard.

Pack up and go home.

Buy three large wind breaks & make a play compound. It takes away the flight risk & then you’ll be able to relax a little and so will they in turn.

When our kids were little we nearly always headed home before we were due to. This was usually due to crap weather or the kids acting up. We just couldn’t stand it. Go home to their routine, their toys and hopefully some helpful friends and family.

Next time leave them with family and fly somewhere hot without them.

It’s a nice idea but three under three is a lot for someone to take on

Idk if you should go home op but just thinking about getting through it is tiring. We only have a three year old under five and choose holidays carefully these days

Don't let the fact you've already paid for the holiday influence your decision - look up "sunk costs" - the money's already been spent. If you'd have more fun at home go home. Grimly enduring the holiday because you've paid for it does not somehow validate the expenditure.

Have done this several times, the amount of paid accommodation we have lost out on! X

Absolutely call it a day and go home.
I have travelled the world with young children and done UK holidays.
A complete nightmare and waste of money.
Long expensive safaris.
Children would have been happier looking at bugs in their own garden.
I remember reading somewhere, “ don’t bother taking children under 10 on holiday, they won’t really remember it or enjoy it”
Very sensible advice.

Somebody from our NCT class said going on holiday with a young baby isn't "going on holiday" and they have a good point