Aibu to not want to sit round a pool for ten days?

[Bells3032]

OK serious first world problems here. I have a three month old and we are currently looking at a 10 night trip in September. But all my research shows that anything remotely baby friendly is some beach resort in the middle of no where.

Realistically I am paler than a ghost and the idea of spending 10 days sitting round the pool in sticky suncream just sounds like my idea of hell. I like to read and I could cope with 3 days of it but not 10. They all advertise windsurfing and kayaking etc but not something I can do with a 9 month old in my arms.

But whenever I tell anyone this they're always like "oh but you can go for a nice walk along the beach". OK that's fine one day. Maybe 2 but you want to do the same thing day in and day out for 10 days.

Am I the only one that thinks this wag. Everyone else I know is going to tenerife or corfu etc for their holidays and just can't believe I don't want to.

I love history and museums etc. I do recognise I can't do stuff like I used to with a baby. Am I the only one that feels fed up that the only holidays suggested to someone the minute they have a baby is a beach resort? Aibu to not want to just sit round a pool and go for a short walk (and it would be short in the heat)

Go to Austria, take a off road buggy cable car to top of hills and walk down. Some places your better with a sling.

Brilliant holiday

That sort of holiday isn’t going to work with a 9mo. The only time you’ll get to sit by the pool will be when/if they nap.

If you like museums do a city break. It will be much easier with a baby than with a toddler or younger child.

And it shouldn’t matter two hoots what friends think of your choices!

We do city breaks - easy with a baby as they get strapped in buggy or in sling, bit more challenging with a toddler/preschooler but still perfectly doable. I take both of mine to art galleries and museums in our closest city too. The idea of being stuck by a pool with a crawler or a possible early walker sounds hellish.

I would do somewhere like Barcelona or Madrid, you can still spend time at the hotel pool but there's also so much else to do. Parks to explore, museums galleries etc. and also lovely food.

If you were to try and please everyone you'd never go on holidays anywhere. I really don't see why it bothers you what other people think anyway,just go where you want.I think a lovely place steeped in history with fab walks and a beach within easy access if you want a little beach time is nice.lots of folk don't have on beach holidays nothing wrong with that

Baby’s and beaches are not a good mix at all in my opinion (too much sand and salt and sun to avoid), and I would take mine on a city break (with a sling not a buggy) at that age. They will actually enjoy it more I think with so much to look at.

Toddlers are not so much fun in a city, they want to walk everywhere or be carried but there’s plenty of places you can combine pools and culture. We liked lake Garda area a lot for small children, lots of boats and ducks to feed, day trips to Verona and Venice (not my favourite with children tbh) pebbly beaches for a paddle.
Now mine are older they vote for a London break and love (child friendly) museums mixed in with parks and water fountains. It’s all about balance I guess

I'd be bored after 10 minutes, never mind 10 days.

What about going to the Channel Islands? You have a mix of beach, history, country walks and activities if they are feasible with a small baby. Prices will drop in September and the weather is usually decent.

Somewhere like Copenhagen or Berlin would be baby-friendly too as they are flat, so easy to walk a buggy around. We went to Scotland a lot when ds was small but if you want warmer weather you could also consider Croatia.

Not sure where you got the impression from and what friends/aquaintances you have.

We ferried DD around most of London's museums in a carrier from early days and stately homes on days out.

DD's first proper holiday (8 months) was a cottage in Devon. with country walks, more stately homes, walking around villages and far too many cream teas.

When we flew abroad we had a villa again, yes, spend afternoons at a beach or the pool at the villa but also did boat tours, carried her on DH's bag into a cave, hiked for 3 hours, did a train journey, went shopping

We didn't do a AI resort until she was 7, enjoyed the activities and would let us relax in peace which we alternate with days out.

@LubaLuca

I don't know who made you think that sitting in the sun for 10 days is what everyone with a baby does. It's not the norm at all. Go and book a holiday that you'll enjoy.

This.

It's the last thing people with experience of young babies would suggest.

A beach/pool holiday is great with older children who can swim and play independently. Otherwise it's shit, on constant tenterhooks making sure kids don't disappear or drown.

If you want to wander around museums etc then do it now whilst your baby is not walking.

@lightisnotwhite

Mostly people do beach holidays because they are cheap and easy to book. Which is a relief with a toddler.

I did a non beach holiday to South Africa with DS at a year old.I spent much of the holiday trying to stop him pulling himself up on expensive furniture that might topple over on him in the apartment. And then we did the same stuff we did at home; zoo, petting farm, walks, parks, pool.
But yeah I did a cruise the year after because although I wanted an easy life with the cooking and cleaning, I like seeing interesting places. Bliss to visit Pompeii and get back for a swim and dinner knowing you had Pisa or somewhere exciting the next day too"

When DS was a bit older it was all city breaks ( granted with a pool) and interesting reasons ( European grande prix, international games etc). Much nicer all round.

No they don't . It's because they like the beach .

I know I can do city breaks. I just find people's reactions to me not wanting to go to a beach resort is thst they are horrified. They just always argue with me thst I should want to drop a small fortune to sit around a pool

Why do you care so much what they think?
Just do whatever you want to do.

No they don't . It's because they like the beach

Yes. People book package bucket and spade holidays because they like them. They aren’t necessarily that cheap. Nor intrinsically more relaxing with small children.

Personally, I find dealing with a baby on a beach bloody hard work. And trying to do sunloungers and pools is not going to be relaxing unless they are old enough to play safely with minimal supervision (so that’s a long way off) or sit quietly on a sun lounger and read a book themselves.

There’s no perfectly, relaxing, baby friendly holiday option. Because babies can be hard work wherever you are. And being away from home can make things harder just because you don’t have all your stuff.

People book the holiday they’d most enjoy. For some people, that’s an all inclusive resort in Turkey. For others it’s a walking holiday in the alps. For others it’s a city break. For others, it’s theme parks on florida. For others it’s camping in the Lake District. For others, it’s going nowhere at all because the thought is too stressful in and of itself. None of them are wrong or somehow less child-friendly - they’re just different choices.

Child friendliness is much more about how you approach things (and how close it is to your normal life really). If you have chucked the baby in a sling/carrier and gone walking (and often camping) pretty much every weekend of its life (I know people who do this), then a walking holiday with camping will seem totally child friendly. For people who never do that, it’ll seem like a nightmare choice. They’d both be right, because they’re thinking about child friendly for them and their child. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Def easier to do a trip like Rome with a baby - I have a 3 month old and chuck in carrier and go explore - pool is fine for 1 day but it'll be better if you do beach stuff with toddlers

I've never been given that impression! When my little one was ten months, we drove through France and Belgium to a Eurocamp site in Holland...doing museums and cultural stuff in Bruges and Ghent along the way! We had our older two with us who were eight and five too. In actual fact, this year is the first we're doing an all inclusive and that's cos we have a teen who will want to hang around with kids his own age and do endless sports. We've still hired a car for two days when we're they're though as the compromise so we can do trips and see the area. Babies are easy though...they want to be with you, can't argue...I have very happy memories of adventures at that age with my kids!

City breaks are, I think, easier than pool breaks with baby. They’ll sit happily in pram while you go round museums. Pool break- what’s relaxing about playing with an overheated, sticky baby next to a pool?

I think somewhere like Alicante, Valetta or the Hague might suit.

Thanks all. Glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't think beach with baby sounds relaxing anyway. We have actually booked a cruise with a couple of days in Barcelona but twice in one day when I mentioned it to people they started arguing with me that I should want a "relaxing" holiday by the pool and walk up and down the beach. Both times I just ended up saying "I just don't want to" as they kept insisting it was best for the baby. And the places suggested (sani and ikos resorts) were not cheap ranging from 500 to 700 a night for a standard room. As a first time mum I just found it a bit of anxiety producing and wondered if I was wrong.

I have cruised since I was a child and very familiar and comfortable with the idea. There are some downsides (like baby mot allowed in the pool) but massive upsides too.

Thanks for the reassurance that I am not crazy

Museums with a baby would be much easier than a beach holiday! Beach or pool with a baby (or any child up about 5) is exhausting. Endless suncreaming, making them drink, checking the shade and keeping them entertained is not lying by a pool reading for 10 days. It's, well, a bit pointless really! If you go as a fouple with a baby, you don't get to relax together. One of you is wrestling a 10 month old who doesn't want to just sit and watch you read and can't be left alone near water & tiled floors.

You are not wrong.

@Bells3032

Thanks all. Glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't think beach with baby sounds relaxing anyway. We have actually booked a cruise with a couple of days in Barcelona but twice in one day when I mentioned it to people they started arguing with me that I should want a "relaxing" holiday by the pool and walk up and down the beach. Both times I just ended up saying "I just don't want to" as they kept insisting it was best for the baby. And the places suggested (sani and ikos resorts) were not cheap ranging from 500 to 700 a night for a standard room. As a first time mum I just found it a bit of anxiety producing and wondered if I was wrong.

I have cruised since I was a child and very familiar and comfortable with the idea. There are some downsides (like baby mot allowed in the pool) but massive upsides too.

Thanks for the reassurance that I am not crazy

Is it bollocks best for the baby! Thats just projection. Justifying their own choices. Makes no odds whatsoever to a baby!

Book yourself a cruise. Different port every days, lots of places ti walk and the flexibility to pop back on board when you’ve/baby has had enough. and everything available to you on the ship including baby “clubs”

Wrote my response before I read everyone’s replies… 🤣🤣 have a great time! You’re not mad at all - cruising with a baby is perfect!

We did take our tiny children to Sani, and it was absolutely great, so I do kind of agree with your friends. It is very very baby and family friendly, on the sea and with restaurants so geared up for little ones.

It was the easiest holiday we had with them from the plane they whisk you away and do everything for you. Temperatures were just right in early June, and I have to say as I worn out mother of two relaxing on the beach with the sea lapping the shore with two happy children enjoying the beach it was indeed a very lovely and genuinely recharging break for frazzled parents. The spa is excellent too.

Plenty of culture and art near Sani too if you can be tempted away!

Maybe you look totally worn out, hollow eyed and your friends are kindly hinting that you need to take a break?

@BlooberryBiskits

Second suggestions for Rome/anywhere in Italy or Greece: it’s a cliche but the bambinos ARE spoilt rotten there, so you’ll be a hit everywhere you go.

Also might be your last chance to go to a museum etc before your child can walk/run away!

Just get quite central accommodation so you can take a break for nap time if needed

This.

My sisters and I have booked a whole house in Chania in Crete for two weeks in September. It’s in the town but a 15 to 20 mins walk to two beaches. Which we might visit a couple of times, other than that we’ll be walking around the old town, visiting the museums and finding places to eat and drink. The most we’re planning to do in the kitchen is make coffee, other than that we’ll be out and about

A package holiday in a beach-resort is my idea of hell

@Bells3032 I remember not wanting to go on a boat trip for a dinner when I had a babe in arms as the thought of not being able to get off filled me with horror (admittedly much smaller than a cruiseship where you could walk about if the baby is balling) so people view things differently, yours wouldn't be a holiday I would have chosen with a baby. That doesn't make it right or wrong.

You will have to grow a thick skin OP. If you are a first time Mum you will find people discussing your choices on weaning / routine / discipline/ education are all 'questioned' by other people. It's hard not to take it personally at first, like they are casting aspersions over your parenting abilities but ultimately in a few years you will realise that you parent your child in the way you think works best for you and them.

Anyway, enjoy your hols.

[quote Bells3032]@L0stinCyberspace thanks. Meant she's 3 months now. She's be 9 months then though only the size of an 8 month old by then

I know I can do city breaks. I just find people's reactions to me not wanting to go to a beach resort is thst they are horrified. They just always argue with me thst I should want to drop a small fortune to sit around a pool.[/quote]
People are horrified that you don't want to go on a beach holiday? Really? How odd!