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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think don't go to a family focused holiday place if you don't want to be around children!

126 replies

Familyy · 14/07/2022 16:39

On holiday at a small apartment complex which advertises itself heavily on being family and young child friendly. The owners are very hands on and have been absolutely lovely with us and our DC one of whom is an 18 month old.

Anyway, today round the pool there was an older couple with no DC who sat by us on some sun loungers and then proceeded all afternoon to tut and look at each other / mutter to each other whenever our youngest made a noise. He wasn't bad, just a typical 18 month old. A couple of whinges throughout the afternoon, one short cry when he fell and then the odd shout / shriek when playing with his brother and dad in the pool.

AIBU to think why go to a place like this (it's all over their website and description on booking sites that it's for families) if you don't want to be disturbed by small kids and why sit next to a family with a small child even more so and then moan about it?!

There were other DC around too making more noise than us but our youngest is one of only 2 babies I've seen here so far (only a handful of apartments in the complex).

OP posts:
thinkfast · 14/07/2022 17:09

You never know how the holiday was sold to them.....

A few years ago when DS was 2, we went to a family friendly hotel in Italy. The travel agent actually recommended the hotel as being ideal for small children and booked us on half board.

We were the only family there. Literally everyone else were couples.

At dinner it was incredible romantic with candles and roses on the table. You could've heard a pin drop....until DS saw the dessert trolley. He'd never seen anything like it and it drove him into a screaming frenzy which only stopped when the waiter brought the trolley over and let him choose something. We hadn't even received our starters at that point.
We got evil stares from the other diners and ate out the rest of the trip.

It wasn't our fault as we'd been sold a trip somewhere that was great for little kids, however that really wasn't the case.

10HailMarys · 14/07/2022 17:10

YANBU. I haven't got any children, and I wouldn't book somewhere that was particularly geared towards families with young kids. And if I did stay somewhere that I knew might be popular with families, I certainly wouldn't then tut and moan at children just being noisy and excited. If I stayed at some family holiday apartments with a pool, I'd expect there to be kids running around while I was reading a book on a lounger - it's not like I'm sipping a cocktail in the bar at Claridge's; I wouldn't assume it was going to be a grown-up environment.

Also... even as someone who has chosen to be childless, I could never be pissed off by a little toddler chuckling and squealing in a pool, or even grizzling a bit now and again. If it was non-stop hideous screaming tantrums or genuinely awful behaviour from a child whose parents just didn't bother to engage and deal with it, then yeah, that would grate on me, I'm sure. But an 18-month-old just being an excited 18-month-old? I certainly wouldn't mind that and I'd probably find his little antics quite entertaining. The other day I could hear my neighbours' kids reaching full fever pitch of paddling-pool excitement and although they were noisy I just found it cute to be honest!

Fladdermus · 14/07/2022 17:10

We met one of these on our holiday. Having a go at me for irresponsible parenting for allowing DS to dig a hole (moat). On the fecking beach!

mnahmnah · 14/07/2022 17:15

We had this two years running pre-covid. Don’t go on a Jet2 package holiday in the Easter holidays to a hotel in the canaries with a kids club and family suites if you don’t want to be around children! Nuts.

Bluevelvetsofa · 14/07/2022 17:17

Of course schools care about attendance. They have to, because It’s one of the things Ofsted focus on. So there may be some people who simply choose to take their children out of school, or they might be families where the parents have fixed holidays.

weeducky · 14/07/2022 17:17

I had this last summer. Booked a villa that was attached to another villa. Went at the height of summer holidays. The villas shared a small pool. It was very family orientated. My children aren't babies and weren't crying but were laughing and talking loudly in the pool. The couple in the other holiday said we were ruining their holiday because they didn't want to be around children. Didn't know what to say!

MissCalamity · 14/07/2022 17:22

YANBU, When my kids are grown up & not coming away with me anymore I will be booking Adults only hotels! 😄

limitededitionbarbie · 14/07/2022 17:25

I expect children to be shrieking and laughing in the pool. That's how a lot of children play. They are excited and having the time of their lives in the water all day and making new friends.

I don't expect them to be screaming non stop all day but if it's not adult only then surely you expect families with children and everything that goes with it.

I agree it can get on your nerves at times if you want quiet you have to book adult only surely.

HumptyDumpty2022 · 14/07/2022 17:27

You’re judging them very harshly, probably much more harsh than they are you and your noisy children!

Hoppinggreen · 14/07/2022 17:27

I think you’ve made a bit of an assumption there.
Unless they actually tell you to shut your child off you can’t know for certain what they are thinking

StrangeCondition · 14/07/2022 17:33

More fool them, if you want the absolute certainty of no kids then don't book somewhere on a resort, book a private apartment through booking.com or similar

Youdoyoutoday · 14/07/2022 17:37

Some people just like being miserable fecks, leave them to it and enjoy your family time!

tedgran · 14/07/2022 17:44

Private schools broke up a while ago. DD went away with her fa.ily on the 7th of this month.

WishILivedInThrushGreen · 14/07/2022 17:55

Maybe your kids are annoying but you don't see it?

KvotheTheBloodless · 14/07/2022 18:28

Pootles34 · 14/07/2022 16:45

I agree entirely - if I was lucky enough to get away without the kids I'd go adults only, no question. My sister (no kids) recently went to a Butlins and complained that the pool was kid-focused.... I didn't really know what to say.

She voluntarily went to Butlins without kids to entertain?! Is she completely insane? Shock

Pocolovo · 14/07/2022 18:39

WishILivedInThrushGreen · 14/07/2022 17:55

Maybe your kids are annoying but you don't see it?

This! TBH, most patents just tune out the noise of their kids!

Fairislefandango · 14/07/2022 18:44

Confused It is totally normal for kids to make noise while playing in a pool on holiday! Honest, I wonder what is wrong with some people... Maybe they should stay at home if they are too delicate to tolerate normal human behaviour. Or go to an adult-only resort or something.

Pocolovo · 14/07/2022 18:48

Always adult only for us😀

tomatopsste · 14/07/2022 18:57

WishILivedInThrushGreen · 14/07/2022 17:55

Maybe your kids are annoying but you don't see it?

Nah, I reckon the pair are just unreadable miserable cunts TBH! They could always move away?

Kids make sound, it's how they communicate!

Don't go to family places, someone is not going to be up to their exacting standards. Or maybe they just went to judge others?

We've got someone up thread saying they don't like kids but it's good to see them not on screens.

So that means they will run, skip, jump, splash, dive, hop etc and make noise.

So some don't like them on screens, some don't like noise?

Any resort is going to have someone that you don't like, but if you spend your time whinging and moaning, it's your own holiday you're ruining.

tomatopsste · 14/07/2022 18:58

Fairislefandango · 14/07/2022 18:44

Confused It is totally normal for kids to make noise while playing in a pool on holiday! Honest, I wonder what is wrong with some people... Maybe they should stay at home if they are too delicate to tolerate normal human behaviour. Or go to an adult-only resort or something.

Exactly!

Triffid1 · 14/07/2022 19:00

I always feel this at pizza express. You really can't go to pizza express at 6pm and be surprised that it's full of kids and be upset because they're a bit noisy etc. I'm not talking the feral-run-wild-destroying-things type kids, but you know, normal kids. It used to blow my mind if a toddler is blowing raspberries and some couple is sending death glares across the restaurant.

HelloAllll · 14/07/2022 19:01

Excessive noise yes stop him but normal amounts of noise then no, not at all.
It sounds like their are being completely unreasonable

Familyy · 14/07/2022 19:09

WishILivedInThrushGreen · 14/07/2022 17:55

Maybe your kids are annoying but you don't see it?

I'm sure my kids can be annoying... The point is still the same. If you find kids annoying... Book an adult only holiday.

OP posts:
saveforthat · 14/07/2022 19:10

They may not be as disapproving as you think, they may just be watching. My friend and I were delayed in an airport years ago and we were watching a toddler run up and down and be incredibly noisy in a toddler way, it was entertaining and there was sod all else to do. We were actually smiling at the child when the mother, rather aggressively asked us what our problem was. At no point did either of us frown or tut. This was many years ago before I had children of my own but it has stuck with me. Dud she assume that as we were child free we hated children I wonder. Could you be doing the same?

girlfriend44 · 14/07/2022 21:06

Honestly how miserable, they could have made some conversation with you. Life's much easier when ppl are nice to each other.