To think it’s easier just to not go on holiday?

[Ateallthenachos]

With small kids?

Theres a difference compared to some as we live abroad, so already in the heat, near the beach & attractions etc which helps.
Was planning to go away for a few days, maybe camping, Dd, just turned 5 is amazing but very energetic, strong willed etc. Every time we’ve gone away before, it’s been exhausting. I love travelling and really miss seeing new places, but it’s just really not relaxing or fun at all really.
At least at home, we have her toys, friends, books, tv, garden and things around us.
Would you stay at home and have a staycation in this scenario or push ahead and go away somewhere?

I think it depends on what you want in the future. We're a travelling couple, so it's important that our kids learn to cope with travel, so we took them abroad often from being about 15 months+. Now they are so used to traveling at 13/14 I think they could navigate most airports independently. We've done inter-railing through Europe, we've done Amtrak in America, done long haul to Australia etc etc. None of it bothers them because they are so used to it, but they're used to it because we gritted our teeth and just did it when they were younger, despite the hassles . Depends if you think it's worth the hassle .

Travelling with young children can be tiring imo. We also lived overseas when my dc were young and had many a holiday in centre park type places in the Netherlands, the advantage being we could rent a house with stair gates, high chair etc and dcs had own rooms so we could relax in the evening.
I think having plenty of space is key; we rented flats in northern Italy and that worked well too.

I don’t think so to be honest.
They don’t eat or sleep properly when away and it feels as though you lose your evenings as a couple.
We still come home as husks after family holidays even though DD is 6!
Im thinking we might back off the whole holiday thing until she is 10/11.

Agree. It’s mostly a relentless (and extremely expensive) slog. Much less stressful and more enjoyable for all when the kids are a little older I think.

I find it hard work to travel with young dc, but still fun and really rewarding. Lovely to see them enjoying themselves in different places and nice for me and DH to travel too. It's a lot of work to organise and often things aren't perfect but it's a life skill to be adaptable and I've got various tricks and things we bring to make it easier and more comfortable.

We live in London so could fill our days doing things that people do in holiday locally, but ime the process of travelling and being in new places is something different, it's exciting for the kids and broadens their horizons.

Completely agree. We held off for a few years and instead spent money on stuff for ‘all year round’ such as play equipment for the garden and season tickets to a local attraction. Plus a few days out on our ‘holiday week’ with takeaways etc so it actually felt like a bit of a break.

I can never really understand why people say this we love going on holiday with our kids, always have. I just like going somewhere different.

Just camp in your back garden! Sounds like most people's dream place is already on your doorstep!

We're like @BoredAndNotDomesticated we've always travelled & dc just slotted in now ar 18 is an tntrepud traveller & has travelled alone to friends in Spain since she was 14. It's a top priority for me & dh so there was no question of us not doing it.
Her first trip at 13 months old was to Australia for 4 months

Thanks everyone,

We travelled extensively before Dd, so don’t feel I’m missing out too much in that respect. Dd often says she wants to go home when there, but later says she wanted to stay 🤷🏻‍♀️😂
I would love her to see new places and get used to travel…it’s a hard one

DC's are 3 and 7. We haven't been further away than UK and Ireland (family are in both places).

We love our 4-6 night trips to different places within a 2-3 hour car journey a handful of times a year. We didn't take either of them anywhere from home until they were around 2... Both hated more than 20 minutes in the car until they were older so we never took more than an hour journey but that was incredibly painful for them and us.

I think it depends on the holiday. Pre-children DH and I would never have gone on a package holiday, but last year we did just that in Spain, half board. At the time, DDs were 4 and 1.5. Yes, I didn't lie on a sun lounger and read an entire book, but I did no cooking, cleaning, washing, work or any sort of mundane life chores. DDs were perfectly happy by the pool, at the beach etc. I really enjoyed it, as apart from being a parent, I didn't have to do anything else. I'd never book self catering with them at this age, as that's just same shit, different location for me. We are doing a half board package again this year!

You can never understand that other people may be different to you? Hmm. Might want to work on that.
But ofc what you really mean us, look what wonderful people we are, we really love our kids in a way you inadequate just don't.
slow handclap