AIBU to be cheesed off with shrieking kids on holiday?

[AnnoyedOnHoliday]

Recently my DP took me on an amazing surprise holiday for my birthday a few weeks ago, 4 nights in a beautiful 5 star hotel - definitely a big treat and really outside of our normal budget so obviously wanted to enjoy it to the absolutely maximum. Hotel was absolutely beautiful and facilities/staff were pretty faultless.

I don't want to say it was ruined but definitely marred by the amount of unruly children. The main pool of the hotel had two pool - a smaller shallow one for kids and another larger one bit more suitable for being able to get a proper swim in. Everyday the main pool as well as the kids one was taken over by kids shrieking in rubber rings, splashing and jumping as well as just being smack bang in the centre of the pool so hard to swim. The area was basically taken over by the constant noise of shouting, screaming, crying and small children sprinting into your sun lounger every two seconds. I found it really hard to concentrate on unwinding and couldn't concentrate on reading my book as so noisy and chaotic and obviously found using the pool for swimming quite annoying also.

The hotel was very much in the countryside so we ate the really great hotel restaurant quite a few breakfasts, lunches and 2 dinners. Every single time, early in the morning, late at night children were sprinting up and down the dining room, running into waiters, more of that shrieking again. More examples but you get the idea.

It seemed to be happening in many different families and every single time I'd look over and they'd be just ignoring their kids or encouraging them to run around so they could have drinks/eat their meal without having to deal with them and 9 times out of 10, I'd never see them being reprimanded for being disruptive.

I get that looking after small children is full on and stressful (I'm really not talking about kids crying/distressed as I know that cannot be helped - referencing the running around shrieking behaviour) but AIBU to think to think it's a bit out of order to just zone out and let everyone have their meals and relaxing time ruined because you're in 'holiday mode' and want some time off parenting?

It just felt a bit jarring that we'd paid to be on holiday too and were basically having to endure everyone else kids.

Those videos are just normal kids playing noises. Nothing like the shrieking we're talking about, nowhere near it. This is what I hate about these threads. Patronising people assuming we're talking about normal level noise and moaning about it.

Warner hotels? Aren’t they adult only..

Yeah the behaviour some parents just ignore is shocking. People really do just let them run wild on holidays. My daughter is autistic and has no social skills, if I wasn't watching her like a hawk ready to intervene she would totally copy this sort of behaviour and it makes it really hard to teach her what is acceptable.

However the only way I can get her to actually sit in a restaurant and not disturb people is to take her tablet - Which we then get judgemental glares for. It feels like we just can't win.

I miss the days when we could just go to adults only places. Bliss!

Now my children are adults I choose to book adult only and if I don't I have to accept little ones will be enjoying themselves and making noise.

YNBU and I have a child. Ever since he was born there was an expected responsibility on myself, and then on him too when he was old enough, to be respectful of other people. I cannot stand parents that let their kids run amok and do nothing about it.
I was once waitressing and carrying 4 sizzlers- you know the type, iron dishes that are removed from the oven literally scalding hot, placed on wooden boards and taken straight to the customers. A child nearly ran into me and I reprimanded her and told her to get back to her seat. I served my customers and went back behind the bar. I was then confronted by an irate father admonishing me for daring to raise my voice to his child. I explained what happened and that, had I dropped the dish it would have been an automatic rush to the hospital for 3rd degree burns. He called me some colourful names, my boss overheard and kicked them out.
I have no time for parents who can't parent.

YANBU and I have a child. We have a "no screaming" rule. It applies everywhere we go.

So you know they are going to be obnoxious and infringe on others' good time, but you book anyway? That's what I and others have difficulty understanding.

There are resorts for adults only for this very reason.

YABU about the swimming pool, kids are often noisy in pools and they were enjoying it and using it appropriately. But YANBU about the restaurant - it is not appropriate for them to run around a restaurant when people are trying to enjoy their meal

Some posters should be ashamed of themselves. Calling people “witches” as they don’t like the sound of shrieking all day is not okay. The accusations and nastiness here is awful.

There is a big difference between play and laughter, and top of the lungs shrieking. Anyone who says the latter is fine all day is either lying, or beyond selfish.

I like children. I like seeing them have fun. I don’t like all day screaming, parents who don’t give a damn about other people, and I hate parents who think children running around a restaurant is okay. It isn’t and they’ll be the first to complain if their kids get hurt.

Common sense, and a smidgen of consideration for the rest of society, really isn’t common to some people.

YABU you've gone to a family hotel, with a kids pool, in the school summer holidays. I'm not sure what you'd expect?!

Book adult only holidays

Why?

Why should we expect parents to stop parenting because it's the summer holidays?

Unruly behaviour is bad enough at Butlins but at least that's a place aimed at kids. A 5 star hotel dining room is not and the entitled brats need to be told to parent their kids!

Currently there's 31% of entitled brats voting on this thread

I book a Villa away from others to not inflict their behaviour on other holiday makers but they still irritate me

Couldn’t agree more. It’s a parents job is to teach their children manners and to consider other people. There is a world of difference between the normal sound of children playing and kids that are out of control.

You should expect kids to be around in the school holidays yes, however, my child has left school and I now holiday out of school holidays, in the UK recently, and see loads of school age kids on holiday whenever I've been. I stayed at a Haven site near Blackpool in mid Sept last year. Its cheaper for us than a hotel. My mum lives near Blackpool. Tons of kids around who should be at school as its the new term for goodness sake. Same at Devon. Same in Norfolk. Can't escape the little people unless you go Adults only OP !

We travel a lot and post COVID, holidays and holidaymakers have been very different. To be able to travel freely again along with the ridiculous increase in travel - holidaying has become so 'precious' that somehow they have become slightly selfish. Right from the plane to the destination, entitlement seems to be set to max. Only their enjoyment/comfort, be it peace and quiet or all out partying matters - no compromise and not able to read the room. We've experienced childfree couples in family hotels moaning and giving daggers to anyone with kids that dares break their silence. Then at quiet resorts parents let their kids run totally feral without a care in the world.

There's a wonderful middle ground so everyone can enjoy their holiday but too many people seem to think their holiday matters more then others.

You might need to go to an adult only resort during school term time

I’m assuming the kids were of different nationalities being that you were abroad? Definitely go for adults only. Kids some from other countries in Europe can be worse than British kids (some can be better too) and their behaviour isn’t considered “bad” as those countries are much more family centred and it’s seen as kids being normal. I live in Spain and Spanish kids are generally more boisterous than British kids and certain ways of behaviour here that would be considered rude in the U.K. are normal here. Something to consider in future when you’re looking for a peaceful holiday.

I would be annoyed at children pissing around in a restaurant- there is really no need and mine have never been allowed to run around. If they are getting fractious one of us takes them out. That is just common courtesy.

Is also expect a luxury spa hotel to have children’s times and adult only times. All of the recent hotel stays we have done in the UK have had specific slots for children to use the pool. Realistically children play and don’t swim- that isn’t compatible with people who want to sit on a lounger in silence and read a book. Different slots seem entirely sensible to me.

It's a pickle at times

I find when people who don’t have children say shouting : shrieking and running around they usually have a very low threshold.
we recently went to a 5 star hotel which was child friendly. One day the kids including mine were jumping if they side of the pool playing and laughing with eachother catching sinkers. They were not being rude they were just playing and making noise. A couple of older people on front row Sun loungers so near the pool complained. We paid for the hotel as much as they did. The kids were having fun not being feral !

You’re right, so many parents don’t parent, just do their thing and let their kids run riot.

ours have to sit at the table and we engage in conversation (no tablets especially on sound - why would you do this with sound on and annoy everyone ??!!) , yes it’s not always easy, yes we struggle but they get told they won’t come with us if they don’t behave, so they do and so they enjoy and help choose where we go. I can’t abide it when kids are allowed to do this, we actively try to escape Brits on holiday, I love this country but crikey we always seem to be next to annoying people.

It worries me these kids are growing up with a distinct lack of social skills.

I have always felt when you go out for a meal, you don’t know why others are out, maybe the one meal they can afford a year, a bereavement, a try to sort things out meal, you just don’t know so your group should have fun, but be aware of others.

I hope you managed to try and enjoy yourself.

The parents you encountered were undoubtedly unreasonable, but I genuinely cannot get past why anyone would pay double to travel during the school holidays, even if it coincided with a birthday, if they didn’t have to. As a teacher, I have always been restricted to holidays even before I had my own DC and I cannot wrap my head around your DH’s thinking. Crackers.

Next time go out of school holidays or choose an adults only hotel.. or a private villa with a pool.. we do and its so peaceful and relaxing.

Book an adult only hotel. Of course there are going to be children on holiday in the summer holidays!