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.

I can tell 'childish' from a sentence yes.

Furious no, more from tone , BUT the other poster seems to do that also. 🤷‍♀️

I'm sorry to hear that, @sunglassesonthetable. I spent two weeks in hospital during that searing heatwave last summer: a most uncomfortable experience (aside from the accident I was recovering from) and not the best of experiences! I can sympathize.

Wishing you all the best for speedy recovery

Wishing you all the best for speedy recovery

Thank you very much but It's not for me. Waiting for someone else. Lots and lots of waiting.

Why don't people - 500 odd posts in - bother to at least read the bloody updates if they can't be arsed RTFT.

I hate it too BUT they and their parents have also paid to be there, next time suggest that DH books an adult only break.

I read the whole thread. Booking a child friendly hotel in the summer holidays and then been "cheesed off" that kids are there behaving like children around a swimming pool, and that are parents parenting in a different way you would in the family friendly restaurant is rediculous. I appreciate her partner booked it and she had to go in school holidays because of life commitments but honestly think she needed to manage her expectations of the behavior of others on this trip. Nothing is even remotely surprising about the kids on this holiday. If its enough to ruin a holiday then you need to book an adult only holiday.

How do you nip it in the bud? Thanks!

Swim, jump after looking, dive, do handstands, play underwater, play with their parents or siblings or friends, learn to swim… and more. None of it requires screaming or running around the outside of the pool and all of it can be done in different places around the space of the pool while allowing others to do what they want, like actually swim up and down. Heaven forbid they might actually have to learn to change what they’re doing at a specific time to accommodate others… 🤷‍♀️

Heaven forbid they might actually have to learn to change what they’re doing at a specific time to accommodate others…

This is the thing I notice quite a bit. That children are no longer required to be mindful of others. Their parents are letting them down - these are the DC who will turn into the adults who won't give up seats to elderly, disabled people or pregnant women on the Tube etc. Or who barge into queues, or ram their trolley in the supermarket - we learn in childhood that we share public space, and we need to be considerate of others.

I see it just in my high street at the moment - DC charging around and I have to dodge to avoid them (a bit tricky at the moment as I'm temporarily disabled & I can't move out of their way quickly). And their parents are not teaching them the standard manners for everyone - that we are mindful that we are sharing space with others, and we need to be considerate.

So the children splashing @AnnoyedOnHoliday while she's reading her book should be told by their parents that that is not acceptable, and if they want to splash about, they need to go to the children's pool, not splash those who are trying to enjoy a sun-lounger outside! The parents are letting their DC down.

We tend to avoid busy hotels like this, because of this - and we have a kid!

What really put us off for good was the last day of our holiday, literally the last swim for DH and DS in the pool before we went to get our transfer, and they were down one end of the pool, a child swimming with his brother and dad vomited into the pool and the dad just kind of wafted it away in one direction and swam in the other. Before that, DH had to rescue someone else's kid who had floated out to the middle and was yelling for their mum or dad for a solid 5 minutes and there was no sign that they were even poolside.

Parents should rein in poor behaviour, with a little leeway given to understanding excitement on holiday - crawling under your table, dive bombing and soaking your book and phone, and other stuff - yeah they should get chastised for it and made to behave better.

This x1000.

On my street we went from zero to 17 kids in a three-house radius, as the properties changed hands, so for the past six years I've been observing many children at many ages.

The sheer and utter obliviousness of them is disturbing and disheartening. It's as if they don't know or care that other people actually exist. Noise, running in and out of private front gardens, the shrieking and screaming, playing in the street, and never acknowledging when they've knocked into someone, knocked over a plant pot, anything.

The feral crowd next door to me put a substantial dent in the side of my car when swinging some sort of sticks around; I was on the phone and heard the child screech "Did I just dent that car?" It was a work call and by the time I ended and came out, no one was around. I confronted the father, he denied it even after I showed him the dent (I knew which kids were playing out there because I'd watched them before getting on the call) and then said "My kids will do as they please and make as much noise as they want." He's also the one who let his dog defecate on my front garden every day.

There is something about being raised on screens, being overly coddled, etc., that is is turning out these extremely self-centered and narcissistic children. Fates help us when they become adults.

*This x1000.

On my street we went from zero to 17 kids in a three-house radius, as the properties changed hands, so for the past six years I've been observing many children at many ages.

The sheer and utter obliviousness of them is disturbing and disheartening. It's as if they don't know or care that other people actually exist. Noise, running in and out of private front gardens, the shrieking and screaming, playing in the street, and never acknowledging when they've knocked into someone, knocked over a plant pot, anything.

The feral crowd next door to me put a substantial dent in the side of my car when swinging some sort of sticks around; I was on the phone and heard the child screech "Did I just dent that car?" It was a work call and by the time I ended and came out, no one was around. I confronted the father, he denied it even after I showed him the dent (I knew which kids were playing out there because I'd watched them before getting on the call) and then said "My kids will do as they please and make as much noise as they want." He's also the one who let his dog defecate on my front garden every day.

There is something about being raised on screens, being overly coddled, etc., that is is turning out these extremely self-centered and narcissistic children. Fates help us when they become adults.*

This is just like kids playing in a pool, obviously.

Playing in a pool is one thing. Screaming, screeching, taking up too much of the pool, running around the sunbeds etc is not acceptable.

There is a huge difference between acceptable quiet playing and utter lack of consideration for other people. We are deploring the latter, which has grown increasingly prevalent.

Explain that other people are using the area and that screaming/shrieking etc. is unacceptable. Parents should be teaching this for any outdoor playing from a young age.

@sunglassesonthetable the examples might be different but the point being made is the same.

There is something about being raised on screens, being overly coddled, etc., that is is turning out these extremely self-centered and narcissistic children. Fates help us when they become adults.*

This one ?☝️

Here we are at DOOM stage.

'None of it requires screaming or running around the outside of the pooL'

Pretty sure OP doesn't like them IN the pool either TBF... not the 'big' pool anyway.

'There is something about being raised on screens, being overly coddled, etc., that is is turning out these extremely self-centered and narcissistic children. Fates help us when they become adults.*'

Hang on, which is it? Do we want kids inside not making noise, not playing in pools or being children or not? Doesn't sound like these ones were being mollycoddled on a screen... sounds like they were a bit like kids in the 70s and 80s... running free with not much parental supervision...

Seen but not heard?

Kids need to let off steam. At the pool.

Then they can sit nicely in the restaurant

Seen but not heard?

Has anyone on this thread, ever said this?

Or have they said playing, laughing, talking normally, a shout here and there is fine. But constantly shrieking, shouting, running around a pool and into loungers, getting water on other adults isn't? The word here being constantly.

Nothing like making things up to suit your own selfish narrative eh? If you think the latter is acceptable child noise on a holiday then you are the problem.

The post I quoted stated "quietly playing".

I'm not telling kids on holiday at a family hotel that they have to play "quietly".

Kids need to make noise and stretch their psychological legs at some point in the day. It's the pool/beach/playground in the daytime or the restaurant in the evening.

A massive racket playing outdoors, followed by sitting nicely (no screens) and making nice, polite conversation in the restaurant in the evenings.

*I'm not telling kids on holiday at a family hotel that they have to play "quietly".

Kids need to make noise and stretch their psychological legs at some point in the day. It's the pool/beach/playground in the daytime or the restaurant in the evening.

A massive racket playing outdoors, followed by sitting nicely (no screens) and making nice, polite conversation in the restaurant in the evenings.*

You should be telling them that other people who have also paid to be there have just as much right to a nice holiday than they do, and they should be considerate of others whilst enjoying themselves. Not teaching them to do a big F U because they have to let off steam during the day. It's not one or the other.

I hope we never holiday in the same place.

I can imagine all the parents championing their wee Johnny's right to scream and runaround during the day would have something to say if a group of childless adults got pissed at night and kept up their little darling.

That would be ok thought wouldn't it, as that's how they let off steam no?

*I can imagine all the parents championing their wee Johnny's right to scream and runaround during the day would have something to say if a group of childless adults got pissed at night and kept up their little darling.

That would be ok thought wouldn't it, as that's how they let off steam no?*

You sound bitter.