Just arrived on holiday with sisters kids

[EllyRoff]

They’re driving me insane already. I’ve never known kids so messy. Within 5 minutes of being here a full glass of juice was spilt over the sofa. They wander around with their dinner plates gravy spilling everywhere, potatoes falling onto the floor and getting trod on, squished into the carpet - the place looked like a disaster zone by the first evening.
yesterday morning they had cocopops for breakfast, one whole bowl got knocked off the table onto the floor, chocolate milk everywhere. Sister completely unbothered by it, just scrubbed it with her foot. One of them then got a yogurt out, ripped the lid off - yogurt splattered up their clothes. Lid chucked on floor (naturally landing face down on carpet). She then spun around resulting in yogurt going flying everywhere, all over the sofa and up the glass of the patio doors.

We went to a nature park, everything was pristine, Nephew got a milkshake, it ended up all over the table, all over his hands and face and then when he went to put the carton in the bin he somehow managed to get milkshake all down the front of the bin.

its driving me insane and I have another week of this. I’ve banned them from my bedroom after they trod mud all over my white duvet.

sister thinks I’m being uptight so there is already tension but I’m starting to feel myself feeling really frustrated with the kids. There is no respect for anything.

Are you in an Airbnb? Will you have to leave the place pristine?

No it’s hoseasons but still, I’d hate to leave it a complete shit hole but I resent being the only one bothering to clean up

How old are the children? Why isn’t sister bothering with basic table manners - including sitting at the damned table to eat?!

All food and drink to be consumed at a table. Basic parenting. They are children not farm animals.

Their behaviour can’t be a complete surprise to you, though? I mean, you presumably do already know them, and agreed to go, knowing what they’re like?

Hope there isn't a deposit you are hoping to get back on this place at the end of your stay.

Have you not holidayed with your sister and the kids before? I wouldn't go again.

Can you start a 'right, let's all do 10 minutes wiping up and tidying then some play time' thing after meals?

Is you sister cleaning up this mess? Who is responsible for the booking?

If it’s all in her name I’d tell her now you not happy to spend the end of the holiday scrubbing potatoes out of carpet. That it’s on her. If she’s not happy with that then she needs to clean up as she goes along.

Was she always a mess?

How old are kids? Do you have your own with you or is it just sister’s?

Someone will be along in a minute to say 'that's just kids', but it actually sounds like lazy parenting imho. I'd ban them from my space too, and not go on holiday again with them tbh.

Nope not me; but I wouldn’t have gone away with them in the first place if I knew they were even remotely like this because it’s just got ‘stress’ and ‘family rift’ written all over it.

Honestly OP I'd pack my bags and go home and leave them to it.
Better to be at home and do without the holiday than put up with that behaviour.
You saying anything isn't going to change anything if that's how your sister parents.

I think you have to let it go and just clean at end of week.otherwise you will have a tense week. Maybe don’t do this again!

You never noticed that your sisters house is a shithole and her kids are filthy?

God this would make me sick.

Is her house filthy too?

Did you book the accommodation? Would hate for you to lose a deposit or have to pay cleaning fee etc.

I probably wouldn't have either, if I had known. Maybe OP didn't know.

This, 1000%.

I would suggest to Dsis that maybe they should sit at the table to eat at least. Just present it in terms of less to clean up when you go.

I must say I wouldn't fancy going away with small children now I'm long past that stage, you do forget how noisy and messy they are. Even when DDs were small I never risked going away with friends with other small kids.

I'm no clean freak but this would drive me mad! Why did you agree to go on holiday with them?!

Unless your DSis is just incredibly inconsiderate due to the place not belonging to her and having little respect it can't come as a shock to you that your Dsis let's her DC behave in this way.

Hopefully the booking isn't in your name, not sure if you can be charged for a deep clean.

Not me.

I’ve got three children, I wouldn’t have tolerated any of that, even when they were small toddlers. And god, especially not in a holiday home.

She needs to make them sit at a table to eat and supervise them with food until she teaches them to be more careful.

What is your sister’s house like? Surely if it’s this bad now, her house may be a shithole so you would have had prior warning of what they are like?

Having said this, I’d also be frustrated if I were you but they are not going to change and I imagine you don’t want to spend your whole holiday being frustrated and nagging them to clean up. So your choices are either to a) put up with a filthy holiday home, b) constantly clean up after them or c) leave and go home. Not great choices, I know.

Christ. What animals.

You could just walk out and leave.

or

go to the toilet, spend ages in there, tell her you’ve got D&V.

that isn’t a holiday. That’s just going somewhere to do cleaning after pig people.

I’d be so embarrassed if I was away with someone who has such little respect for other people’s property!
How old are the children? They sound feral and lacking any boundaries. I’d be putting those boundaries in place myself!

Agreed.

Tell your SIL the kids need to be sat at a table to eat anything. Including snacks. Including when you’re on day trips (if they have bought something from a cafe or kiosk there is usually somewhere nearby to perch). Some kids just do not have the motor skills to be able to eat cleanly, my eldest is like this. He is also ND, so I don’t blame him, but I did put boundaries in place when it came to food to save my sanity.

perhaps if you phrase it along the lines of “I’m worried we may be charged if the accommodation is too dirty on check out” rather than “your kids are dirty little pigs and they’re giving me the major ick” then she might listen.

if not I would actually leave!