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.

Nope not me. No excuses for this level of mess. The sisters house must be digusting

Go out - trips visit places - calm them down - calm you down

Go home, sounds horrendous

Just seen the poster who’s outlined the terms and conditions of Hoseasons property and how you need to leave it.
maybe mentioning this to your sister and saying you don’t want an extra cleaning bill is a way to get your sister to start dressing the mess?

This is family. It is your sister. So forget the "feign illness" "don't ,mention it till after the holiday" rubbish. You are able to be as direct as you like with family.

I would ask to speak to her and outline the chaos/mess/lack of any manners from her kids which is having a direct, negative impact on your own holiday and anxiety about how the house will be left (not to mention having to live in this constant foul mess and chaos) and ask she is stricter. Gets them to eat at table/watch how they are eating/sit with them to ensure they wipe their hands on napkin not the furniture/clean their faces/get them to clear their own dishes away and also have periods of down/quiet time. Set bedtimes. House cleaned up by her and her kids before they go to bed so you can enjoy sitting in a clear room. Yes, it may cause a little tension. But it's your holiday too. This isn't acceptable. And to repeat again, you are family. There will always be issues/disagreements but if you don't voice them they will never get resolved.

I really would not put up with that. They are unruly and need some discipline. I'm afraid it would end up in a row if it were me. I hate to think what your sisters house looks like. That's disgusting behaviour.

wtf? This is not normal at all.

I’d be telling your sister now that they have to eat at the table, not wandering around, and she is responsible for cleaning up all their mess. Lax parenting.

Honestly, if spilled milk isn't cleaned up immediately, it will go sour and absolutely stink. You may be charged for any damage your sister's kids have done.

Tell your sister that if Hoseasons charges for damange/clean up, you will not be contributing. Do they behave like this at home?

Sounds worse than feeding time at the zoo!

Any cleaning bill from hoseasons is totally for your sister to pay

I can see why you’d be thinking that.

Independence is great, but they sound too young to be able to carry food and drink. Get them sitting where they're going to eat, then put food/drink on the table for them. Drink before or after food. Shoes off at the door.

That’s a huge problem and the reason why every time you sit in a cafe in this country something is sticky and grubby, and toilets are absolutely disgusting half an hour after cleaning - it’s confusing pushing children to be independent with min corrections vs proactively teaching them how things are meant to be done. The expectation that someone else will clean after you/ it’s not your responsibility often carries on to adulthood.
If you compare that mentality to the Japanese culture for instance, it’s hard to justify it with ‘children just being children’.

Is this a suprise? They are your family. They are not just your 'sisters kids', they are your niblings. Why didn't you help them with the plates? Are you sitting around just watching them spill things? I'd like to hear your sisters perspective. Will we get a thread with the title 'on holiday with my sister and she is doing Fuck all to help with the kids and just judging is the whole time.'?

Her house must be a complete pigsty.

This is the kind of lazy parenting that leaves new parents isolated and exhausted. No-one wants to be around this nonsense.

If she's incapable, can you sort them out? Poor things have obviously been taught no boundaries or discipline. If she's one of those idiots that thinks she's the only one who should correct her ill-disciplined children, then just pack your things and leave them to it ☹️.

I suggest lots and lots of long walks… alone!

Please op tell us (a)how old are the children and(b) whose name is the booking in?

You could be me. I sympathise. Especially with the sister who thinks you’re being up tight.
If we really are living in some parallel universe then just wait until you hear her say to one of the kids ‘one more night’ after you suggest he uses a knife and fork to eat a runny fried egg instead of slurping it off the plate….

They eat outside. Picnics for breakfast lunch and dinner. They are banned from eating indoors. The birds will love the spills. Inside stays ok. That would be my approach, and if it rains, given them a raincoat.

Otherwise I'd take to my bed, or get out until they are asleep. 😊

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.

Bloody hell, how big was this pot of yoghurt?!

How old are these kids?