To think that holiday with baby is the same at being at home with baby, just more boring and more upsetting?

[BB36]

Beach resort with 10-months old, I’m in the apartment doing what I always do, prepping means, supervising naps etc. More boring than at home because we don’t have any baby classes to go to or other mums to meet; more annoying because I see the beach from my window and so wish I could go down there and swim. Plus STBExH leaves us in the morning and spends all day in the sea, playing beach volleyball etc

You need to relax a bit and let the routine go to shit and just enjoy yourself

we had our baby and toddler travelling around Asia during maternity leave and I just let them sleep whenever wherever

relaxed about food just gave them fruit or yougurt during the day or rice or sandwiches easy stuff

we were always swimming or beach or out for walks ! Used nap time for a drink and a book or a podcast

why are you preparing loads of meals what are you making?

id say get up and out everyday - don’t ever come back to the room is key for us

I found uk easier with little ones. First abroad holiday youngest was 6 and we had a fab time. Your ‘h’ sounds useless I’d be tempted to leave him with baby to get on with it but you would be worrying and unlikely to relax.

I don't enjoy holidays with my children particularly. I'm not good with changes to our everyday routine and I find researching, organising, packing, travelling with small kids etc. quite stressful.

I have therefore mentally "reframed" holidays as experiences for my children and an arduous task for me. My enjoyment comes from seeing them enjoying themselves and experiencing new things. Any relaxation for me is a bonus and I expect to come back more exhausted than when I went. But it's worth it to give the kids fun experiences.

My "holiday" comes a couple of weeks after we get back. I book myself a couple of days off work, book a massage, go somewhere nice for lunch. Have an afternoon nap. Watch daytime TV with a hot coffee and cake. While it's just me and the kids are at school/camp/nursery.

I've reduced the length of the family holiday to accommodate this - we now go for a week when previously we would have done a fortnight or 10 days. Or we do a mini-break when previously we would have done a week. And I think that's perfectly fair - I am a human being too, not a robot, and I need R&R time too. So if people don't prioritise me on holiday and dump everything on me, then I'll prioritise myself later with zero guilt.

I think with a better partner it would be better. Where can you cut corners on the chores and go and do some nice holiday things? When mine were little I insisted on AI hotels so I didn't have any work to do.

We took 3 under 5s to Corsica a few years ago, and it definitely was same shit different location, and I did cook l, but it was lovely and I brought extended family along to help. The hardest part was applying enough sunscreen to the baby, who enjoyed whole days napping in her travel tent at the beach. Don't prep meals, go out to a restaurant with the baby and get yourself dinner. Inform him what time you're going and he can be there or suit himself.

I don’t know how you’re stopping yourself “well you’d better do some reading because that shit won’t fly when you’re parenting alone when I leave you”. What a complete twat.