To cancel next holiday?

[Minecroft]

Just back from a week in a beautiful and very family friendly part of the UK. It was hard work with DCs 6 and 8. We did fun activities and had down time at our lodgings … the youngest spent the whole time complaining, saying she’s bored, when can we go home etc etc. the eldest wasn’t as bad and enjoyed activities more but did have a mega meltdown as soon as we arrived at a place I’ve wanted to go for years… I wish we hadn’t gone as to go and have it ruined seems worse than not going somehow. Eldest also spent a lot of time squabbling with her sister. It’s just parenting with fewer tools isn’t it? I wasn’t expecting it to be like a pre child holiday, we just wanted a change of scenery and to spend some quality family time. We went out for a few meals (checked menus before going to ensure there were plain foods that they liked)… they still moaned and didn’t eat much.

they are good kids but perhaps still too young to have decent holidays. Perhaps just a couple of nights somewhere close to
home is more reasonable.

We are also booked to go to Crete in October, 11 nights, and I can still get a full refund less £200 deposit (package holiday). I’ve to decide by 8th August.

Honestly thinking it’s easier/better to cancel and stay at home … perhaps I’m being a bit bab humbug as dust not yet settled. There’s loads to do in the house and maybe the £3k would be much better used that way, rather than on 11 days of whinging and squabbling.

Husband says he understands and sees where I’m coming from … but is leaning towards still going to Crete (but ultimately doesn’t mind if we cancel).

would you still go?!

So what would be wrong with that @UsingAMansNameInAWomensWorld ?
Why should you not go on a holiday you as parents want to go on?

Kids don't know how to role play shops, opticians etc in reception because they never get "dragged" anywhere that isn't expressly for them. Every time the tv is on it's showing kids programmes. Why should the grown ups not choose the holiday?

I don't think kids not enjoying going to one historic sight amongst other child centred activities (they did say that they did those if you read through) is necessarily a mistake the parents made. The kids could have loved it. You wouldnt know until you try it. There could be simple things to change e.g. snacks or timings, that would make them enjoy it more. Or It could end up being so unenjoyable for everyone that the parents choose to stop.

We had a holiday from hell in the Devon rain at that age, and our solution was to spend a bit more and go abroad for the next one. For us, a hotel with all food provided, pool, mini disco on tap etc was so much more relaxing than trying to fill the days self catering in the UK.

I have been on many castle / historical days out with my kids, friends kids, family kids, and all have had a great time.

Also art galleries (contemporary), sites of natural interest (waterfalls, lakes, caves) and country walks.

IMO adults who have little imagination or wonder encourage kids to be the same and moan about anything that isn’t a waterpark.

Keep the holiday. It will be much more repetitive and that works better for kids I think, doing different things every day and even being in and out of different restaurants, even if child friendly, is tiring for 6 and 8 year olds. You’ll settle in to a rhythm of beach /
pool / food in Crete, I imagine, and that will probably be easier. I’m sure they enjoyed your holiday in the UK too, even if they moaned here and there.

So the hotel I’ve booked on Crete is about a mile from the coast in a beautiful village, lots of little shops and things, private heated pool for our apartment , other non Heated pools , self catering. There are things to do for kids and I read a lot of reviews that mentioned taking kids…. but it’s not a “kids “ hotel so we’d be spending money on food and trips out . As @StillTryingtoBuy pounts out perhaps this is just too much For them. Perhaps pool/ beach /sea /buffet/ play park on repeat would be better. (Hopefully can have a couple of days out though - they love animal rescue places etc)

thinking I should just pay a bit more for all inclusive beach front with all bells and whistles for kids… somewhere central. may end up being cheaper and more enjoyable overall. They can eat chips and ice cream all week if they wish.

Will look at alternatives this evening… will
look at canaries too. I did look originally but seemed more pricey for the hotels with decent reviews … but yea, maybe I just need to alter rather than cancel!

Yeah you need to do kids hotel! We did the same hotel 4 years in a row in Tenerife because it suited our needs and then we outgrew it

yours sounds lovely for a holiday with older kids/couple as mine love a private pool now at 6 and 8 they wanted a pool they could meet people and a decent kids club

@Tiswa can I ask which hotel? Going to have a big research and rethink later

Bar whinging about being tired (get in the pushchair or I’ll carry you, then), I never hear whinges from my little relatives (3+). They sound very ungrateful. Serious words needed, I think, especially if you’re doing lovely child centric stuff.

Personally I prefer Eurocamp-type holidays at this age range, as they tend to be a bit better for our holiday preferences. The accommodation is better than a hotel room you’re all squeezed into, mine were happy to come back for a break during day and watch their tablets or do colouring or play games on the patio while I had a nap in another room and they had outside enclosed space on patio to play too. Also being able to prepare basic meals in the accommodation, while it’s nice not cooking, having to go ‘out’ for dinner every night is actually quite a lot for young kids I think, even in AI resorts. Same with breakfasts etc. We prefer being able to have breakfast at our accommodation, and have stuff in for the odd picky tea when the kids are tired or whatever. They also have loads for younger age ranges, play parks, soft play, giant pool complexes, pedalos, treetop adventure courses, etc. And are far cheaper!

But not great for off-season sun holidays!

Put yourself in their shoes as to what they might enjoy
Ignore whinging

We're you able to be grateful at age 6 and 8? I don't think anyone realises the efforts of parents til you have your own kids

You're complaining that they ruined a visit to somewhere YOU always wanted to go and the hotel you've booked for Crete isn't a child friendly one.

Also that you ate out a lot, making sure it would suit them in food but I bet not in "vibe"

This is very normal but yes very annoying. My sister and I often say that we’d love days out with the kids, if only the kids weren’t there. The times my kids have moaned throughout their day out only to demand to return to the place they dismissed as “boring” or “sad” the day after!

That said, we have done Greece and Portugal in autumn and my recollection is that they were some of the best holidays. My kids are much better with a pool, beach activities etc than national trust or towns/ cities. I think it will be much better so I’d still go, but maybe find somewhere with a kids club and ideally an indoor pool too, just in case you get a few dodgy days of weather.

Also just for reference we had some lovely autumn/ winter breaks at Center Parcs at those ages too.

Taking your children to the shops or optician or whatever day to day chore because you can't leave them home alone is not the same as dragging them around for days on end to a holiday full of activities you want to do that they have no interest in...

For them. Perhaps pool/ beach /sea /buffet/ play park on repeat would be better.

This is exactly right. Our hotel in Crete was just like this. We still went on a couple of day trips to the local town and a really nice one up into the mountains on a jeep to see a hillside village/ church/ lunch in a traditional taverna then beautiful beach at the end of a gorge but most days were as above!

Oh god yes you need kids friendly hotel! Not nice grown up one. You need there to be other British kids playing in the pool so they can make holiday friends. A slide they can go down repeatedly on would be good. A kids club, a tacky kids disco, someone sweating to death in a big mascot costume, some smiling 20-somethings in garish uniforms being paid to organise a “kids vs dads” water polo match. (Bonus points if your kids get to dunk dad) Buffet meals so they can find something they want to eat (and if it’s spaghetti bolognaise 4 nights on the run, so be it). Yes the views from the bar might not be so breathtaking, there’s a lot to be said for being able to relax with a G&T while watching your kids play football with the new friends they’ve made before you all go for dinner, instead of having to stop them squabbling while your ice melts.

Save your boutique hotels in the hills for when they hit secondary.

If your husband wants to go I would go. Maybe explain to them that you both work hard to get money to go on vacation. Also maybe bring snacks from home that they like. You could also do a reward chart for good behaviour.

Yes I know kids can enjoy castles etc cardibach - but if the op expected to look around quietly at all the 15th century artifacts and the kids were just desperate to get outside into the playground, then no, it's not that fun for anyone

I'd really like to go to Chatsworth, but I know there's zero point in taking the kids as it would just be lost on them after five minutes

Actually,I would downgrade the holiday to ones that’s more cheap and cheerful. We stayed at a s/catering place in Eloubda, literally across from the beach and very much a 2/3 star and my boys , then 2 & 7 loved it. I think it was Tasmania Village.
The owners love kids and they do lovely traditional food, although my 2 seemed to live of gyros and chips.
spinalonga ferry is close by and that’s a nice little trip, 25-30 minute stroll into Elounda along the coast road is very safe.
It’s just a nice chill atmosphere and no demands on kids to do anything except play in the beach and pool. Sometimes they play up when parents want them to do ‘interesting’ stuff.

Definitely go but lower your expectations. Kids will never get better on holiday if they don't practice.

I think some of the bad behaviour could be down to feeling a little anxious (the "I want to go home" comments - I recognise them from my own kid when she was younger, and it was down to that). You won't overcome that unless they become practiced travellers.

We don't go for a the big family-themed hotels. As long as there are a few activities on, decent food and not too mad on sunbed wars, kids have enough to do.

We tend to do a week rather than 10 days.

Perhaps it was all a bit much for them and a bit too exciting? Kids can get overstimulated and grumpy at that age and need to do not very much. Mine were happiest with a pool or beach and nice weather, not loads of planned activities. Or somewhere like the Isle of Wight where you can go to the zoo one day and have a quieter day the next. We did take them to castles and on walks where there was some moaning! Also let them pick things to do and feel they have some choice.

I agree with this. I’ve found Crete weather to be a bit iffy outside of high season.

We've always taken the children to places like castles, museums and other historic sites because that's what we like to do on holidays and because they all have parts of them of interest to children.

Holidays are for all of us. They don't always enjoy all of it but we don't particularly enjoy the days we spend the entire day at the pool which they do so it's a compromise.

OP's holiday sound very child-focussed and entirely appropriate. Whatever the one place was that she wanted to go would have been alnost certainly somewhere I'd expect most children to be able to enjoy.

And the planned holiday in Crete sounds great too. It doesn't have to be a big hotel pool for them to enjoy themselves.

So what if they whinge a bit. They clearly did enjoy themselves. A bit of whinging is par for the course.

I'd cancel, it sounds like too much hard work. It'll be too hot, plus the travelling. Stick to day trips.