Do you put your dc in kids clubs on holiday?

[loonylovegood23]

Never done it before but we go away on a Spanish package holiday in a few weeks and all of the reviews say how brilliant the kids club facilities are. My toddler is 3 and very chatty and sociable. She loves preschool and I genuinely think she’d enjoy it and I would enjoy having an hour to relax by the pool with my book and a cocktail.

But I just don’t know if I’d feel comfortable leaving her. She has only been potty trained since the beginning of the summer holidays so that’s one concern. She is doing amazingly but I don’t know if it’s within the remit of a hotel kids club to deal with any accidents. I would definitely go and stay with her to see what it’s like first of course. Have you done it before and did your kids enjoy it?

So you do send them off, but it's ok as it's for ski school? Op was only planning to put them in for a few hours so it's exactly the same. Enjoy your cocktail @loonylovegood23

Absolutely yes. I only choose resorts with British affiliated kids clubs, and they have always had a blast. I also generally either do a morning or an afternoon session so we still have lots of time for pool or beach

We do but we hire a nanny who looks after him there.

Those places are seriously fun for toddlers - they have organised activities etc.

But I never stepped my foot in it as they're too loud

We spend lots of other quality family time like pool swims, breach walks, playing in the hotel room etc. But kids clubs - not for me!

There's no way I'd send a toddler on his own though, staff to child ratios can be wild. I'd feel fine with 1:1 care that nanny provides.

That made laugh too. Ask if they’ll teach her to ski while there OP then it’s fine.

Most of us don't have a nanny, let alone during the holidays so our poor kids have to suffer a few hours of holiday clubs. Mine made it out alive.

What a nasty post. Ignore .

We took DS almost 4 to look around the club this summer but we just felt it was too much of a risk. He is too small.

Next year DH will almost be 5 and I will try him again! See if he wants to go and if we feel comfortable.

When he is 5- I will be dropping him off and if he tries it and likes it hope he will go for a session each day !

l had 2 under 2 and my dream is one holiday they will aged 5 and 7 go to kids club for a few hours a few days and I can read my book! What a selfish cow I am !

'But you want to palm her off so you can have 'me time'.'

I literally do this every weekend, so I can go to gym, get a massage, and have adults only lunch with my husband.

We then have a family evening at the beach.

Never ever feel guilty about having me-time. You do deserve it @Thedoorisalwaysopen

I've just remembered, after saying I wouldn't at 3yo... that ours went to ski school for 5hrs a day from 4&5. Which is the sane thing really. Plus although the instructors spoke English, it was mainly done in German...

They had a great time. The first couple if days they were together then DD1 was moved to a more advanced group

we Went to a to resort a few years back and put our 3 year old and 10month old in the kids club in the afternoon! 3 year old had great fun and 10month old slept Meaning she was indoors in the air con and we could relax for a bit!
we always chose hotels with kids clubs and if they want to go fab!! If not that’s ok too!
it doesn’t make you a bad parent! X

I’m not sure I would now, as autistic and not potty trained yet (can anyone who has been on a TUI holiday tell me if SEN kids are included in kids’ clubs btw? Not sure I’d do it but I am curious for the future.)

At 18 months baby went into a hotel creche for a few hours across several days. It was an Ikos though and it was amazing. I had a look around the place and researched their ratios, vetting etc and was completely comfortable with it.

With the eldest (8) we did, it’s only 2hrs morning and afternoon and they absolutely love it. Youngest (3) hated it so wouldn’t go but would have been in a different group, maybe when they’re old enough for the next group up they’ll like it more. I don’t feel guilty about it in the slightest, we don’t have any ad hoc childcare ever and it gave us time to read, chill, get the chores that come with camping done. The 3 year old especially is a handful at the moment, it’s difficult to even get to a supermarket.

Chuckling at the sacred family time comments. I don’t disagree, time together is important but it’s also an opportunity to meet new people and try new things. If I were planning to put her in there all day everyday then I’d see your point but I don’t think an hour once or twice is necessarily going to take anything away from our sacred time together, if anything a little break might enhance it!

I’ve checked the hotel policy and it seems very relaxed. Parents are able to stay, kids can dip in and out. The ones who have been abandoned there by all of the selfish parents wear vests so they are easy to spot. They also have a baby club so I’m guessing they do deal with nappies and toileting to an extent.

Im going to stay with her and least suss it out before I make a decision. But judging by the reviews and photos I know she will love the stuff they have going on.

At 3 I stayed with them (so they would do one of the hour long activities like face painting/crafting). I also stay with them if it's water disco etc because realistically it's a bit of a free for all. At 5/7 this is the first year I've left them for an hour although I've stayed in the general area in case of any problems. My kids love organised activities/making new friends so it's been great for them although I would prefer to have headed to the beach for the day 🤣

At newly potty trained i would stay as they dont escort them to the loos

I don't think I would at that age. 3 is still quite little.

I wouldn't. I've kept my daughter company whilst at a Eurocamp one and two children were crying .. despite not speaking their language my dd and I chatted and helped them do craft. Tears stopped but mum was said alot. The club was run by a few very friendly active teenagers but they had a lot of children so couldn't do 1:1. I ended up with four children including my daughter. Was sweet later when one boy later waved at me at the swimming pool. 3 is very little

If she loves it then take the opportunity for a well deserved guilt free break. It would only be selfish if she really didn’t like it and you were putting your desire for a break over her happiness by forcing it.

Mine got to do circus skills through the kids club, even the 4YO, including a giant trapeze. They loved it and during the time we were there those facilities were only available to the kids clubs. Eldest also loves tennis and wanted to play with other kids, again that was only possible through the kids club. If it’s a good kids club and you have sociable kids who love a bit of organised fun they’ll probably enjoy it far more than hanging around the pool with you (I try not to be offended even if DD was mean about my tennis skills or lack thereof 🤣).

Have a lovely holiday OP!

I’ve never known a kids club take them at 3, tends to start around 4. I’ve used them for my 4 year old, but tended to stay nearby, I would drop him off for an hour for a specific activity. Not all day.

My concerns are always, are they DBS checked, what’s their background (re work experience) are they first aid trained? Really goes against the grain when I think how hugely regulated nurseries and childcare/schools are in the UK (and things still go wrong!) at 3 I would have stayed with them.

This information should be on the hotel/holiday company website. I went with TUI for this exact reason, as I had similar concerns. TUI vet them and train them to the same standard as in the UK.

the French ski schools always surprise me - often a steam of 20 kids under 6 with an instructor at the front and one at the back, and each one just loaded on to a ski lift with a random group of adults/family who are then expected to help said child off at the end. In the UK kids that age would be in a group of 4-6 on a school trip somewhere very safe like a museum, but in France they’re let loose doing a very dangerous activity with much worse ratios!! (At least this was the case 10 years ago when I last went skiing!)

It does baby club, toddler club and clubs/activities for tweens and teens. All the way up to 18. Then plenty of activities for grown ups too. So it’s definitely something that they offer and going off the reviews alone it’s very good.

I wouldnt just take her and dump her there (even though im sure she’d be fine - during her taster sessions at pre school she said ‘you go now mummy’ 😂). But obviously I would stay with her to begin with and suss it out, and certainly wouldn’t go out of the hotel grounds at any point.

When we go on a cruise we cant keep our child out of the kids clubs! We have to say to her, no this morning you are staying with us.

The clubs are highly regulated with staff dbs checked etc........ they are so good at what they do with the kids, and you need an extra suitcase for the amount of stuff they bring home with them from the club.

This ^
a lot of people go to the same place every year so after a few years kids are older, the place is more familiar, the staff is more familiar (as often they are the same every year too) and parents can leave them.

It depends on the kids club, the one we've just come back from DD9 loved and wanted to go do certain activities as they had loads on. Last year she didn't go at all as that one was a bit boring ao she just wanted to play in the pool with the friends she had made. I would just suss it out when you get there

I just posted stating that the hotel offer clubs from all ages from babies up to 18. So it definitely is a service that they offer.

OP yes wasn’t suggesting you would dump her. My eldest is the same - he’s always been independent and hated me sat supervising close by at a holiday club!