To not understand the "holidays with small children is just parenting in a different place" complaints?

[LadyGreyjoy]

We have an 18 month old and have just got back from a week all inclusive in Spain. Obviously we did just parent out daughter in a different place, but I don't see that as a bad thing and certainly not a reason to say there was no point in going. I love being a mum, I waited a long time for my daughter due to infertility and I've been dreaming of family holidays for years. Whilst I still had to do the parenting (which I enjoy doing anyway) I didn't have to cook, wash up or clean, the food was lovely and far better than we cook at home, I did no laundry for a week and instead of working all day and only getting two hours in the evening with my daughter a day I got to play in the pool/on the beach with her all day every day for a week. After she was asleep instead of watching TV and being too tired to do anything we sat on the balcony listening to the music from the bar and drank cocktails and chatted, real quality time with my husband I am usually too tired to enjoy.

On here there are many threads making out a holiday with small children is shit and not worth the effort and that hasn't been my experience at all. The journey there and back was a bit rough and exactly what I expected it to be like tbh. Other than that it's been bliss and I would 10/10 recommend people go and do it. I was kind of dreading it after reading all the threads here but I wish I hadn't worried about it so much now.

My life isn't hard at all 😘

While all of them were in utero - never to early to start to camping. We were brassic until the last two were born but still had a few more trips up until they were 4/5 as the big ones loved it so much
Bit of a military undertaking - hard work but good memories (for them !)

No one has said it’s wrong to enjoy their holidays. What people are frustrated with is the ‘I can’t understand how different families with different children can possibly not enjoy their holiday’ rubbish.

Either the OP seriously lacks intelligence and imagination to even consider people experience things differently or she’s being smug and enjoying feeling superior.

So you had the same holiday as OP? Why are you giving her a hard time?

4 days working 6am - 7pm
And husband working the next few days so zero family time?

I regard that as hard

Respect!! I couldn't face a camp bed while pregnant, I'm impressed!

Head. Wall. Bang.

Did you see how I say that I don’t struggle to “understand” that other parents will have different experiences and therefore views?

And yet I don't struggle and we're all really happy. So not hard at all.

I agree with you to a certain extent - holidaying when we only had one child was a walk in the park.

But, add in another one or two siblings, teething and sleepless nights, it becomes more difficult - especially if you are self catering, and have the usual washing up / cooking / cleaning to deal with.

Her and her dd are family.

Her dh and her dd are family.

So they always have family time.

I think you have misunderstood the advice of “parenting in another place’.

It is an phrase/advice women often give to new mothers to manage their expectations for holidays with small children.

Often one of the biggest issues when a new parent is unrealistic expectations versus reality. A lot of kind, experienced parents told me as a first-time parent to expect holidays to be parenting in another place, to manage my expectations because all previous holidays had been my husband and I, complete relaxation for two weeks.

This is the purpose of the phrase/advice…

and I for one, found it very helpful.

You don’t struggle having zero family time aside from on holidays? Or working 13 hour days?

hats off. I would.

This. Sorry. But would you like a medal?
You enjoyed your holiday that's great, I'm genuinely pleased for you. But you do come across as both smug and totally unaware of how other people's experiences may be different from yours.

OP doesn't struggle either. She has clearly said she understands that it's just parenting in a different place.

do you have children @nomas ? If so, what are your hols like?

Weird

Why are my holidays relevant to OP?

No.

I can't understand why people think that doing the same parenting that they do at home but in a different place makes it's a waste of time going to a different place.

If your kid can't cope going somewhere new, so you're not just doing the same parenting in a different place you're actually trying to placate a demon that is obviously different.

You're the one lacking in intelligence because you can't understand that.

Ok so no, you don’t

You're being very judgy about how other people live their lives.

I don't kowtow to interrogations.

Look around @nomas
you are something of an outlier with your unwavering support for the Op
understatement

Blow up roll mat from the 90s lol!
I was fit as a flea pregnant and full
of energy in my 20s
Had the meno at 39 so was knackered during the teen years Instead lol

You don’t 🤷‍♀️

Er no, loads of people have posted to support OP.

Don't try the we vs you nonsense, it's cringeworthy.