To ask for help with holiday planning?

[lunarwhisper]

Posting for traffic

Just thinking about a holiday this year as we haven't been for 4 years. It'll just be a basic one to a caravan. Maybe Mablethorpe as we have been before (though not for years) but open to suggestions, we're from
Leicestershire. The last holiday we had I was still with ex so it does feel a bit daunting.

There'll be me. DD15, DS12 (will be 13 the holiday though), DS5 (6 in August), DS4 and DD2 and my grandson. If we go May half term he will be 3 months, July/August He will be 5/6 months but if we waited to October he will be 8 months and sitting up etc. Its been a while since l've taken a baby on holiday and my younger 2 have never been on one

The plan would be get a 3 bed caravan and dd and grandson have the main double, ds12 has a twin room to himself and then ds5 and ds4 share the other twin and myself and youngest have the sofa bed.
I have been looking this morning and I have found a 4 night stay the first week of July for £95 though that's not including swimming or activities / entertainment. Just the arcades. I never used to book the holidays my ex used to so l'm clueless tbh but I want them to have a good time

When's the best time? DS's 6th birthday is August so leaving toward then but then again my other DC won't have a holiday for their birthday is seems unfair. They finish the 9th of July for summer so can go anytime from then.

I’d leave your DD and her baby at home. It will be no fun in a caravan with that number and a baby.

I went to a haven caravan with my DP , DD and 3 GD….so 6 of us in a 3 bed caravan ….advertised as suitable for up to 8….I won’t lie it was grim….no space….all on top of each other …it was first week in June…it rained for 3 of the 4 full days….it was cold ….the shower was small….the caravan was cold….we spent a fortune ….the entertainment was shite…..Ithe pool was freezing….I wouldn’t ever do it again….we had more fun going camping last year….far more comfortable and pleasant surroundings and better shower facilities….it helped that the sun shone though!

dd will still be 15 at the time of holiday (bar the October one maybe, she's 16 end of Oct) so I don't think that's legal is it?

Go the first week of Leicester holidays, it’s always cheaper than the main holidays. If your dd is back at school she can’t then be missing for a holiday. It’s probably better to book somewhere that includes some entertainment for the younger ones, arcades would get incredibly expensive. 4 bed caravans do exist if you can run to it.

Surely if she was mature enough to have a baby then she's capable of staying home with said baby?

Your other children deserve to enjoy their childhood and unfortunately the holiday will revolve around the newborn which isn't really fair.

Sounds a bit hectic.

Your 2yo will have to stay up last if they're sleeping in the living room. Surely they're the one in need of the routine and early bedtime?
You'll have crap sleep on the crappy soft bed/ everyone might if the baby is having a rough night.
Will the rooms even take a travel cot for the baby?
Does your car even fit 4 car seats in it? I thought max was 3 isofix.

I'd leave DD and baby behind and give your kids a holiday, she might actually appreciate some time at home just her and the baby.

If you have to then I'd definitely go before baby is 6 months as weaning/highchair in caravan sounds cramped.

Where’s her dad? Grandparents?

There is no legal limit for when you can leave them alone. Clearly this is complicated by the fact she is now a mum. Can’t your ex look out for her. You have said she has had family holidays in the past, now its the others turn. You can take her and baby next time.

Honestly I think thats the only way you will make a 3 bed caravan work.

My ex doesn't see my dc very often, he also lives quite far and works long hours and i doubt he’d get time off work just so we can go on holiday. He had time off last week when I was in hospital but he had to really as it was an emergency but he wouldnt for any other reason i dont think

Yes dd is a mum but sges also 15 and still a child

I think you need to wait and see how your 15 yo parents her baby. If it is going to end up that it’s you doing most of the caring for the baby, then it’s going to be impossible for you to holiday all together. Too many in a small caravan, you trying to mind your own three young children, as well as baby grandson and then your two teens. How could you bring your younger children children swimming if you’ve a small baby to care of?

The reality here is that if you want your younger children to have an enjoyable time, your 15 yo and her baby should stay home, maybe with her boyfriend’s family?

Oh I love a caravan holiday and I have 5 kids. Dd 15, ds 8, ds 6, ds 3, and dd 8 months. We've booked skegness this year.

I deffo think its lovely but dd and baby may be better in lounge the travel cots dont really fit in the bedroom.
Id go in the summer when its less likely to rain. Also before baby can crawl and they'll be in everything otherwise

Please do book it and enjoy the chaos it'll bring.

Enjoy the chaos.

Youre a better person than I am.

I'd have to have a vodka infusion directly into my veins to make it even tolerable.

dd is going to be parenting on her own, yes i will do the odd keeping an ear out when she showers etc but hes her baby and shes going to do a lot of the day to day and she has been even though its only been 11 days

She isnt with her bf so she cant stay with him and im not sure id enjoy my holiday if she did stay with him due to how hes treated her whilst she was pregnant etc. id be constantly worrying

It will, undoubtedly, be tiring and stressful for you but in your situation I think I would actually go for it, but do a lot of planning beforehand to try to make things easier. I wouldn't take the children out of school, so would probably choose early in your school holidays (before schools in other areas are on holiday so it should be cheaper and less busy). Having been on more than my fair share of cheap UK caravan holidays when our DC were small my tips would be:

• DD15 and baby would be best in the living room- travel cot will probably not fit in a bedroom and it's probably less disruptive for others if baby wakes in the night (and she can walk around/get a drink etc easily if she has a baby awake in the night- voice of experience!)
• Hope to have days at the beach etc if the weather is good but pre-plan a bad weather itinerary, finding out about cheaper options in the area (even if it means a bit of a drive) so you don't end up paying £££ for things no one really enjoys in desperation on a rainy day.
• Plan easy food- there is very little room to cook. We used to take a pre-cooked and frozen meal for the first evening (eg bolognaise etc) then do a supermarket shop the following day for easy to warm up food. Check the cooking equipment before you shop.
• Assuming budget is tight, plan spending before you go, especially eating out. Otherwise it's really easy to thing 'we're on holiday' and spend on silly things on a whim. Plus it's easier to say 'no' to the older children if it's 'not this time but remember we're having X tomorrow'.