No point in coming on holiday with children under 5

[choccakeE]

I’m in Mallorca, paid £4.5k for my DH, me, 3 year old and 9 month old 4* hotel.

3 year old recently turned 3 and has this thing now about shouting/whinging about EVERYTHING. She rarely talks normally.

This morning we had breakfast, straight to the pool, screaming because I wasn’t being fast enough getting her swimsuit on, screaming because I was putting suncream on her then we get in the pool and she’s moaning and whinging that I’m not holding her properly or for whatever other reason like when she jumped in but didn’t warn me and her foot missed my face by a couple of cm.

9 month old is fine, happy playing with toys on sunbed, sleeping a lot etc.

but I don’t think I can do this again for another few years where she might actually stop moaning constantly (I know some is to be expected).

I honestly would rather just be at home right now, spent all of this money and I’m sick with envy at all these women laying by the pool with their kindles (light hearted, used to be me before I thought 2 kids would be a fab idea 🥴).

My DC never whinged - not sure why otherwise I'd give you advice! We have always had a villa or cottage rather than hotels, so you can go at your own pace, spread out, adults still have them whole place to use in the evening. You can still eat out e.g. beach in morning, lunch out, home for DC to nap and parents to have a break, then a very low key evening of cheeses on toast or a salad or a bbq (DH does this so I'm still getting a break). You can chuck your swimmers and dirty clothes from the day in the machine, hang them out to dry in the sun... there's just no way I'd give that up for all squashing into a hotel room, surrounded by other people, rigid breakfast times, clothes hanging up all around the tiny bathroom...

Lone parent for many years here. I solved this by using really good kids clubs. Scott Dunn is amazing if you have a decent budget. My DD absolutely loved it. I got some respite.

Villa vs hotel seems such a polarising debate. Personally I don’t really want to be thinking about washing on holiday, we just take enough clothes so we don’t have to worry about that. Breakfast tends to be served 7-10, lunch 12-2.30 and dinner 5.30-9.30 with plenty of snacks available in between so I don’t find the mealtimes rigid at all. Each to their own but I definitely wouldn’t fancy having a cheese toastie for my dinner on holiday.

We’re probably lucky we can afford a suite so don’t really feel cramped either.

I never took my kids abroad until they were about 8 years old! I just couldn't face the hassle, and felt they would be too young to appreciate it anyway. We had holidays in the UK, at my parents' holiday chalet near Great Yarmouth instead! The kids thought the Golden Mile was heaven on earth, with the piers, pleasure beaches, and other wall-to-wall entertainment 😄or we went to Cornwall or center parcs. When we finally got on a plane they were thrilled, and appreciated a foreign holiday so much more!

Absolutely, each to their own. A cheese toastie for tea when you've had a big lunch in a restaurant is fine by me. And for me, five minutes hanging out clothes each morning is preferable to lugging massive suitcases through an airport and having a fortnight of dirty laundry to do when you get home.

I agree with you, I’d rather 10 mins wipe downs, toilets bleached and dishwasher on before bed and cleaning as I go with a villa than this.

My parents couldn’t afford foreign holidays when we were little, so it was usually a holiday park with loads of other kids or a chalet/ caravan by the beach in England.

I’m none the worse for it and based on the photos, look like we were enjoying ourselves. To be honest, I can barely remember it.

Save yourself the cost and hassle next year!

I am not on holiday but relate so much to your post. I have been in tears with my just-turned three year old today. I feel like the sweet baby and lovely younger toddler she was have been replaced by this horror who barks orders at me, is horrible to her brother, will not accept no for an answer and just either whines or screeches.

I pray it is an age thing and not a parenting thing. I keep trying to tell myself I can’t parent her out of being three but my goodness it is challenging!