To secretly think my friend who works full time should actually spend some of her holiday time with her kids instead of them being in the kids club all day every day?

[chelsygirl]

I know this is a hornets nest, but it makes me wonder when my friend who is working about 50 hours a week goes on her two weeks with her kids and they spend every hour in the kids club until it shuts

My friend says "oh they love the club", but at age 3 and 5 wouldn't they enjoy spending a bit of time with mum and dad?

She and her husband sunbathe all day and go for a leisurely lunch each day, which does sound good, but surely not every day of the holidays?

I know there will be posts of "pass the popcorn/has this kicked off yet", but as I wouldn't want to upset my friend telling her my opinion I'm venting here

"Cruel and unecessary torture"
Just like 'Flowers in the Attic'"
"they should have got a couple of dogs instead of having kids"

My oh my, some people just couldn't haul up their judgy pants quickly enough. Didn't even get the zips done up before spouting off.

Do you think one day in the future, the feminist mvement will achieve the pinnacle of bring about Daddy threads where the blokes size up to each other about their lack of on-hands parenting over the holiday period?

Well, it isn't something I would do personally.

Oh well - at least they see their children them in the evening, unlike the parents of the 7 year old twins I went to boarding school with. They lived 6 miles away from the school. And the mum didn't work!

Actually thinking back, loads of children I boarded with had parents living locally.

Now that's one (expensive) way to ensure you get a bit of peace and quiet and the chance for a lie in!

When I read the OP I thought it was at home, in which case, at home, I wouldn't necessarily consider kids clubs, but for a two week holiday actually on holiday I'd definitely put them in clubs, not just because I'd want a break but because they would get bored stiff if they had to spend the whole two weeks with me.

my my you are sneaky arent you.so "concerned" you tell a bunch of strangers but dont have the conviction to discuss with your friend

NICE

the rest of you- well any ole excuse to jump on in heh

precious moments
oh i see my children
I would never do...blah blah

pipe down
leave the pitchfork in the garden

My friend just got back from holiday and her children went into kids club for 3 sessions a day - 6 hours. She said it was great because the kids club was in a big air conditioned room so the children would be out the sun and not get burned, they did art and craft etc. I am sure the children enjoyed themselves but they hardly went in the pool and did not go to the beach at all. I feel that it is a shame, from reading this thread, that a lot of children are bored just messing around on the beach/pool with their parents and need constant 'entertainment'.

its not that they get bored per se... our dd just seem to want to escape up the beach all the time! It is worrying at times we lost her for 15 mins last holiday
. wish they would sit quietly playing with us or having a nice swim. Our ds will do that though.

Could somone please explain to me why someone has started this thread but reversed the club thing??? Im confused.

I think perhaps it's because they are making a point about the 'working mother thing'?

Perhaps there's a feeling that the OP in this thread feels there is something much worse about using these kinds of club if a parent (Mother) works full time. Perhaps the person who started the other thread is fed up with the subtle bashing of working mothers.

My dcs (5 and 7) came and asked me to let them go to the kids club on the third day of their holiday. Most of the kids were there for the morning, and after a couple of hours with me and their dad in the pool they wanted to do something with people their own age. They also loved the idea of being able to do arts and crafts - for some reason I didn't bring my entire craft cupboard in my suitcase on holiday (obviously I'm just too vain to deserve to have kids). Most of their day was pretty free-form, but they had relatively little time with just the two of us - even when we went out on boats or to a restaurant there were other families with children and the children tended to play together. I have to say that I viewed this as entirely healthy and we all had a great holiday, making new friends and having fun. I find it odd that I would be judged as a poor parent for letting my kids play with other children on holiday (we and they viewed the kids club as a catalyst to this rather than some sort of tool to forceably separate children from parents).

But if judging is allowed then I do find parents who have to oversee every movement of their child 24/7 a bit obsessive. The kids who spent the morning in club and then played together by the pool or on the beach or in each other's apartments seemed happy and certainly seemed to be having fun. The children who spent all day by the sides of their parents seemed a bit clingy and sad and whingey.

the crescendo of tutting and indignant replies, the glistening pitchforks.got too much

fancied some peurile nonsense

beacuse frankly other thread was daft too

Oh she's a bad un - never sees her children
i woud never to that...

yawn yawn judge judge judge

none of anyone's business what someone else does. their kids might grow up to win the Nobel Prize because of something they learned in kid's club, who knows.

Well there are sides to this argument I reckon.

The mother works full time when at home so she deserves a break from the kids for a few days to enjoy the holiday and relax. But that doesn't mean the kids should be in the club all day they should be able to spend time with their parents too.

I don't have a problem with kids clubs, if I was abroad I'd let my son go in one for a few hours everyday if that's what he wanted plus he'd probably have better fun in there than he would with me.

I agree with OP. Even DH asks what is the point of a family holiday if you don't spend time together as a family?

I personally loathe these holiday clubs for young children and would never put my 4yo DTS in one. However, I can see the attraction when they are young teens but even then I would limit their time in them because I'd rather we do things together as a unit.

Both DH and I work and the boys are in nursery 4 days a week. Consequently, we spend time with them on our non-working day plus weekends so we go to the library, take them swimming, go to the park for walks or kick around with a ball, they love jigsaw puzzles and card games like snap plus we do copious amounts reading. I don't understand why some parents are clueless about spending time with their children.

I suspect the children prefer these clubs because they sense that at least the people looking after them don't mind them being around. Who wants to spend time with someone who does not want them around?

Spokette maybe you would rather do things as a unit but are you sure your children wouldn't prefer to be in kids club?

Libra1975, they don't even like soft play centres. The only time they go is for birthday parties and they refuse to go on the equipment!

Even when we take them to the park, if we are not standing by them, they won't go on the equipment. So there is no way they will go in a kids club which is strange considering they go to nursery. However, they do say that they go to nursery because Mummy and Daddy have to work so as far as they are concerned, when we are not working, we have to spend time with them which is what we do and more importantly, what we want to do.

We have never used holiday clubs very much on holiday, except for one year when the club was a drop in one and the resort very secure. The children made loads of friends just hanging out around the pool and would go about the resort in their little gang, sometimes going to the club if they wanted to play on the computer or playstation.

Otherwise one set or other of the parents just kept an eye on the whole lot of them.

I think the children would say that it was their best holiday yet!

I think we are rapidly reaching that age when we just aren't interesting enough companions for our children, which I do find a little sad. We had a great family holiday this year, lots of interesting activities and travel, nevertheless there were several occasions when I think the children would rather have gone swimming, kayaking or cycling with some children their own age, rather than with mum and dad!

I think it is important to stay flexible in attitudes to stuff like this. Narrowmindedness isn't a trait I have ever had much time for!

I guess I am probably just a bit jealous. We can't afford to go on a holiday this year, and have never taken the DS's abroad on a beach holiday. So I would like to think that if we were lucky enough to be on this type of holiday, my DS's would have a great experience exploring different places, being carefree on the beach and having fun with us, their mum and dad. I wouldn't rule out using a kids club for a short while, but I don't think it would be fair on my kids to spend their holiday doing things that they can do at nursery/school and after school activities. I would hope that they wouldn't be bored - I spent many holidays abroad with my parents and was never bored by their company.

Can the OP please find out what resort has this fab kids' club that opens all day? Because dh and I would very much like to book a holiday there! Have never come across this on any holiday!

plus i/we may wish to neglect LO further after the daily mistreatment sessions at nursery from absent parents

hell i think maybe kiddies kennnels
baby bootcamp

Atten-SHUN

I think this is all about balance. Putting children in kid's clubs for multiple sessions every day - not good at all.

Using them for the odd two hours so you can have the odd leisurely lunch - fine. Could be easier than getting a babysitter in the evening if the children are likely to be harder to leave at night/not sleeping.

ScottishMummy, what a fab idea you have.

I can see it now. Forget those soft and cuddly little-fluffy-cloud-Powder-Bryne creches; let's tell it like it is on holidays for working mums: "Kiddie Kennels: for all of you mums who had children when you really should have just got yourself a dog instead" Marvellous

Aren't children just hairless puppies anyway?

They poo everywhere
They're expensive
They whine
They ruin clothes
You can't leave them in the car
They have boundless energy
You get covered in slobber

yes and especially for all those who think working parents are dogs they get their own kennel.

call it precious Moments

you can woof woof dribble and pee about working parents cocking your leg snoot all day if you wish