Dad with 3 little uns, ideas of what to do?

[Richard74]

Im a little stuck. I see my kids as often as possible but as I live in another country its costing a lot to come back and forth, thats ok, I accept thats a small price to pay but major problem is where to stay when I come over.
At the moment I'm sleeping on the ex wifes sofa which long term isnt going to work is it! I could stay at a B&B or hotel but my wife is insistent when I come I have to take all 3 children out of the way all day! What are you supposed to day all day every day when you have no "base" to retire to when its crap weather etc. I mean the kids are only little 6, 3 and 2 and we cant spend 9 - 6 every day I stay out of 'her' way because apparently thats what other dads do. I cant take them back to a B&B can I?
Any experience of ideas on this? Increasingly im looking at booking a self catering place perhaps but cant afford to do this everytime.
I dont have any relatives I can stay with either.

[thumbwitch]

well, there are indoor facilities for small children you could go to - soft play areas etc.

How far do you have to come? Do you fly or drive? Could you get a camper van, maybe keep it at your ex's place, and use that when you come over? How often is "as often as you can"?

[Richard74]

I come at least once a month and I also take them back to stay with me sometimes. I have been to softplay areas but you cant spend every day and every hour in one.
I dont expect a definitive answer just perhaps people with similar experiences and ideas etc.

[bebemooneedsabreak]

Ahh I feel your pain from visiting my dh mid week (at his hotel) with just my 1yo-2yo... It is really tough to find things to do in a town you're not 'normally' in and then to occupy them out the entire day... and when it's raining or cold :( :( It was really hard!
Top tip: Make up a bag/backpack of snacks/water, travel games, crayons, coloring, a small 'hand-sized' football, and maybe sand/digging toys. Take it with you always and keep it well stocked...let the kids pick out some of the snacks/treats at the store with you (as this too will take time out of your day). Also, bring a book, magazine or newspaper for yourself so that when you're not needed or wanted as much (at the park or where-ever) so can occupy yourself a bit without getting bored.
Also, I let your kids take turning picking where they want to go/what they want to do.
During nice weather:
park in the morning with a picnic blanket, Lunch on picnic blanket or as a 'treat' in cafe or at the occasional fast food joint. Shopping, museums, zoos, wildlife parks, woods, pools or another play park in the afternoon.
Poor weather:
waterproofs and park, cafe for lunch, afternoon indoor play, shopping, museums, library,pool, waterproofs and park or zoos/wildlife parks...
Nasty weather:
Shopping (we were regulars at Pets at Home) , museums, library,pool, indoor play...
Even so we never were very comfortable during the truly bad weather and often times we'd find ourselves back at the hotel early watching a movie on the computer... (can you manage this somehow?) And it's very expensive actually 'hanging' out all day long... money to get in places, drinks/snacks to be had...
I often times would stay at a quiet cafe or restaurant for a good long time playing with dd at the table (making sure to buy drinks/cake or have a meal and to pack up and go if it got busy).

And have a reasonable chat with you ex and ask if maybe you can swap, and she go out for the day or morning or afternoon if the weather is poor... and ask for her ideas of what and where you can go.

[Kelly28]

Thanks for the replies! Good help here. Camping is something we are going to try, will be fun if hard!

[Schnullerbacke]

Can you flatshare? Maybe someone wants to rent out their room for just a weekend a month? You'd just pay the rent for the weekend, proportionate costs for gas/elec and perhaps they also let you take your kids back there? Am thinking older people - they could always do with the money and usually like having kids around. You could even offer to do any small DIY jobs for rent reduction?

Backpackers/hostel?