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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Sleeping in family room with 5yo and 2yo on holiday

39 replies

gollyb · 07/05/2017 14:52

Hello All,
Going on holiday for week and booked family room. Problem is that 5yo and 2yo who are unlikely to sleep with lights on and we all will have to have the lights out by their bedtime Confused. Its our only holiday for the whole year as well and DH and I would also like to get some 'us time' if possible- nothing very fancy- at least read a book with night light on or iPad. Any suggestions please? (ps- can't afford to book suite :( to allow kids have good night sleep while we chill a bit). Any suggestions very welcome! thanks

OP posts:
Justmadeperfectflapjacks · 07/05/2017 14:55

Pretend it's bedtime for everyone at 7 pm. .
Then get up and leave them asleep!!
Watch TV quietly (and anything else quietly too!!-spare duvet for the floor?)

EggysMom · 07/05/2017 14:57

Do your children wake easily? If not, then you only need to cope with darkness for the time when they're falling asleep; once soundly sleeping you can switch on low-level lighting for you to do things by. Personally I'm so tired these days that I'd just take the opportunity to sleep for as long as they do!

(Of course, there is one very adult activity you and your husband could do in the dark .... quietly ....)

Iamastonished · 07/05/2017 15:01

Kindle Paperwhite, or try putting them to bed a bit later.

FanSpamTastic · 07/05/2017 15:05

We used to watch a movie on the portable DVD player that the kids had in the car wearing the headphones they had. It was a Nextbase system - fitted on to bracket on the seats in the car but could be put on a stand to watch in the hotel. Lights off - send Hubbie down to the bar to get drinks and settle the kids then we would have a movie night!

Original poster
gollyb · 07/05/2017 15:09

hey...thanks for the replies. Yes... they do tend to unfortunately.When one does the other follows suit :/
Is it only my kids (a bit spoilt perhaps Hmm) Or do other have similar experience?
Not sure how the 'one very adult activity' will go Grin being petrified of being watched by the 5yo would probably kill the mood entirely anyway Confused

OP posts:
Igottastartthinkingbee · 07/05/2017 15:14

I always wondered how people do this too. We've always avoided any holiday that means staying together in a hotel room!!

anotherdayanothersquabble · 07/05/2017 15:17

We have either paid for a self catering place with a seperate lounge and / or two bedrooms or gone camping where we can chill out outside the tent. We use family rooms when we really have to, short breaks / weekend / events we have to travel to. Also the Summer holiday is family time, we try to make adult time when we are at home. We have been know to read in the bathroom... Kids will be more relaxed on holiday and will flake out when they are tired. I know some families who take an afternoon nap together and have the evening time in restaurants with their children or all watching movies until everyone is ready for bed. You will find a rhythm that works for your family.

Enidblyton1 · 07/05/2017 15:19

We've tried this a couple of times. After trying unsuccessfully to eat early and turn the lights off at 8pm (waiting for kids to fall asleep), we gave up - the kids were too excited to fall asleep. When they finally fell asleep around 10 we felt too tired to go anything.
The only way it worked for us was to keep the children up later - all have supper at 7/8ish and then all go to bed together.
You may be lucky and have children who will fall soundly asleep at 7, but I wouldn't stay in a hotel room with children and expect to have any time to yourselves in the evening. See it as a bonus if it happens.

Next time I recommend a self catering apartment (can be same price as a hotel room and certainly much cheaper than a hotel suite).

WindwardCircle · 07/05/2017 15:19

Lots of exercise for the DCs during day is the way to go, wear them out with hours of pool/beach/playground so they drop off quickly and stay asleep.

freshstart24 · 07/05/2017 15:35

It is a bit of a culture shock when you realise that your holiday time will be different at least for a while post DC.

"Same shit, different place" is something of read on here about holidays several times.

Opportunities for relaxing, reading, sex, culture and meals out are fewer but opportunities to make wonderful memories, teach DC to swim, make sandcastles and bond as a family replace them.

You may have to adjust your expectations for a few years OP, but I guarantee you will have wonderful albeit different holidays!

2014newme · 07/05/2017 15:40

Sit on the balcony. bottle of wine, nibbles, read or watch a film.

Where are you going? In many places kids stay up later. When mine were 2 we put them to bed then sat on balcony but always booked somewhere where we could have babysitter and go out a couple of times, or hotel kids sleep club.

Original poster
gollyb · 07/05/2017 15:50

Thanks all for the comments. I'm sure it would be a wonderful holiday 🙂 Just seeking the wisdom of mumsnetters for any new ideas to try and optimise on both the fun and relax factors all round if possible Wine. We are going to Paris.

OP posts:
Original poster
gollyb · 07/05/2017 15:53

No babysitter or kids club unfortunately. Looking mostly for any sleep solutions that I may have not thought of? any other suggestions most welcome pls!

OP posts:
allegretto · 07/05/2017 15:55

Put them to bed later - you're on holiday!

BonnieBlueButler · 07/05/2017 15:57

We do this when we stay in a hotel. Our kids are 3 and 7. It's a bit more difficult now with the 7 year old but we've done the 'it's bedtime for everyone now' thing and it's usually worked. Then DH and I get back up, watch a film, read, eat crap, creep around trying not to laugh while the kids sleep on next to us. I love these times when we all sleep together.

2014newme · 07/05/2017 15:59

Ah OK then, oaris unlikely to have balcony or sleep club or babysitter. Can you swap to something more child friendly?

virtualinsanity · 07/05/2017 16:15

We did a similar holiday last year. European city for a full week with our then 5 and 2 year old all sleeping in the same room.

We spent the first 2 nights battling to keep them in our normal routine, us lying in the dark. It failed. The toddler was far too excited. On day 3 I cracked and decided, fuck it, it's a holiday it's not setting a precedent. We gave them a tablet each and let them watch cartoons in bed until they passed out. They stayed quietly in bed while we had wine and chatted. We were doing amazing activities with them every day so didn't feel too guilty and we firmly re-established our normal routine as soon as we got home with no problems.

Prior to that holiday we had always been strict about maintaining the routine even ending up sat in the ensuite etc, but I now thoroughly advocate the lazy approach!

Original poster
gollyb · 07/05/2017 16:16

2014newme: can't as we've paid already and don't want to change tbh as well as we got a good deal as well. Saw a suggestion to hang bin bags to give some light cover for kids to allow them to sleep well while we had a low light Confused. Sounds a bit far fetched to me. Anyone tried that option by any chance?

OP posts:
virtualinsanity · 07/05/2017 16:19

Bin bags sounds like a lot of hassle. We did use the Gro anywhere black out blind (sticks on to any window with suction cups) to great success when we just had one baby. They are amazing for taking on holiday.

2014newme · 07/05/2017 16:20

We had the suction black out blinds too but they don't assist at all with enabling the kids to go to sleep while you watch TV or read

virtualinsanity · 07/05/2017 16:25

City breaks can be amazingly child-friendly. I don't understand this mind-set of needing kids clubs and family entertainment. I mean I've nothing against that, would enjoy it occasionally but if you do your research any major city will have a wealth of child friendly activities for all ages and also not bore the adults! We do most things as a family together but also split up and one of us will take the kids to a playpark if the other wants to visit a non child friendly attraction. There are so many option like airbnb and homeaway to rent s/c apartments in cities too which can be way more cost effective than a hotel or a package hol.

SnowBallsAreHere · 07/05/2017 16:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BorisJohnsonsHair · 07/05/2017 16:39

I think you'd be better off going out in the evenings. Presumably 2 year old has a buggy of some sort to crash out in if really tired. The 5 year old will probably be fine til 9ish? Then go back to the hotel with a bottle of wine, put them to bed. I suspect the 5 yr old will be worn out and sleep pretty quickly.

Longji · 07/05/2017 16:39

We're on holiday at the moment. We sit on the balcony from about 10pm when we put the kids to bed, have a few drinks and games of cards and they're still within earshot of us.

2014newme · 07/05/2017 16:40

@longji the op won't have a balcony