The perfect holiday with children - what is it?

[annahove]

I am trying to define the perfect holiday with children (3 years and 1 year) to my husband by creating a list of 'holiday ingredients' which we can then compare our differing holiday ideas against. We have not been away with them both yet, so this year it is important to get it right. Any thoughts for my 'ingredients list' would be most welcome.

Mine is lovely sandy beach where they can play with their buckets & spades quite happily.

sunshine

good evening entertainment for everyone.

Not too much travelling

you wont have the 'perfect holiday'

and you don't have to have either

don't set yourself up for disappointment!

'Good enough' is perfect when your children are 3 and 1!

Optimism abounds eh Enid, I am going away in July and I am hoping for all these things. But you are right, we will probably have a dreadful time

something to do when it rains - a swimming pool is essential for me if it's in the uk!

Safe sandy beach - that gently slopes into the sea for safe paddling. Rock pools. Mild sunshine. An enclosed garden where they can play safely without you worrying about them - we spent a stressful week in Madeira with DS#1 surounded by roads, unfenced 100ft drops and very little safe open space. Not fun . Places where you can take them to eat where they are welcome and not expected to be silent and still the whole time.

Agree with Enid - you won't "get it right" firts time because you wonlt eb relaistic about how much and where you need ot compromise. The more pressure you put on yourselves the less successful it could be. Plan simple and familiar.

i like my own car. so i am not stuckwith horrible english people or worse french people. and so we can go a wandering around french towns and eat crepes during the day.

then we can entertain the kids in the evening

and get pissed

as the kids have got older this mutated into mum sitting outside eurotent with wine and a book and sunglasses getting pissed all day whilst theybuggeredoff asking for bangers in french.

it doesnt exsist.

my kids would say pool, park, beach, and funfair lol

Reataurant next to a piazza where there are children of similar age who want to play football with your DS's while you drink wine.

Bliss. But not in the brochure.

keep it very simple
minimise travel time
sandy beach
sunshine
plenty of things to do if it rains
historic/cultural attractions within reach
children early ish to bed to allow adult time in the evenings
go with friends if their parenting and routines are generally similar to yours.

swimming pool good too.

don't necessarily try for the destination that will "impress" - our best family holidays have been in devon, cornwall and isle of wight - our worst was sicily.

'adult time in the evenings'???

I was told this was a bizarre and selfish thing for parents to want on a 'famly holiday'on another thread.

fabulous accessible countryside.

A self-catering cottage in teh UK. Detached. Big garden. Lots of space.

My parents coming along.

And our own car.

That's about it.

Ours are 3 and 1, too.

We have a blast just being away and seeing new things.

And w/the grandparents along, DH and I get some time out to have dinner alone, see a film, grab a drink.

can't help what you were told on another thread - i think its bizzare not to want adult time in the evenings but there you go.

Leaving them with someone else and going off on your own. Doesn't get more perfect than that.

Otherwise it's just the same shit with a different view!

Aren't I mean.

I'm SO with bossykate.
Selfish to want adult time in the evening! Are they totaly mad or just having a serious laugh? who told you that, name n shame em now so I can avoid that sort of weirdo from now on!

Couldn't agree more Thomcat!

Mum + Dad + children + fun + age appropriate activities = perfect holiday

self catering is very convenient and flexible in some ways, but you will have all the same chores as at home in possibly a less convenient environment...

don't expect it to be a holiday - both you and your dh should not have much expectation of personal leisure time.

The prefect holiday with small children is ..... using your surrounding environment as tourists, having day trips or half days out, picnics, seeing the sights, biting the bullet and going to the tacky theme park/farmer with a baby lamb and a tractor painted like Terence and letting the kids enjoy it - and being able to get them home and in bed and for a nap with no hassles.
I do that with the kids about once a month, we call it holidays-without-leaving-our city. Because little kids, and I mean under 7 don't care what part of the world they are in as long as they are having fun and mjm and dad aren't stressed.

However, you should also build babysitters in to your holiday budget, make sure you go out in the evenings and also treat yourself to some "holiday" clothes.

Enjoy it

Where were you when I needed you Bossykate and thomcat???

I Can't remeber thier names but there were LOTS of them. Beware. It was well weird

I agree, TC, that's the one thing I miss about having my parents so far away - they take on my sister's kids so she and her husband get away.

My sister and BIL have even come over here for a week whilst my folks had the kids.

It was FAB! We left DD1 at SIL's and had a blast.