Does anyone find beach holidays relaxing with kids?!

[Norpeth]

I'm currently on my very first beach holiday. Husband, 2 pre teens, 4 and 2 year old. This is the most stressful and tiring holiday I've ever been on. I feel like I have not stopped yet we haven't even really done much. I'm finding the constant, applying sun cream, getting swimming stuff packed and on, constant supervision on the beach/in the water, reapplying the sun cream, cleaning off the sand, getting everyone dried and changed.... I don't feel like I've sat down.

We are half board, so dinner in the hotel is a buffet. So none of us actually eat together as we are all up and down getting food and drinks plus toddlers can't be left by thselves or get their own food so means me or my husband are back and forth getting their food too.

Me and my husband have barely had time to say 2 word to each other that isn't child/organisation related.

Everyone I know does this holiday every year with kids and always tells me what an amazing time they've had. What am I doing wrong?

I went on a beach holiday with two 18 month olds.

They both hated the sand and screamed whenever they touched it. Food was tricky. Then one got an ear infection!

We stayed in the U.K. for a while after that.

Sounds to me op that part of the issue here is that you have 4 kids. So of course things will be crazy.

It should be better when the little ones get older. Once we could swim independently etc and were a bit older, my brother and i used to just play together in the pool etc and my parents would relax more.

I agree with you OP! Not relaxing at this age.

Is there a kids club that some/all of the kids can go to and you can have a bit of a break? We found buffets work best if we all go and get a plate for a starter then all sit and eat it together, then we all go and get a main course plate and eat it together etc. Generally though with kids of your youngest age we found self catering worked better.

None of our holidays with the kids were ever relaxing and they hated the kids clubs so refused to go. You are not alone.

No it's not relaxing! Took Dts on a beach holiday when they were just turned one, they screamed the whole 14 hour drive, which was odd as usually good travellers. Terrified of the sand so had to give up on the beach. Wouldn't sleep in the travel cots, ended up having to walk them round and round and round to get them to sleep. They ended up sleeping in their car seats for most of the holiday (yes I know but needs must at the time). Then developed fevers, turned out they both had inner ear infections.

It did get better once they had antibiotics on board and they loved the pool but it was bloody hard work.

We did a similar AI holiday last year. We also have 4 children, although our older 2 are slightly younger than yours.

I found it so, so stressful and not remotely relaxing. We aren’t doing it again this year. We are doing a more active holiday, where at least I can actually do something along with them!

Nothing is relaxing with toddlers!
Once all the dcs are above 4, you can have some relaxing times.
We did go on holiday with dcs but tended to do more active holidays and threw in a park or a beach here and there. I figured We were going to be active anyway so chose accordingly.

Kids clubs

4 kids? Of course it’s not going to be relaxing, you’re outnumbered! We’ve got three and it’s bloody stressful. Every year I say we’re not going again. Every year we do. The kids have a good time. Dh and I come back knackered.

No holidays are relaxing with kids

Not at that age, nope!

ND child is now more than happy to sit on a lounger with tech, covered in blankets, so much more relaxing now but that doesn’t help you.

tip if you’re not aware, talc gets sand off, it sticks all the moisture out of it so it just brushes off

strongly disliked hot holidays with under 5s.

And you have 4DC!

You were unrealistic to hope for any ‘quality time’ with your H and civilised meals with everyone eating at once! Buffet works best IME.

During such holidays we used to take turns to take a short break on our own while the other parented.

There's a lot of work involved with kids and the beach.

Some short cuts that help. Ultrasun all day suncream, although I do usually reapply once a day if they've been in water for a long time.

Talcum powder gets sand off really quickly.

Get each child to pack their own backpack with (packed lunch if you aren't eating out), drink, spare clothes, towel and a beach toy /book etc. Get the little ones those poncho towels so they can get changed themselves under them.

Get them to put the swimming stuff on first thing before you leave the room, do the suncream, let it soak in, then they get dressed and go.

When you get back to the hotel, youngest in the shower first, swimsuits into the sink for a rinse, towels on the balcony to dry.

During the toddler years I found the pool much easier than the beach. Much less faff and DH and I would always get them in the big pool swimming for a bit to tire them out. Still not exactly relaxing but its never going to be easy mixing young children and water.

No! Holidays with kids are just the same old shit in a different place.

You have four kids - two of whom are preschool age. Kindly, what did you expect??? Of course it's a PITA and not really a holiday at all!

Holidays with kids are not relaxing. Full stop.

We went away same set up with 2/4 year old recently. It was not relaxing at all. We won't be doing it again anytime soon

My question is are you being fined for taking your pre teens out of school?

Nah. Just kidding.

Four children? I take my hat off to you because two was plenty for us.

Some great advice above and drink plenty of mojitos to get you through.

Good luck 😉

Buffets are great for teenagers but when mine were tiny we went self catering. That doesn't mean any cooking but eating in a restaurant. Everyone is at the table and food brought to you. Effort required to entertain the children but at least you are sitting down. We used to do word games, rhymes etc.

However since you are stuck with a buffet try and make it as civilised as possible. Get drinks sorted for everyone first. One adult gets bread and nibbles for everyone at the table so you can eat starters together.
One adult then gets the meals for the little ones, decides what they want, and the older DC get their own.
They then sit with the 4 children while the other adult gets both adult meals.

Absolutely not. It is exhausting. You have to constantly supervise near the water. Children don’t want to sit and Read a book while sipping a cocktail. Endlessly applying suncream. Then dealing with everyone needing to be cycled through limited bathrooms to get rid of sand and salt.

I do love a beach holiday with the DC but agree, it’s anything but relaxing. I do appreciate not having to cook and clean but by the end of the day I’m knackered having run after the DC all day.

I think it's your expectations. Currently abroad with 3yo and 5mo and it is absolutely just parenting in another country.... but that country also has delicious food and wine and in the (short) breaks I get when one/both are napping or playing for a few mins are spent lying on a sun lounger instead of emptying the dishwasher.

Is it the same as holidays pre kids? No way. Is it infinitely better than the usual mundane routine in the pouring rain? Absolutely!

We went with a 4 and 2 year old and it wasn’t relaxing but I loved it. We implemented going back to the room for an hour after lunch where kids would either nap or watch something and it was a chance for us to rest/read/watch something and be out of the hot middday sun so there was some rest every day.
DH and I also took it in turns to go into the kids pool as well as all together so each had time to sit and to be honest I loved playing with them without always thinking about what I need to do like at home
I’d agree about the buffet situation though; if I did it again I’d want sit down meals