Spending all day at the pool?

[longestlurkerever]

I'm aware this post is going to come across as judgy and I genuinely don't mean it to be as fully aware my holidays probably sound shit too, but I am curious about what people mean when they say they spend all day by the pool on holiday as i think i must have the wrong end of the stick. I bloody love pools and swimming and go most days even at homr but after an hour I'm ready to get out and dry and into the shade. Isn't it a bit uncomfortable spending all day in the pool? And even if you include "by" the pool, isn't it difficult to relax while there are kids playing and shouting and splashing you? And are the kids just nagging you to get back in the whole time? It's these kinds of reasons I've never been on a resort holiday or to center parcs but everyone I know seems to enjoy them and say the kids have a ball, so wonder if I'm missing out based on misconceptions.

A good all inclusive set up for families has also got entertainment for DC at times. If your DC are off a dance/football club/movie night etc. then that is your chilling with a book time, often at a “quiet” or adult only pool in the same resort, or enjoying a rare DC free dinner together.. then when the DC come back you will feel refreshed and have the energy to play in the pool, watch them on the slides etc..

When the DC are old enough to swim well, that is when you can really start to enjoy lying by a pool with a drink while you read. Extra points if you have a helpful DC who will go back and forth to fetch you ice creams 😂 And you don’t have to stay at the pool all day, you might want to walk to the beach, get a bus to the local town, go on an all day boat trip, all those things fit into a “lying by the pool” holiday.

Of course it is, just not for me. The odd hour by the pool is enough.

Often the resort hotels are not walking distance to a local beautiful old town.

We tend to stay in villas, so can be as close to a ‘beautiful old town’ as we wish really! Otherwise there are buses and taxis in most countries.

I don't get it either.

I love reading but I don't get the attraction of reading by a pool - I would rather read inside in the quiet and I don't quite get the point of flying somewhere to read a book when I can do that at home.

I like a swim, as do the kids, but once a day is enough for that.

My perfect holiday would be a city centre hotel with a pool and a kids club so I could go sightseeing, back for lunch, dip in the pool, dinner.

We had a lovely holiday in July where I, for the first time, fully embraced the 'lying by the pool' mentality. There were plenty of sunbeds under huge canopies in a nice garden area so you weren't on top of the pool in the blazing sun, the schools hadn't broken up so no screaming kids and I just completely relaxed, read loads of books, drank cocktails, had a snooze whenever I wanted, had a swim in the pool when I wanted and felt utterly chilled out. We also did other stuff as well as that. It was great.

I think that my experience comes from my background too. We always had a family house abroad, so the 6 weeks school holidays were spent there, just living a local life, beside a beautiful town and with beaches we knew well. Pool at the house, outdoor municipal too, local markets, weddings to attend, local families that we built relationships with over the years.

We could walk into the old town for favourite restaurants, to shop and to meet with friends. Really live another culture, including learning the language.

Or we could drive further afield if we chose or get the train to a nearby city for a hotel mini break.

Although I've done it, I don't enjoy package holidays, don't want to be confined to a hotel, wait for food, have to be up early to get a sun bed.

Maybe it reflects my life in education - feeling institutionalised!😆

Fair. That's kind of the joy of mumsnet though sometimes, to ask things you wouldn't irl. I can imagine a bit better how a day at the pool could be relaxing and the circumstances I'd need to make it so. I think the main bit that puts me off is too many people around. I'm generally quite extroverted and live in a city surrounded by neighbours in close proximity. Holidays are a chance to be somewhere a bit emptier and I need that i think. Beautiful villa sounds lush but probably pricey.

@TerraAnne your post makes me realise it probably is partly about what you grew up with.

My parents never did pool or beach holidays, not their thing, we did sightseeing/cultural trips, walking holidays or travelled to see family.

I don't think I have ever seen my parents just relax and do nothing all day and they're retired now!

I love a " flop by the pool " holiday
I work in a really full on physically and mentally demanding job
I like to switch off , kindle loaded up with a few options for me to get into
I do want a suntan despite knowing it's bad for me and I do love people watching lol
Judge me if you like - I've paid for it and don't force anyone to join me

We realised that we never use the pool when we go on holiday as we prefer the sea. So, now we book places with no pool.

I think people are missing the point of my question though. It's not that I don't see the value of flopping and relaxing and doing nothing. I just am not sure how to find a pool relaxing for more than a short time. It's all too much sun and glare, too much noise, too much dampness. But perhaps others don't find that?

Love a day by the pool, it's more relaxing now the kids are older. You absolutely need sunbeds with a parasol, couldn't do full on sun all day.
We just got back from holiday, pool day would be - breakfast then sit by the pool till 11ish, dip in pool, drinks, ice cream, read kindle, listen to music. Go for lunch around 1ish and then maybe sit in the shade with a drink. Back by the pool for 3ish alternately swimming and sunbathing, retreat under the parasol for shade. Stay there till 6pmish. Bliss.
We tend to chose quieter hotels with no kids clubs, slides etc now the kids are older.

I love reading but I don't get the attraction of reading by a pool - I would rather read inside in the quiet and I don't quite get the point of flying somewhere to read a book when I can do that at home.

That's the thing, when I had dc at home, I never found time to just 'stop'. I only ever did that on holiday. I read avidly on holiday, and then only manage about two books throughout the rest of the year. At home life was very busy. By a pool, my dc would be occupied for about 6 hours, and I could just relax, which was much needed.

It's all too much sun and glare, too much noise, too much dampness. But perhaps others don't find that?
No.
I will make sure we find a sunshade to take turns under. I've not stayed anywhere there was 'too much noise', but I would also put ear buds in and listen to music. I mean, I would only be damp in the short period between getting out of the pool and the sun drying me off.

You need to go to better hotels.

Hotels we go to aren't noisy around the pool and love cooling off in a pool. If its hot dry off very quickly. We tend to avoid super hot destinations. It does get easier with older kids. Before that waterparks so its fun and go exploring every other day.

My kids are easily bored, but they really can’t get enough of a pool. So for me sitting next to a pool is an excellent opportunity to read, because my kids are entertaining themselves.
But at the most we do half-pool-days and then go somewhere else. Because DH and I are always restless and in need of a little action.

We tend to do it on day one then another day towards the end of the week. The other days we go out after breakfast, walking, to the beach, to a town or on a trip and then finish the day off with a cool down swim before getting ready for dinner. I would get bored doing it all week but i absolutely love the days we do do it.

Then you don't really don't have much imagination!

Maybe they work full time in busy stressful jobs and that is their idea of relaxation

Maybe they are limited to going away in the summer holidays when much of Europe is scorching, too hot to be traipsing around historic sights with a couple of hot, whiny kids in tow.

Maybe they have a child who absolutely loves water and has to be physically removed from the pool at the end of the day (looking at you DS2)

Maybe they break the rest of the year up with cultural breaks.

I can attest to all of the above. I mean, why would someone even start a thread about this?! Different strokes for different folks etc

I think there's two different types of 'pool days' here OP.
For me, I love a pool day. Not every day of my holiday though but a few and the odd afternoon or just the morning. Just me and DH, a quiet pool, adults only. No loud music or kids splashing. Just a few adults, quietly sipping drinks brought over to them by waiters (or DH) and reading books. Lush.
A pool day I would not love is one where I am being splashed by kids (and adults actually) and subjected to loud music and 'fun' pool games. Not fun for me. Hideous.

Now my 3 dc are old enough to not need me in the pool with them all the time, I love a pool/beach holiday. Thankfully they all get along and entertain each other pretty well so I dip in and out after reading, snoozing, eating, drinking, people watching from behind my sunglasses-there’s so much to do! 😉😆

When they were younger, we never did that kind of holiday. It was usually somewhere in England with a few short visits/activities per day.

I lie in the shade reading, not usually in full sun. I don't stay in big resorts, so no noisy pools. We usually stay in apartments or small hotels so often only a few others at the pool. I dry off pretty quickly but the dampness keeps me cool so I like it.
We take it in turns to play with the children or keep an eye on them whilst they play together. The older ones read too. We play card games. We don't spend every day by the pool but usually at least a couple.

I love the pool - we've just come back from Turkey and dh joked I'd become webbed if I'd spent any longer in it!

I can easily do 5 hours on and off floating about, swimming, playing bat and ball or catch with ds

It really helps with a health condition I have too.

I don't think anyone can tell you how to find a pool relaxing if it's just not your thing.

I guess you're right. It just fees a bit incongruous as swimming is my thing. And my children's too. We are the ones at the lido the day it opens forthe season, and they don't get out even when their skin is blue, and I swim outdoors year round. I genuinely love it and when lockdown closed the pools I wasn't sure how I'd cope. And yet , I do reach a point after an hour where I want to get out and dry and do something else. I thought that was normal.

I could spend the whole day by the pool. Actually have spent weeks by the pool on a previous holiday! If the country is hot enough, you can spend all day getting in and out of the pool. Kids never get bored of swimming, I'm happy to get in and out of pool especially as it gets too hot lounging for too long. Have loads of inflatables that we take on AI holidays so great for lounging in the pool. AI so had unlimited cocktails/soft drinks. Was bliss!