Mark Warner first holiday. Should we still go?

[Love2dance]

DH, DS (will be 5 1/2 m) and I were about to book with MW on a late deal for the first time to go to Ocean Club Portugal when poor little Maddy McCann went missing. Ocean club sounded just up our street (we don't usually do all inclusive and before DS born tended to go on independent self catering hols) as it has apartments for independence but also the creche/babysitting facility so we could eat out in the eves and relax on our own some (but not all) of the time.
I now feel a bit uncomfortable about going, particularly as I can empathise with the McCanns' suffering.

Anyone know of anywhere shortish haul with apartment or small villa with a babysitting option? Any advice gratefully received.

EXACTLY!

if you find holidays stressful, stop bloody moaning about them and dont go

I don't get it that people go on holiday to somewhere they'll leave their children with people they don't know at all.

"has a creche" - well, that's fab, but is it the kind of place I'd want to leave my children? What are the people running it like?

As for baby listening "ooh, we've just heard your door opening and your baby crying" "Oh, dear, it seems your toddler's choked to death/drowned in the bath/hanged themselves with the telephone cord while you were en route". How much first aid can they do over the phone?!

caitlin moran article

LOL MT!

We solve it by Not Going On Holiday

i just cant bear the thought of my dds waking up and not knowing where dh and i are. wandering round a strange apartment looking for me cos they need the loo or a drink or a cuddle back to sleep

not worth for a plate of paella in peace im afraid

I didn't know children were fobidden from dining with parents at MW. I can honestly say I would never choose a holiday with such strict rules. I cannot understand why people would ever choose such a holiday.

Would you really trust a stranger to look after your 5 1/2 month old baby while you had dinner?

Funny feature.

What always mystifies me is that people will get references for nannies and check Ofsted for Schools and nurseries etc etc

but go on holiday and leave their children with someone they have not known for 2 mins

my solution to holiday childcare is to be too skint to go on one

Not as highbrow as Mark Warner but I took DD to Butlins last week, we signed up for the toddlers kids club.

It is attached to the nursery and I was at the amount of parents signing their little darlings up for as many sessions as possible.

I take my daughter on holiday to spend time with her, not to cart her off to the nursery in the care of strangers. I've had my fair share of adult holidays and will continue to do so. But holidays with my daughter are for the sole reason of spending time with her, and ensuring she has some fantastic memories.

I wouldn't go but only because of the feel of the place with the press. I couldn't enjoy the holiday knowing that the little girl is still missing, the atmosphere would not be good.

tbh probably one of the least stressful holiday we have done was with ds alone at 5 months in a cottage in Devon. We took everything bar the kltchen sink mind you, but got out everyday whatever the weather, to places we wanted to see, there was an indoor pool and we ate out with him in tow several times.

Choose somewhere you fancy going which caters for lo's needs in terms of cot etc and enjoy . Future holidays for many years will be more of a compromise as you have to entertain him more actively (which is when facitliites like creches and clubs can come into play), so make the most of not needing to do so now.

btw iirc MW Ocean Club doesn't preclude eating with kids in all its restaurants which was a reason we considered it.

PMSL at Caitlin Moran - I already do that!

The idea of paying to stay somewhere where you are forbidden to eat with your family is truly extraordinary to me. Choosing not to is one thing but not allowed. Blimey. And to think people go to the Mediterranean

I agree about the whole creche/babysitting thing BTW. How many times on MN do with have threads on finding the best nursery/childminder/etc. for baby or children. But then people go away on holiday and are happy to leave their baby or child with these organised ones.

Ahem

I have just said that further down

Posted too soon. Didn't finish sentence. It seems odd to be to go to the Meditteranaean for that sort of treatment. It's so easy to have kids with you there. Everywhere you go, there are three generations of families eating dinner together. And instead you pay to stay in a holiday camp and be told what you can and can't do.

Agree with hula, hunker and malory.

Not the usual trio of comrades

AHEM!!!

[uneasy]

Quick, someone, start talking about early weaning and we can get back to normal

are Mark Warner holidays expensive?

I've never looked at them but have heard a lot about them since this awful news.

my friends sister is a nanny and has worked at (i think) MW in greece. maybe not MW but def Greece

anyway she says all the nannies are exhausted after the kids clubs all day they cant be arsed with the babysitting at night. where she worked the evening babysitting wasnt compulsory for the nannies to do - they did it voluntarily if a family requested it - there was always more requests than nannies available

so therefore if you cant eat with your children and there is no babysitting what do you do? leave them alone and check every 30 mins or go out and get a mcd's to eat in the apartment?

Love the Caitlin Moran article

That's what we've been doing lately. HOlidaying at home. Very relaxed.

Holidays with one child, especially a non-mobile baby, were quite easy. But I am still traumatised by some of our attempts at holidays with 3 very young and very excitable, overtired (because they alwasy slept badly and got grumpy) children.