What would you do?

[purplefuzz]

We've got an opportunity to both have a career break (of around 1 year), with our DC's before they start school. They will be around 1 and 2 1/2 when we are thinking of going.
We are thinking of going into Europe and chilling (maybe getting some casual work on campsites etc?), but other than that plans are currently vague.
We want to have fun but also want to be realistic about what the children might need / cope with etc so it is actually fun and not totally stressful.

So, my questions are, what would you do? Where would you go? Caravan or hire somewhere, one place or travel about, rural or urban, expat or native, several countries or one? how to keep children entertained with limited toys - do they need them? things we've not thought of?

Do you really want a career break now? Your kids won't remember a thing about it. It may be more difficult with healthcare/healthinsurance if you go abroad travelling for a whole year.

Also, you may wish to have more flexibility with work once they start (pre)school as they are likely to start catching lots of bugs.

So unless you have to, I wouldn't take a break now but keep it for later.

well. We were thinking one they start school taking time out to go elsewhere wouldn't be right for them...

Sorry I'm with dikkertjedap. Why would you want to travel when they are so little. The DCs with seriously restrict what you can do and won't remember it at all.

If you are set on it and can afford it then I would rent somewhere on the Med and chill for a year, but I'm guessing just doing nothing isn't an option.

We were thinking it would be lovely to spend the time together as a family and be able to share all the day to day routines of two little ones... we sort of thought that if we had more time and were more relaxed, although they wouldn't remember it, they would benefit from the extra attention?..

You can do that at home though. Moving abroad isn't the same as a holiday - you are unlikely to be more relaxed at all to start with! You will need to negotiate paperwork, insurances, a different culture, different language. You won't be able to find the things you want in shops. You'll need to childproof accommodation that isn't your own, and casual work isn't that readily available anywhere! Spain has massive unemployment and fierce competition, you'll need to speak French in France, the Germans are sticklers for the rules, and the Dutch only employ under 25's on the minimum wage.

Do you have friends abroad who could help with work/ settling in?

No, we don't have friends abroad. We are renting a house at the moment in the UK which we hate (in need of updating) and is really too small for us (DC's will need to share a room when DC2 out of ours). We want to buy a house but at the moment want to hold off (unless we see a bargain), as everything around us market wise is stagnant / reducing so we don't want to over pay. No decent other rentals come up. We reckon we could live cheaper than here in say Spain (we spent a month in Spain when Dc1 was 6 months and I started weaning there etc so have got a bit of idea).
Primarily my husband has always wanted to try living abroad - I have been a little more scared / worried re leaving friends / family but also don't want to have regrets and think why not? - rather than living in same place forever, going to same places. He has a job where we could do this, but I feel I would rather all be together on a period of time off (rather than him working and literally leaving me holding the baby(ies) in a foreign place). We have travelled a lot before, but just not lived anywhere else.
I thought this could potentially be a great opportunity to be together before the kids start school and all chill out and we are constrained by terms etc.
I do recognise (which my husband doesn't and thinks I'm being negative), that there are practical considerations re the children re doing practical tasks which may be more of a headache, e.g., re safety, potty training etc, but they do have children in these places too, so I'm sure they sell, make provisions for such things just like we do? Also, I have broached with my DH that entertaining toddlers all day every day with no structure (groups, friends etc), might be tiring, but I don't know if I'm being negative as I thought most people would kill to be off with their partner and just hang out with their kids?

Am I being naive then?

If your partner brought it to the table, what would you say?