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Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

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Original poster

Holidaying alone? With kids?!

41 replies

Really1 · 19/12/2013 17:19

Has anyone done a holiday alone with kids?
I'm thinking of doing a 5 day all inclusive holiday next year for me and the kids around May/June time.
Dc1 will be just 4 and dc2 will be 2 and a half.
I'm thinking of a short ish flight eg Portugal or Spain, all inclusive resort geared up for kids with kids clubs etc so that I get a little bit of respite myself. Just a bit of sun sea & sand plus all inclusive food and ice cream for all of us!
Am I nuts?!?! Has anyone done this alone before?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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DarkKnight123 · 09/01/2014 21:35

Your son preferred Barbados to Bognor? Well each to their own. All im saying is that kids cost a fortune, will want holidays and trips when they're older, unless you're pretty financially comfortable it might make sense to book cheaper holidays when they're young.

NigellasDealer · 09/01/2014 21:37

yes but dark-knight it is not cheaper to go to bognor, that was my point.

ParenthoodJourney · 09/01/2014 21:40

I grew up in Barbados and knew exactly where to go where he would enjoy. We've been abroad and we've been to butlins many times. Hours of arcades and mind-numbing 'entertainment' and microwaved meals over amazing culture, sunshine, hours in the ocean, deep sea caves, wildlife, jet skis, flying fish and music!? I don't see how anyone could prefer Bognor children travelling from a young age is fab!

starlight1234 · 09/01/2014 23:00

I would love to take my Ds abroad but I really don't have the confidence..We have stayed in hotels in the uk and been perfectly happy ..no idea why I find the idea to overwhelmingly stressful...Good luck to all of you

NewBeginningsSnoopy · 09/01/2014 23:59

I've done it abroad Starlight. It was hard. It was good in lots of ways. I had free accommodation or I wouldn't have done it! Stay now closer to home for practical reasons and I do live somewhere beautiful. It's true that you have to have pretty thick skin. People are judgemental.

Doinmummy · 10/01/2014 00:02

We've gone with Small Families a few times. Excellent time.

LamaDrama · 10/01/2014 00:05

I have read on here that people get Sainsbury's etc to deliver the food shop for self catering holidays, just order before you leave.

Saves taking the children shopping when you get there.

More time for gin tennis

Original poster

Really1 · 10/01/2014 07:30

I'm a pretty confident person to be honest & going abroad with 2 kids doesn't phase me.
It's my holiday too and Butlins is my worst nightmare. At least I can enjoy being by the pool and on the beach with my kids, plus the hotel I've booked is specifically for families so kids clubs, entertainment etc is included. They also have a kids cinema and bowling alley too for something diff in the eve.
I've booked All Inclusive so that they can have I've cream and drinks on tap plus their breakfast lunch and dinner without extra expenditure.
I'm actually really looking forward to it now & hearing so many of you that have already done it talk so positively I'm sure il be okay!
Wish me luck on the flight though.. It's 4.5 hours eek!

OP posts:

SophieElmer · 10/01/2014 10:36

Butlins?? I'd rather stick pins in my eyes. However I used to feel the same about all inclusive, now I think they were invited solely for lone parents! This thread has inspired me to book our summer holiday. 5 nights max for me though at this stage (toddler). I'd need to book into the priory on my return if we went for any longer!

Original poster

Really1 · 10/01/2014 13:54

Lol Sophie! I could have written that post! My dc will be just 4 and just 2 when we go but a week worked out loads cheaper than 5 days so bit the bullet! X

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welshnat · 12/01/2014 14:54

I've been trying to pluck up the courage to take 2yo DS on holidays and this thread has done it for me! I'm going to start checking out prices for May

Can anyone recommend anywhere in Spain/Majorca/Ibiza which would be good for a non-stop 2 year old?

TortillasAndChocolate · 12/01/2014 22:57

This thread is great. I'm thinking about a holiday with my DS who is 3 this year and have been trying to think of who we could go with. Maybe I should just book somewhere for the two of us. I really fancy somewhere nice and sunny with a pool....

welshnat · 13/01/2014 07:44

Did anyone find it stressful with a toddler by the swimming pool? I'm really worried that I won't be able to relax for 2 minutes!

Original poster

Really1 · 13/01/2014 19:17

I'm wondering how il get on with two by the pool on my own too but the hotel I've chosen has two "splash pools" as well as swimming pools so I'd imagine I will be sitting in those trying to "relax" while the kids play!
I'm going in the mindset that I probably won't be doing much relaxing until the kids are in bed (and I'm on the balcony with my book, iPad & glass of vino) and if I do get 5 mins of chilling its a bonus!

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PollyIndia · 14/01/2014 08:17

Currently in goa with 15 month old. With 2 friends though so not totally alone, though they don't help much with DS as they are both big into sunbathing. They are also child free so really don't get some aspects of parenting, like the fact that kids need to eat regularly!! The flight out was hard work, though he slept the whole way, but we went via Mumbai so it was long with lots of different components. It took him 5 days to get into his stride with the heat and food but he's had a whale of a time since. He naps twice a day so that's when I read and sunbathe, then inbetweeen we play on the beach and in the sea.
It is fairly relentless doing it on your own, but he has loved meeting all these different people and it's been great for his social skills and confidence, though of course he won't remember any of it!
I put him to bed in the pushchair so I can go out for dinner and that's worked well. Though I am quite looking forward to getting home and back to work for a break!!
Anyway, it has been a good experience in terms of figuring out how best to travel with him in the future. I definitely will do more travelling with him, depending on finances. Of course next time, I will have to pay for a full plane seat for him :(
Ps I think I would find it much less relaxing by a pool. On a beach, there aren't really any hazards, so you can let them run off to a certain extent. It also exhausts them, which means they sleep well!

polarbear4321 · 14/01/2014 19:23

me and my eldest (16) and my lad (5) went to ibiza last summer and had a great time! mum kindly had the twins:) was quite scary on booking and thinking oh god i will be on my own with the kids but turns out we had the most fantastic time and isnt such a scary thing as you might think, we went all inclusive to a hotel with lots of entertainment and a kids club:) so had time to chill by the pool, and chatted to loads of other families that had made frineds with the kids...the only thing i worried about was relying on myself to get us all up and out early for the flight home haha as that nice spanish wine went down a treat:)

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