HOLIDAYS

[mummylou85]

Ok this is a priority but just sorting my finances for when I move. I realised my 3 year old have never had a holiday. with soon running a house I can't see holiday ever happening until i'm back at work and earning loads. she has had days out but thats not the same. how does everyone feel about holidays? are the others that feel their child will be resentful to me for not having one or be unhappy or left out. sorry I worry about everything but if in school teachers talk about holiday and my daughter wont have a clue i will feel awful I hope she don't look back at her childhood and not being fulfilled. are day trips enough? I think clothes/food.bills are more important but why do I feel a bad mother LOL sorry x

hi, sorry I'm not actually a LP so i'll probably get hounded off this thread but I just really wanted to reassure you that not having a holiday won't damage your kids!!!!! Many years we've not had a holiday.

Anyway, I know you're upset and yes, when they start school, they do talk about where they spent the summer.

Ideas for cheap holidays

Butlins
Camping with a friend and her kids, sharing the tent and all espenses etc
Cheapie Sun holidays at Haven
Term time holidays
PGL holidays

Also, one year when we I was a kid we had a "holiday at home". Everyday we went to the Lido and took a picnic and stayed all day and those and my happiest childhood memories, funnily enough.

I take mine for a week at easter and a week at october if I can. PIL might have them away for a long weekend int he caravan and kids love that.

I tend to do cheap deals in static caravans in the UK. Book dierct with independeant parks and it can be very cheap. Hoseasons are good for caravan parks.

What about camping in the house, make up beds on the floor and make some camp style food like stovies or beans.

What about some free days out like hill walking or local free museums.

Or explore your local area and be tourists in your home town for a change.

That is what kids will remember in years to come and write about intheir diaries at school.

I love going to the local river and spening an hour or so chucking rocks in games that DD makes up.

Go for the Sn £9.50 holidays or the daily mail (hides) are currently doing £4.50 pppmnight hols with Siblu abroad. Hoseasons are quite expensive - I used to work with them. You could contact loads of camping tour operators last minute and see what you can get. I took my family to Duinrell in Holland a couple of eyars ago in the October half term in a mobile home for £115!!!! That included the ferry! Or go UK - see wbaout house swaps if you could handle that. Good luck! I got into the tesco clubcard deals and have had 2 free hols a year for the last 6 years so if you ahve lots of tesco voucehrs use them.

I think holidays are important for you, it gets you away from the drugery and is something to look forward to.

YHA do some good deals and I think mango do some single parent holidays at YHA.

I found static caravan holidyas the most expensisve and the most awkward of all, lots of families and grandparents and going to the club house I just took a book and read at the side.

I like camping under canvas better in france, lots of other children for mine to play with and a swimming pool. So you can just stay by the pool and chill out without having to spend lots of money.

thank you. I'm probably overacting but you have some great ideas that once i'm settled will look into. I have seen those £9.50 ones but I don't drive so be hard to get there. I do fancy butlins but will have to look for cheapest deal thank you.x

Is there a single friend you can go with a split the cost? Sometimes you can get a free child place with 2 adults so if you have another single parent friend who's in the same boat then you only need to pay for half a child and you IYSWIM, they pay for the other half. You don't have to hang around with them all the time and you will have some company in the evenings.

thank you but no i'm only one to have had a baby out of all my friends but it is a good tip. due to me moving I think we be on day trips this year and maybe save holiday for next year x

You can always catch the train to the seaside and stay in a B&B overnight, I did this, it was cheap and ds loved the sand. To be honest, he was 3 when I took him and he doesn't remember.

i just got a top of the range luxury caraven at havens with all entertainment including 3 bed. for £207. taking my mum. so i'm getting a holiday in june for £103.5 for me and dc all in. all we need to pay for is food. as its self catering we're just paying same as i would for food as i do if not on holiday.

Hi Mummylou,

Have you tried camping or hostels? I run a holiday club for single parents and our holidays have started at £9 per night (a Christmas holiday) and our camping weekends are fantastic, everyone chips in to help and there's nothing better than toasting marshmallows around a large campfire as the sun sets over the sea. Our next camping trip is at Shell Island, a beautiful location off the coast of North Wales and we're likely to have a group of over 150 single parents and children (we had 80 last year and they're all coming back!). Details are all at www.SingleWithKids.co.uk

Failing that, the Sun holidays can be great value if you don't add on extras. Remember, you don't need luxury for a happy holiday, just a change of scenery and lots of time with mum (or dad) will be the perfect ingredients!

Chrissie x