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Being a single parent and going on holiday.. Who do you go with?

17 replies

mummyof2byapril · 04/03/2010 14:09

So I'm in for a life of beinga single mum to 2 kids (second due next month) I have NO plans to get a man.
In future though, I'd love to be able to take kids to disney land etc and treat them.

But doesn't it sound a bit sad being the only adult going.

How do you other single parents do this?
Do you go with extended family?
What if extended family stress you out?

Are there any special types of holidays for us single parents? lol
Where we can meet up with others?

How do YOU holiday?

OP posts:
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Swan78 · 04/03/2010 17:07

I don't think being the only adult is sad. I took my DD to Disneyland Paris and we had a lovely time.
The downside to holidaying as a single parent is you often have to pay the same price as two adults would. When I took my DD to Turkey for a friends wedding, I had to pay an adult price for my DD while my married friends got free child places!
If you do go to Disneyland, book directly with Disney as they wont charge a two adult price.
Maybe you could join a gingerbread group and meet other single parents, then discuss going on holiday with them.

IvanaPavlov · 04/03/2010 20:15

My eldest has ASD so I end up going with my parents and feeling like a burden

Not sure what the answer is - I can't cope with my two on my own (not with the demands of the eldest) so I have to have the support. Mum now has cancer so feel even more of a burden. I end up dreading holidays...

LadyBiscuit · 04/03/2010 20:19

There are single parent holidays - a company called Mango does them and there is another one too but I can't remember the name of it. Gingerbread should help. We either go away with my siblings and their kids or my friends and their kids. That means that I am the only single parent there but I have been friends with the husbands for years so I don't feel out of it really.

I have been wondering about going to Disneyland soon - it's more the logistics of going away on my own with 2 kids that bothers me rather than being lonely

Tortoise · 04/03/2010 20:24

Single with kids do good single parent holidays, days out etc. Never been one near enough to me but they look good.

I take my 4 on holiday on my own. SO far only UK caravan breaks but they are happy with that and it is cheap enough to just about afford!! We go by train because i don't drive. I do find it a bit lonely when they are off playing and i am sat alone watching them but overall we have a good time.

exexpat · 04/03/2010 20:33

Single (widowed) parent for three and half years, with two DCs here. I've done a lot of travelling with kids both before and after my husband died, and don't find it a problem, but it does depend where and what you are doing, and how old the children are. We go and stay with friends a lot, or sometimes do short (less than a week) city or seaside breaks just the three of us.

I tend to go on a main summer holiday for a couple of weeks with my sister and her family - we get on well and she has two DCs closish to my two in age, so it works well and means I am not stuck on my own in the evenings. If you don't have family or friends you get on well enough to do that with, it might be worth looking into some of the single-parent specialist companies. I have also heard good things (for older kids) about things like PGL family activity holidays - there are always other kids and adults around to do the activities with.

Disneyland (and other theme parks) have a specific problem for one parent with two small children because of age limits for which rides small children can go on, accompanied or unaccompanied. If your older DC wants to go on a ride, but the little one is too young, or if rides have two-at-a-time seating, and the older one is too young to go by him/herself, then you are stuck. So I wouldn't recommend somewhere like Disney by yourself - better to go with friends or family until the DCs are much older.

Megletwantsittobesummer · 06/03/2010 14:01

We're off to cornwall this summer and Dad, stepmum and sister are coming with us . I thought I could manage on my own but had second thoughts when I imagined supervising 2 pre-schoolers on the beach on my own .

I might brave the Eden project on my own with the dc's though, surely it can't be that hard?!

FourArms · 07/03/2010 09:25

Sorry, bit OT to original thread, but Meglet I take my two to Eden by myself all the time (live nearby), and it's fine.

maristella · 07/03/2010 19:18

we don't get away as much as we'd like, is my initial response to the OP!!
if i had the money i would go to a resort where there are lots of activities.
on our last holiday though i did grind my teeth down to stumps by the end of it as it's quite full on being away from the usual distractions, as in i couldnt hide away watching soaps and talked about playstation games all bloomin week!

mumtobonnyweeprince · 19/05/2010 00:05

Hi i am looking at prices to visit disneyland paris in october with my son he is 5 years old will be six the following month. I too have reservations about going alone with him. Im terrible with directions for a start and will most probably get lost in the airport and miss the transfer what doesnt help is if i am the only responsible adult there i have a tendacy to panic in these kind of situations which only makes matters worse usually if there is another adult there two minds are better than one and you can bounce ideas and suggestions off of one another. Also i am a massive kid at heart and will be sad if i cant ride the big attractions because my son is too young and obviously i wouldnt leave him standing alone but it would feel more like a holiday to me if i could do the things i wanted as well (hope that doesn't sound selfish i just want our first trip to DLP to be a holiday to remember where we both loved it that much we would talk about it for years to come) if someone else was there i would quite happily ride on my own while they looked after my son on rides and vice versa and i most probably wouldnt get lost in the airport lol I suppose its just one or two of the downsides of being a single parent..........plus side.......... i get my son all to myself for the holiday and if i do get lost and even if i dont get to ride the big rides i wont mind i know it will still be a holiday to remember and laugh about in years because it will be the one when we got lost in the airport

MollieO · 19/05/2010 00:12

I only have one ds but I am to do holidays that I would have done in my pre-child days with added child friendly bits thrown in. He is 5 so travelling is getting easier. First time travelling on my own with him was when he was two and we went to South Africa. I plan more than I would before I had a child but other than that it is pretty similar.

mumtobonnyweeprince · 19/05/2010 00:41

mollieo i used to go on girlie hols pre child days never went alone as didnt have the confidence. im not shy or retiring i can talk to almost anyone unless in a forgien language and thats not because im ignorant its because im terrible at trying to learn it tried french and spanish failed miserably at both lol but i agree things get better when your child reaches the age of five they are at school and start to listen........ you have tried to get them to listen for five years but it doesnt sink in till mrs blah their teacher teaches them then its like that light switch thats always been there is suddenly pulled and they are like different wee people lol well my experience not everyones.
I agree you definately have to plan more the spontanious factor has well and truly left the building

DutchGirly · 19/05/2010 12:11

I am going on a Neilson activity holiday this Saturday, there is a great kids club and apparently there are quite a few lone parents out there.

I will let you know how it all planned out.

toccatanfudge · 19/05/2010 12:17

2 yrs ago I went with a friend for a week in Great Yarmouth with her DS as well.

This year I'm spending 2 weeks in Edinburgh with the 3 DS's on my own (well not officialy on my own I'm staying with my brother but it's a "base" rather than going to see him - as it's free), then a week in Liverpool (totally on my own).

Am really looking forward to it - we had a night away in London over the last holiday and had a ball.

gillybean2 · 19/05/2010 13:38

Travelling on your own can be tiring but it's great too. My ds (11) tells me some of the best times we've had have been on holiday, especially those that are just us.

I highly recommend PGL, though you're two will be too young for a while. There were several single parents as well as two parent familys, and one group had brought grandparents too! Do loko at their familt holiays when your two are old enough to go.

Have done mango (in the UK). Was great fun, my ds loved it, but can be rather pricey. You are paying for the company of other adults and friends for your dc's at the end of the day. I would do it again but I can't afford their foreign destination prices.

Centre parcs is another great place for a few days away. Might be more tricky with two young ones on your own, but they have creche facilities and babysitters so you may want to wait till their a little older and perhaps do some swimming activities with one while other in creche for example, then swap.

My sister told me it would be her idea of hell when I suggested we go away on holiday together, even when I offered to pay for us all. She also tells me that she wants to spend time with her husband and kids alone, despite me offering to babysit so they could have time in the evenings together etc. I don't bother asking her any more needless to say.

It is tough on your own, but it's also great fun. You just have to plan.

ps don't necessarily think package when you go away, single adult with dc are way to expensive on a package usually. When we went to New Zealand and California (which I did a few times when ds was younger) I always book everything separately. Hotels in USA are charged at a room rate regarless of how many in there, so no single person suppliment if you book yourself!

MollieO · 19/05/2010 14:11

I agree about avoiding packages. I wanted to go to Barbados when ds was 2 but the cost was the same for the two of us as it would have been for two adults and one child. Ended up booking a house there instead and had a fab time.

I find it easier travelling with ds now he is a bit older. He is very chatty and talks to anyone. It means I end up talking to people too in circumstances where I probably would have not had anything to say (am very shy).

swallowedAfly · 21/05/2010 20:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

northlondonmumma · 22/05/2010 20:27

hi there
i thought exactly the same when i split with my exp.
however now a year down the line i have had the best holidays by myself with my kids since a long time.
Holidays with my exp were always paid by me as he was pretty useless with money and ended up with me feeling resentful as we were somewhere lovely and sunny and i was getting no support from him with kids and he was disappearing off with random people he had met to go waterskiing and get drunk.
Now i holiday in the UK, cuts down on stress of travelling as my ds are 1 and 3. We have the best time as i get to pick the holiday - farms, adventure parks for long weekend and other kid friendly venues.
There are loads of single parent holiday companies (just to a google search or look at name some of people above have posted) and nice to meet other single parents and have a glass of wine in the evening whilst kids asleep and so some company as well as someone to chat to whilst kids playing with each other. Plus to be honest I find other women much more supportive than my ex so ironically its easier for me going away by myself these days.
I find that shorter holidays work for me with kids being so little and they really appreciate 4 days away somewhere in the UK and really wouldnt appreciate a 2 week trip to the carribean (plus imagine all the clothes you'd have to bring!
Anyway sorry to ramble but i think there are laods of us in the same boat.
I had a rough time with my exp and one of thing I love about my new life is planning little holidays with their kids, packing our bags and having a great time. Its magical seeing their delight at their first bucket and spade holiday or excitement at packing their first mini suitcase.

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