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Original poster

Holidays with very small children

63 replies

ohthegoats · 01/07/2015 09:40

Are they ever really fun or relaxing for the parents?

OK, my baby is currently only 8 months, but we're trying to look at options for the summer holidays, and it's all sounding stressful and dreadful.

I'm thinking that a more expensive 'beach' holiday like Mark Warner, that involves some part with childcare clubs will actually be the best all round. Kiddy club in the mornings, they make little friends, parents have some time off to do stuff that actually makes a holiday, then you have family time in the afternoon by a pool where there's no sand to eat and lots of shade, eat together, then parents spend time together in the evening on their balcony - drinking wine and reading/chatting/whatever.

Or am I being a dullard?

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zzzzz · 03/07/2015 00:15

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mutley77 · 03/07/2015 00:17

None of mine have been that easy at 8 months but yes we have generally gone the relaxing hotel with childcare option.

The one time we went in the UK the weather was average, I shopped in Tesco, I had to cook and tidy up myself (self catering), and it didn't feel like a holiday at all.

ClaireFontaine · 03/07/2015 06:28

Babies are easier!?!? No way my DS is so much easier now he's 3. Still not easy of course but definitely easier. We just got back from a long haul and 8mo DD was up most nights every couple of hours for up to four hours at a time (she's not a great sleeper at home anyway). On the plane DS slept, watched some movies, did some colouring. When we were there was excited by the adventure of it all. He definitely wouldn't have been like that as a baby!

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Artandco · 03/07/2015 07:10

Claire - it depends on the child. Mine have been fine at both ages tbh but in different ways.
With a baby I would just put them in a sling and do whole trip as before baby. Baby would breastfeed, and nap in sling as needed
With 3 year old we did trips as before but have to remember to slow down to their pace, more ice cream stops, allowing time they can nap somewhere etc

Artandco · 03/07/2015 07:13

Oh and on planes sure now they draw/ watch films. But they can't sleep as comfy on plane chair and ask 101 questions every 2 seconds.
With a baby I would just have on my lap in sling hands free, they would feed or sleep. I would read in piece with a glass of wine

ClaireFontaine · 03/07/2015 07:37

Yes agree of coursedepends on the baby/child. My baby certainly wouldn't sleep on plane and I spent six of the eight hours walking up and down the plane with her in the sling.

Also depends on the parent I guess. I have a lot less patience for the arduous task of getting a (difficult) baby to sleep. Whereas I mostly don't mind all the questions, the general annoying elements of older children. I've always found it mad when people say they miss the baby stage whereas others think I'm nuts for wishing it away.

ClaireFontaine · 03/07/2015 07:38

Also would an 8mo just feed and sleep? Mine wants to walk (stumble) around everywhere and be constantly entertained!

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 03/07/2015 07:44

We have a 3 1/2yo and an 8mo and the only holidays weve done with them are winter scotland self catering weeks.

This week has reinforced why - warm claggy heat does not suit us or the kids. Pool or no pool.

We will do a Sun Holiday eventually, but when they can get themselves in and out of the pools.

HeadDreamer · 03/07/2015 07:49

With a 6mo I just put them in the bassinet on the plane. Slept perfectly through long flights. Wouldn't work For an 8mo who can push themselves up to sitting though.

HeadDreamer · 03/07/2015 07:51

And they handle hot weather just fine. DD1 have been to Singapore and Malaysia. She coped. There are babies in those countries too. DD2 went to Hong Kong in March. One week of 30c and she didn't complain either.

BigFoxLittleFox · 03/07/2015 07:57

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Original poster

ohthegoats · 03/07/2015 08:16

We have a proper back pack baby carrier and have done some 5+ hour walks with her, she's been fine.

This year the UK holiday is more about money than anything else! And yes I HATE the self catering thing - mostly because I end up doing all the washing up (boyfriend is the cook in our house).. I tried to get us away to a hotel earlier in the year, but it just didn't work out the right way.

Plans for next year look better, even it involves huge ££££. Got time to save.

OP posts:

BoysRule · 03/07/2015 08:29

We went on holiday with DS when he was 8 months. We had a two bed villa in Portugal with a swimming pool and a short walk from the beach. It was bliss. He wasn't crawling so we made a playpen in the shade on our balcony with his toys (tbh he was happy playing with my flip flops at that age!). We managed to read our books. He napped three times a day so we took it in turns to go for a swim. When he had his lunch time nap we had our lunch on the balcony with a bottle of beer, followed by a siesta.

Enjoy it!

Graceymac · 03/07/2015 08:40

I have taken all three of my children on holiday in Europe as babies. We just came back from Greece with my now 3, 5 & 6yr old dds (I don't live in UK so no fine for missing school). We rented a villa in a small picturesque village that was literally on the beach, it was so easy. The kids pottered around all day and we would eat out in the restaurants, the kids could run around on the beach in front of us when they had finished. I am not a fan of big hotels, I don't like the feeling of being stuck with a lot of strangers by a pool/hotel restaurant for 2 wks. I like the privacy of having a villa and the convenience of a fully equips kitchen and somewhere to sit in the evening when the children are asleep.

farfallarocks · 03/07/2015 08:46

We have always travelled with DD in fact I am worried she is spoilt, at 2 she has been to Oman, St Lucia, Antigua and a lot of European countries.

At 8 months they still sleep a lot, twice a day? So if the baby will sleep in a pram in the shade you will get plenty of down time and a kids club will probably be unnecessary.
For me the key was always to have a balcony or area where I could relax and read my book while she slept/have a glass a wine with dh. We also try and get a 2 bedroom room or family room as she sleeps terribly in the room with us (and no nookie!).

You really don't have to put yourself through a kid friendly hotel yet (if at all!)

LittleLionMansMummy · 03/07/2015 09:56

We've had some lovely family holidays since ds was 9 months. Not 'relaxing' and of course there were some challenges, but we have great memories. The key was to involve the grandparents! We went away with my mum and dad for the first couple of years and in the third we went away on our own but stayed down the coast from my parents and sister/ bil (south of France). Mum and dad helped entertain ds on trips out in the car and babysat for a couple of evenings while we went out for a meal. And when ds went to bed we all had a few glasses of wine and let our hair down! It also had the benefit that my mum would literally jump at the chance to respond to ds in the mornings (and even lay awake listening out for him) giving us a lie in! Does kind of depend on having fun, engaging grandparents though...

NotCitrus · 03/07/2015 10:49

When our boys were just crawling/toddling we called Cottages4U (get work discount) and asked where to go. They said get an enclosed garden and otherwise wherever you want. Got lovely house in Ventnor and they spent the time in the small but we'll-enclosed courtyard, and up and down carpeted stairs - nothing they could really destroy - while we relaxed in the lounge. With lots of wine and deli food...

Shootingstarsandcomets · 03/07/2015 13:12

It's so easy! We have two boys, ds1 was 9 months when we took him to Italy then we went to South of France when he was 1, also a dream and I was 36 weeks pregnant when we flew home! Then when ds1 was 20 months and ds2 was 7 months we took them to Spain and this year we have just come back from Italy they are 34 months and 20 months now. Sure you don't lie in the sun much but it's still very easy to get away.

Writerwannabe83 · 03/07/2015 19:47

Me and DH went to Turkey earlier this year for two weeks with our 13 month old son and it was utterly exhausting. It was definitely not a holiday for me and DH.

We had originally planned on going on holiday again at the end of this month but we've changed our minds because we just can't face it

ch1134 · 04/07/2015 07:30

It depends on your attitude. Personally I love babies on the beach... eating sand, swimming in the sea. Of course I don't get to read my book, but I'd rather hang out with my child on holiday than do anything else. I couldn't put them into childcare abroad with people I didn't know and they didn't know. That wouldn't be relaxing.

Enjoyingmycoffee1981 · 04/07/2015 08:04

A relaxing holiday with young children IS possible. You do have to throw money at the problem though.

We went to Sani last year. Ten days later and best part of £6k later, Dh and I felt like we had had a wonderful and relaxing holiday, and our children (1 and 3) had an absolute blast. It was perfect but eye watering my expensive

Enjoyingmycoffee1981 · 04/07/2015 08:06

Notcitrus.... was that a genuinely enjoyable holiday? A small courtyard and a flight of stairs for entertainment doesn't sound ideal.

gamerwidow · 04/07/2015 08:19

It depends on the child.dd never slept well away from home so we always ended up awake all night and exhausted if we went away with her when she was small. We had our first good holiday with her last year when she was 4. We went AI in Majorca and while it isn't what I would have chosen pre dc she had a blast playing in the pool and watching the entertainers at the kids disco.
I always thought I wouldn't use kids clubs because I didn't like the idea of dumping your kids somewhere instead of enjoying time with them. In the end dd pleaded so much to be allowed to go after seeing all the other children having so much fun that I relented and let her have a few sessions which she loved and gave me some down time.

ApplesTheHare · 04/07/2015 08:19

From reading some of these it looks like mindset and expectations (on the part of the parents) are the deciding factors. Though I guess that's true for lots of things

RiverTam · 04/07/2015 08:41

You don't have to throw money at it! What an odd thing to say. We've never spent more than £1000 on holiday ( and that's this year in peak season), but that's because we find hanging out in a lovely cottage, pottering about beaches, rivers, woods and castles, going to the odd pub late afternoon and drinking wine in the garden when DD in bed relaxing.

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