Share your questions around booking your first holiday with babies/toddler - £200 voucher to be won

[MaddyMumsnet]

Created for Mark Warner

Whether you're craving sunshine in breathtaking settings or seeking thrilling adventures, Mark Warner beach holidays offer enjoyable getaways, suitable for guests of all ages. Mark Warner understands that many of us feel overwhelmed with where to begin when it comes to planning and booking holidays with little ones.

Therefore, Nikki from Mark Warner is here to answer Mumsnetter’s questions!

• Nikki will be reading and answering your questions until the end of May.
• One lucky Mumsnet user will then win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice

Nikki will be back throughout the month to answer a selection of your questions.

About Nikki:
From the age of 16, Nikki has built a career around her two passions: childcare and travel. Taking her first Mark Warner job in 1992, Nikki worked in resort as a Nanny and then as a Childcare Manager. After almost a decade she made the switch to working in the London head office running the operational side of childcare across all resorts. With the job she’s had ever since, Nikki still gets to travel a lot and delivers some of the best kids holidays clubs around.
‘Even after all this time, without question the most satisfying part of my job is seeing how much confidence grows in children in just a week or two. Meeting and making new friends helps kids to really come out of their shells, but the chance to learn something like sailing that they’d probably never get to experience anywhere else is incredible. The transformation from the start of the week to the end of it is something you can’t help but smile about.’

About Mark Warner:
“Over the last 50 years Mark Warner has perfected the family holiday.
In our family-friendly beach resorts across Greece and Turkey our kids’ clubs are all about activity. Every child from 4 months old to 17 joins a club where they come first, led by qualified and energetic childcare professionals. Babies and toddlers enjoy home-from-home care, while children aged 3-17 learn to kayak, paddleboard, play tennis and so much more.
Holidays that give you a lifetime of memories - guaranteed.”

So whether you have a question on preparing for your travels, what activities/childcare are available to your family, or perhaps what accommodation to book with a newborn - post your question on this thread for expert Nikki to answer.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Our holidays are very much active beach resort holidays! There's plenty for everyone to do, watersports, cycling, tennis, fitness and childcare all on site and included in a Mark Warner summer holiday. No driving required!

Unfortunately not, however there are toddler pools and family-friendly pools at all of our resorts to swim in and your children's water confident will increase during the holiday.

We have many children that travel with us each year that have a variety of different needs. We will ask you to give us as much information as possible during the booking process and if required additional support can be provided in the form of 1:1 care. This 1:1 care is usually offered within their age appropriate club, however if required, an alternative 1:1 activity can be provided instead of a group activity. Afterwards, they'll rejoin the wider group with the continued support of their 1:1 leader. Many of our child care staff have SEN experience. You will need to book 1:1 support at time of booking.

We've been asked a similar question by @JacCharlton, hopefully my answer covers your questions too. There's a structured timetable of activities every week for every Club.

Yes, absolutely @Uksarahg. We have rooms suitable for all party types, so you could book a twin/double room for in-laws while you and the kids shared a family room or even a Suite for example. Our Travel Sales Specialists would be happy to talk you through the different room types to find the right ones for everybody in the party.

Transfer times vary from resort to resort with our shortest transfer being just 25 minutes door to door from Lemnos International Airport to Lemnos Beach Resort. Mark Warner staff greet everyone at the airport, then you'll be swiftly on your way on a Mark Warner coach direct to resort. All resort transfer times can be found on our FAQ page, or the resort pages under the 'Flights & Transfers' tab.

While there is no specific sleep club during the day that is staffed, if you booked a childcare club your children / babies would then be supervised.

For younger children you will need to provide nappies, wet wipes any creams and aqua nappies if required. All children will need a rucksack with a hat, suncream and waterproof shoes along with a refillable water bottle or cup. We will provide bottle sterilising facilities, microwave and full fat milk usually within a parents kitchen. There are highchairs and booster seats within our restaurants and potties and baby baths on request for the rooms. A full list of what you should bring can be found on our FAQ page under 'Childcare' https://www.markwarner.co.uk/faqs/

MIL - am I unreasonable?
So last year my SOs mother didn’t get us birthday presents-she couldn’t afford it. That’s fine and we don’t expect but her birthday is before ours and she took the gifts we bought.
Christmas and we got her and her partner lots - the SO got a book, I got some stuff that I hadn’t asked for…
This year my SOs sister got nothing for her birthday, apparently she’d forgotten her own daughter’s birthday. She does have a problem with drink but seriously?!?!
Her birthday is next month, now do we get her something? I really don’t feel like we should or AIBU?

How do you persuade shy kids when it comes to holiday kids clubs? I love the sound of these holidays but my five year old would need a bit of encouragement.

What other activities are there for children outside of the kids clubs please?

Do you get many young teens joining in and if so how many would you roughly have to a group? My 2 are not particularly extroverted and would take a while to warm to the idea, but I think an activity based holiday would be brilliant to get them away from their phones!

What happens if there’s illness/injury during the kids clubs, do they have a way of contacting or finding the parent quickly? I always have trouble with my phone abroad!

How big are family rooms? I have a large-ish family and often find it difficult to get a room with enough beds and my teenagers aren't old enough to have their own room.

What do i give my 3 year old to help with ears popping?

@MaddyMumsnet have you drawn a winner please ?