Shirl Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 We love proper family holidays too. We've just come back from 4 days in Euro Disney which is not my idea of fun but when the LOs enjoy it some how you just seem to have a great time too. We're off to Sandy Balls in May, Italy in June and Derbyshire the beginning of September. We aren't interested in kids clubs but we do like a good pool because the Oh and DDs love swimming and I get a rare chance to read a book whilst they are swimming. Bliss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich & Ange Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I agree completely, we work so hard through the week that at the weekend we try to spend as much time as possible with the kids. We don't holiday often, but when we do the only time they are looked after by anyone else is if it is family who have come with us, and it will usually only be once in a fortnight. We love spending time with our kids, even our moody twelve year old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 We've always done self catering eat out as a special treat hols, mostly in the UK, and occasionally France. (A friend has the most beautiful house in Brittany). Him Indoors is funny about food and will only eat about 5 things I blame his mother. He should have had that slapped out of him before he was 5..... Too late now.....I digress.... We never dumped the children when on holiday.....what is the point of having them if you don't want to be with them....even though you could cheerfully throttle them occasionally. One of the best hols we ever had was In a caravan in Cornwall ( I love Cornwall) My sister and her family and my Dad came too. We had adjascent caravans. Our collective children were aged between 6 and 15 and they all got on spectacularly well. As Him Indoors only ever saw the children if their heads were on pillows and their eyes shut when they were little, it was very exciting for them to spend time with Daddy.....and give them a chance to develop a relationship with him........so for us hols with the children were massively important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 We went to Barton Hall for a great family holiday when it was part of the 3D active families group. It has been taken over by PGL now. http://www.pgl.co.uk/PGLWeb/Families/centres/BartonHall.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 I also totally agree with the OP. WHen we took our nearly 2 and 3 year old (a while back) to Greece we choose the hotel WITHOUT kids club/entertainment and also hired a car...looking back not the most environmental option, but it was great to go off ourselves to our hotel without waiting for the coach with the other sheep (sorry people!) Going on a package deal was the cheapest way back then as we got our youngest free on the plane as she shared our seat, and our 3 year old got a free child place; the staff at the hotel were worried we weren't enjoying the holiday as there wasn't a kid's club!!! We had the most amazing time exploring the island (at our own leisure). I think we are both too independant to be organised by the likes of tour reps...we like to explore and do our own thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 We did once have a lovely holiday in Gran Canaria in a hotel and villa complex with kids club facilities. We only had Oldest son at the time and I thought it would be good for him to have some other children to play with. When we went to explore the 'childrens facilities' there was a large video and games room full of children, but no adult in sight. He watched a video for half an hour while Dad and I sat outside waiting for him. It seemed like a waste of a holiday to be honest, so we didn't go back, and he didn't miss it. We were too disorganised to book him into any of the planned activities, we just decided what to do on the day. He's always joined us in everything, and at 16 is now really good company (he's going away this afternoon for a week and I'm really going to miss him ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Him Indoors is funny about food and will only eat about 5 things I blame his mother. He should have had that slapped out of him before he was 5..... Too late now..... Oh, I don't know . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 On the flip side - James is an only child, as was I and those clubs are BRILLIANT for them to have the opportunity to play with other children rather than with adults all the time. When we take James on a cruise we tend to spend the mornings with him - go swimming etc although last time there was a big group of kids just playing in the pool together and all the adults ended up just sitting talking to each other. For lunch we will take him to the "cafeteria" on sea days and the posh restaurant on shore days (there are a lot less people in the restaurant on a shore day so you get served quicker and he doesn't get bored by a long dinner - he can act up when bored). In the afternoon he asks to go to the nursery - he's really looking forward to the QM2 as they have a HUGE one and even a splash pool on the kids deck. Then we spend the evening with him, take him to dinner (at an appropriate time for him - he is used to eating at 5pm) then he helps us to get ready for our night. He might come and have cocktail with us before going up to the nursery (usually in his jammies!) where they play for an hour then chill in front of a DVD - he is ALWAYS the first one asleep so we pick him up and buggy him back to the room (of course this year he is too big for a buggy, we are worried about that). We go off to an 8pm dinner and usually leave the dining room at about 10pm - imagine how awful that would be for a 5 year old. We have also taken him to caravan parks, butlins, pontins etc but we find them more of a chore than a holiday. We spend all day together trying to find things to do to amuse James, we eat at 5pm with him then try and keep him awake long enough to enjoy the "kids" part of the evening entertainment - which finishes long after he is ready for bed and cranky. Then we watch telly and read until its time to go to bed as neither me or Mum wants to enjoy the "entertainment" that is on offer alone (or TBH together!). I don't think he has more fun on these holidays, they are boring when you don't play with other kids - I remember that from my childhood! Of course next Xmas we are going to take him to Disneyland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Of course next Xmas we are going to take him to Disneyland. wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Well our family have effectively "dropped" us and Christmas is very boring when its just the three of us as per any Sunday that we thought it best to do something exciting. Mind you we are gonna have the same problem of needing to eat at 5pm and going to bed before 8! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Well our family have effectively "dropped" us and Christmas is very boring when its just the three of us as per any Sunday that we thought it best to do something exciting. Mind you we are gonna have the same problem of needing to eat at 5pm and going to bed before 8! I agree, when you have an only child, sometimes you do need to make use of the kids club facilities - I remember how hard it is trying to entertain one child on his own. Two children are twice as much trouble, but they don't half keep each other entertained!! But my James used to be quite good at camping. We'd pitch up and he'd trot off to the playground "just going to find some friends". One holiday in my Dads camper van we never spent more than a couple of nights at each site, once he'd got the hang of it, he was never short of a little gang to run round with! And I know what you mean about the early tea and bed. To be honest, the last few times we've been away, we've just given in to it, eaten with the children at 5 and all been tucked up in bed by 8pm! It's a bit of a shock to the system when you used to going to bed around midnight But at least it's a refreshing holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Not for us. We just came back from Euro Disney and as we were in a hotel we went to bed at 8pm every night with the LOs. The problem is we woke up at about 3am and couldn't get back to sleep. We always eat at about 5pm with the LOs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 (edited) I don't like holidays. I think it's really wierd. People from place A go to place B for their holidays. Meanwhile people from place B go to place C. And folk from C to to A. Or something like that. It's all a plot to sell more petrol and make people spend money. Save the planet and stay at home for your holidays. You might even like it. Her indoors likes holidays - and when I moan (which is quite a lot - yes, I know you find that hard to believe) she gives me a load of earache about wanting a break from cooking and washing etc. A load of my eye but there you go. So occasionally we compromise and go somewhere. We went to Wales earlier this year - should keep her happy for the rest of the year. It was OK. Very Welsh and a long way away. But it was good coming home. I'm looking forward to the time when there is so much tax on fuel, and airplanes and roads and stuff, that I can legitimately say that I can't afford to go anywhere. Then no-one will come here either and the roads will be empty and it will all be nice and peaceful and we will all be happy with what we have got. And I won't have a load of 4X4x4X4's (thats those very big behemoths that are driven by very little women who can't see over the steering wheels and park in the middle of the road and walk to the kerb) blocking the entrance to my drive. and their yellow retrievery dogs that slobber and do what they are told (unlike proper terrier dogs that don't slobber and don't do what they are told). I've got loads of holidays to take from work, and only two weeks left to take it in. And I have been trying to hide it from her indoors but my PA told her that I'd got weeks and weeks of untaken holiday. And now she's sulking 'cos I will lose it becos it isn't taken (my PA isn't sulking - she thinks its funny and that I should sell my leave intitlement on ebay 'cos I never use it). And I have to try to hide next years as well, or I'll have to go to Wales again. Nothing wrong with Wales but it is away from home. Holidays. Invention of the devil. What was wrong with the days when people worked 7 days a week and only got Sundays off for good behaviour. Grump. And I've got to have a long weekend next week 'cos its Easter. Rats Edited March 16, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 We always camp - Layla is an only child and after a bit of an anti-social start to life (possibly because of her speech problems, now sorted) she has just started to enjoy seeking out new friends on site. Previously she always got sought out but did not want to play We love it because children can play quite safely on the sites we go to and it gives her a taste of independence which she can't have at home. She loves pottering about around the site and it usually takes us ages to get going in the mornings. Also L is not one for organised activities but is happy to spend hours on a beach - whatever the weather. Fortunately we love playing with her - and she is growing up so quickly and probably won't want to spend so much time with us soon so we try and make the most of this time we have now, so its no to kids clubs for us. Because we have our camper can we can easily squeeze in an extra child so we are going to try out taking a friend away one weekend this year - L is very excited about that! Now what was the original point again? Just going back to read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Ah yes, Ziggy, got a bit distracted by Richard then, but what I wanted to say was that there are specialist companies that do 'adventure' type hols for families (I recently read about one in Morocco but can't remember the name of the company). I quite fancy something like that - but it depends on your budget and the age of your children as well as whether you are up for adventures. But I suppose there are other options that allow the family to 'play together' in other ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 I don't ike holidays. Thanks for that Richard It's always good to hear Victor Meldrew's side of the argument (even if it is the only one ) Keep taking the happy pills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 I don't ike holidays. Thanks for that Richard It's always good to hear Victor Meldrew's side of the argument (even if it is the only one ) Keep taking the happy pills Glad to see I'm appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted March 17, 2008 Author Share Posted March 17, 2008 Ah yes, Ziggy, got a bit distracted by Richard then, but what I wanted to say was that there are specialist companies that do 'adventure' type hols for families (I recently read about one in Morocco but can't remember the name of the company). I quite fancy something like that - but it depends on your budget and the age of your children as well as whether you are up for adventures. But I suppose there are other options that allow the family to 'play together' in other ways. Those do sound lovely don't they... I have been looking at them recently, but I think I will wait until DD4 is a little older... she's still only 19 months, and wouldn't manage to join in much of the fun bits of those holidays, and as usual I'd find myself standing somewhere holding her while her dad and sisters have all the fun!!! But I do like the sound of those and will definitely look into them again... Richard , for every thing there has to be an opposite... I love holidays... and I wouldn't stop travelling for the world... Come to think of it, I mean that quite literally... I live with a DH who works abroad a lot, and the things I see him and his colleagues and clients do for meetings are amazing... like fly people from the UK and the US to China for a two hours meeting... I love travelling. My family lives abroad. My best friend lives on the other side of the planet. And I just love the feeling of seeing a new country, and certainly wouldn't consider refusing to fly just for saving the planet, when every single morning Heathrow is full of people in black suit flying in every direction for things they could easily do on video conference... I have this strong opinion that the world is a beautiful place full of amazing people and it's everybody's right to see and enjoy it. Whether companies really have a right to damage the planet just because the client in Beijing or Singapore likes a face to face meeting rather than phone and video calls, I'm not so sure... DH has been known to fly to meetings that then got cancelled once he was there... but of course if I say anything, the answer is 'it's business, it's important'... yeah sure, every meeting attended by every businessman every day in this world is truly life changing for humanity!! OK, rant over... I rant a lot at the moment... If DH sees this, I'll be court martialled for high treason... He's heard this rant often, but I don't usually publicise it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 [Richard , for every thing there has to be an opposite... I love holidays... and I wouldn't stop travelling for the world... I have this strong opinion that the world is a beautiful place full of amazing people and it's everybody's right to see and enjoy it. ... I'm sorry but I really can't just not reply to that. and, as you might imagine, I strongly disagree. I believe, like you, that the world is a beautiful place full of amazing people. That's where I stop. I believe that those people have a right to live in thier beautiful places without an influx of rubbernecking tourists. I believe that they have a right to work in those places, and exist, without the disrupting influence that tourism brings - big hotels, global shops, airports etc. I don't believe that the influx of money to these places is worth the destruction that tourism brings. And above all I believe that this beautiful world full of amazing people has a right to exist for as long as possible - and not be hastened to an early demise because people fly and drive all over the place to tick off places on their 'I've been there' lists. this world is an incredibly different place to the one I was born into - it will change just as much again in the twenty or thirty years I have left to live (if I'm lucky). It probably won't last for my son's lifetime - and if it does thre won't be any more beautiful places - and that's our fault. Sorry - no humour in this post because I don't find this subject funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I should lie down in a dark room Richard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I kind of agree with Richard to a point I love where i live - that is why I live there and quite happily holiday at home most of the time Most people don't understand how I am happy to stay at home most iof the time those that have visited me may understand However I have lived in quite a few places and have friends dotted all over and like to see them from time to time which invariably involves travelling I am not bothered about foreign trips etc but there are a couple of places on my wish list but if I don't manage to get round to it the world won't end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I should lie down in a dark room Richard! We might all be in dark rooms before too long when we run short of energy, and what we do have is so expensive no-one can afford it. They'll be cold rooms too Oh no, I forgot, there's always the nuclear option. I'm not laughing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 There's also candles and bonfires Richard Some of us won't have rooms to lie down in soon anyway the way things are going in the money markets. Now where is that eglu for humans thread.... Perhaps we should just sell up and go off in our camper - that would be a great holiday. First stop Norfolk??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I rarely holiday abroad...but don't condemn those that do. Buying green beans that have been grown in Africa if far, far worse in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted March 17, 2008 Author Share Posted March 17, 2008 My point is most people who go on holiday to see the world and/or friends don't go every week or even every month... it's a once a year thing... A family travelling once a year doesn't harm the environment half as much as the businessmen I was referring to earlier who travel constantly, or as someone else just said, importing food that we don't need when we have local produce to feed us... Anyway... I was under the impression that my thread was about holidaying with kids, be it abroad or closer to home... Not about ranting against people who travel abroad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
