Holidays are great, everyone loves a holiday right? Or do they? Are there some unfortunate souls in the world for whom a holiday is really not that much fun at all? People who aren’t able to spend their holidays relaxing on the beach or visiting interesting places? People for whom going on holiday is really just a case of same s***, different location? There are indeed people like that and those people are of course, parents. Let’s have a look at the reasons why holidays with kids really don’t meet the definition of the word “holiday” at all.
The Journey will be hell
Weather you are travelling by plane, train or automobile, the journey will involve being trapped in a small space with your children for an amount of time that will seem never to end. You will all start off excited. Then the boredom will kick in. “Are we nearly there yet” will be shouted every 3 minutes. You will be forced to put on nursery rhymes or play I spy to try and distract them. Then, 5 minutes from the destination, they will be sick.
You will get even less sleep than usual
Pre children your holiday probably involved late nights, along with equally late mornings. With kids in tow, you’ll still be having the late nights, but they’ll be paired with ludicrously early mornings. When on holiday kids are excited. Your chance of getting them into bed early enough for you to enjoy the evening, is practically zero. Courtesy of that same excitement, they will be up and ready to start the day at the arse crack of dawn. You will not be, but will have to anyway.
Meal times will not be fun
In case you haven’t noticed, children are fussy about food. Weather you are staying in a hotel or doing the self catering thing, food will be different to normal and, as far as kids are concerned, difference is bad. Pre children you may have enjoyed lazy evening meals. These days you’ll be spending mealtimes trying to convince your child that the fish finger that is “the wrong colour” will taste just the same as the ones at home. Children have even been known to complain that the water on holiday “tastes funny” (that child may or may not have been me).
You will be on high alert all the time
When you’re at home, you’ve worked out all of the ways your little cherub can cause trouble, and found ways of dealing with them. On holiday, they have a whole host of new dangers to explore. Instead of relaxing on the beach, you will be begging your child to stop eating the sand. Instead of relaxing in the pool, you will be trying to stop your child removing their armbands and drowning themselves. Instead of relaxing in your accommodation, you’ll me making sure your child doesn’t cause any permanent damage to the place. Basically, you’ll only be relaxed for the approximately 10 minutes between them finally going to sleep and you passing out, exhausted.
You have to keep them entertained
At home, you probably have some go to ways to keep your children (and yourself) from climbing the walls. On holiday, you have only the toys you managed to fit in the suitcase and your own wits to keep them entertained. They will likely demand to be taken swimming EVERYDAY. That will at least take up several hours because getting clothes back on a damp child is akin to completing the crystal maze. After that, you will check out the other wonderful things your holiday location has to offer. Your child will declare them all “Boring” and only be satisfied when they have bankrupted you in the arcades.
At the end of the holiday, you will most certainly need another holiday to recover. Preferably one without the kids. What you will actually get though is a shit load of washing and overtired, grumpy children. Happy holidays!
This post was written as part of “Write Club”, check out these other hilarious bloggers who have written their own posts on the topic of holidays with kids.
Having just got back from a week ‘off’ for half term I’m totally with you on this! #itsok
OMG this is all so true! We’ve just (literally last night) got back from a long weekend in Wales with the kids. I’ve returned home with a throat infection (run down/tired/been shouting ‘stay away from the water too much, you decide) oh and the hubby had to take the eldest to A&E last night on the way back because he’d trapped his fingers in a cupboard that we told him not to go in! #DreamTeam
My parents always help with my nieces on travel, that way it’s 4 adults versus 2 kids. The kids still seem to win. #DreamTeam
Sometimes I think going anywhere with kids is more work than staying at home. I don’t even like going to stay with at my mother-in-law’s house for the weekend (for other obvious reasons!) because I have to entertain them the entire time and make sure they are being careful on her stairs because she doesn’t have child-gates etc etc. Exhausting! So I totally understand this one #itsok
This did make me smile. We often feel like we need another holiday to get over the first holiday! It’s hard work. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing with #MMBC.
Agree, I’ve always told my husband this, that I’ll be doing the same things I do, just in a different location! With a few extras such as being on alert all the time as it’s a new environment, making sure they are entertained because they don’t have the luxury of all their toys etc… But sometimes the change of scene and lack of routine does make it restful, when they’re a bit older I suppose. Thanks for linking up with us at #itsok
Haha, this made me laugh! I love travelling but I always feel like I need another holiday to recover 🙂
It’s true trips with kids can be a lot of work but you also get some great family memories. That’s why I call going with my kids family trips and when I go some where just with my husband it’s a vacation.
I think parents should get a separate holiday on their own after the family holiday to recover! I’m about to take my lot on holiday and can relate to lots of this. #MMBC
All this is so true. I’m only just recovered from a week away last week – and that was only in the UK because the thought of taking three children under four abroad HORRIFIES ME!! Thanks for linking up #ItsOK
Last year we came home from camping in Devon in need of a couples relaxation retreat, we managed I think a coffee together to recover whilst my Mum looked after the little darlings. Holidays are very exhausting, great memories for the kids but exhausting! #itsok
So true. And it’s much worse for me than my husband – because he ‘works’ and I’m a stay at home Mum (I’m just chilling all day, right?!), he needs his holiday, but apparently I don’t….. So I end up with twice as much bloody work!
I am already dreading the upcoming 16 hours flight with my new born and 10 year old😥
Oh goodness! We haven’t been on holiday with the kids yet but now we won’t be anytime soon haha
This was so fun to read! And yes, all 100% true. I live in US and we will be traveling to Poland in a few weeks. I have been planning what to take on the plane and a long layover for months now. Keep me in your thoughts 😂
My take on this is that fun is a lot of work.
In order for anyone to have fun, someone has to be doing the work.
Of course, that’s a gift we give to our kids, in the hope that they will learn to be givers in their turn.
A haha! So true! Can’t wait for my 4hr flight to Lanzarote with 3 kids. Brilliant. Hahahaha! X
So true! The last couple of holidays we’ve been on we’ve taken grandparents with us to help to deal with the early starts and to get a lie in or two!