single parent families on holiday

crispeater

How do you do it??

i mean i was thinking of going on holiday with my 2 1/2yr old girl and 4 mth son but what happens when my toddler wants a wee? i've got to either leave my boy on his own (thats soooo not gonna happen), take everything including buggy into the toilet if possible. or let her wee herself lol

why does it have to be so darn difficult. i wanted to go to greece but how on earth am i supposed to deal with that on a plane? i cant rely on the stewardess to hold the baby lol and if im in a restaurant i still have to take everything with me.. same thing if i wanted to do the 9.50 sun holidays. i've been single since i was 16 weeks pg with ds and i've only just realised this can be a problem lmao

how does anyone else deal with it??

helen21_2

I dont know anyoine that would take too small children on holiday alone, and i certainly wouldnt, have you not got a friend that maybe would like a holiday too?

Jay-Jay_4

It's a long shot but you could ask the airline at check in for seats nearest the loo. I'm sure the air stewards would watch one of them while you dashed to the loo... if not then it would be a case of taking them both with you (hmmm.. not much room in those plane toilets!)

In a restaurant you would just have to take your toddler for a wee before the meal arrived and hope that she lasts through the rest of the time.


Is there no-one who would go on holiday with you? I know it's a long shot but a friend, sister, your Mum....?

Spendless

Not a single parent but I have a hubby who works away from home a lot.I have a 3 year gap between my 2. At that age in the U.K I used the disabled toilet a lot:o so I could fit everyone in.

If your travelling on plane by yourself and you or eldest need loo, I think you're going to have to ask for stewardess' help, sitting with the baby/children till you return. You might also have to eat at places where they take your order fom your table or go self-catering.

Not much help i'm afraid. Hopefully someone else may have other ideas

crispeater

i now dont have 1 friend that doesnt have children. i must be in that age bracket now lol
i went on holiday a few times with my mum and my daughter plays one against the other and she knows grandma will give in if mummy is out of earshot!! no matter what i say i get ignored so im not going down that route again as it will just create an arguement.
i think i will bite the bullet and try the sun holiday and see how i go. if it gets too much we can either stay in the caravan or drive home lol

Js_Other_Half

I could be wrong, but you may need to have some sort of car seat on the plane for your daughter? I seem to recall a lot of publicity about this a couple of years ago - obviously it only applies if there's one adult and 2 children - not enough laps to go round...lol.

Jay-Jay_4

Js_Other_Half wrote:

I could be wrong, but you may need to have some sort of car seat on the plane for your daughter? I seem to recall a lot of publicity about this a couple of years ago - obviously it only applies if there's one adult and 2 children - not enough laps to go round...lol.

Children get their own seat when they're 2 years old and children under 2 have to sit on a parents lap so she should be fine with the two children. AFAIK It would only be a problem if she had two children under 2.

Prudent

Even with older children it can be very tiring going on holiday as a single parent - and the evenings can seem long once they go to bed. When your children get a bit older you might benefit from a holiday tailored to single parents. An organisation called care for the family (and I should imagine there are others) run these.

I liked the look of their holidays because they deliberately do things to make it a holiday for the adults too, like taking in your lugguage and having a night where the parents go out for a meal without the children. You can join in lots of organised activities and best of all the food is all included. I am looked at this option last year (but then ended up doing other things for family reasons). For a week break with accomodation, activities and food it cost just £200 for both myself and daughter! Will probably go this year as I love meeting new people and its a great price.

My daughter is now a teen, but an only child. I think she needs other company on holiday. I don't feel I can afford to take another child with me, so this is a good option in that respect too.

Counting_Pennies_2

How about going to a resort that is family friendly.

Mark Warner holidays are all about families, in fact you couldn't get much more child friendly if you tried.

That way it is only the flight you need to worry about. The rest of the time in the resort there should always be a willing helper.

Becles

I took my two to Scotland on my first single parent holiday when they were 5 and 3. We hired a static caravan and they really enjoyed it.

I was worried about filling the evenings in. However, it's a really good break for you too. Don't know about you, but I find when they go to bed, I'm ironing, tidying up and generally still working. You haven't got any of that to do on holiday, so it's an excuse to watch TV, read magazines or get lost in a good novel! It actually does you the world of good as you come back really refreshed and full of beans!

I think a static caravan holiday would be less hassle for you. There's no flying and no change of food, climate etc., so easier for the little ones to handle. They are really comfy inside, have a TV and a decent sized kitchen if you want to make your own meals.

Hope you get something sorted out

BernadetteN

I have 4 kids aged 9, 7, 4 and 5 1/2 months, and also childmind a 7 year old and 18 month old. I manage to take all 6 of them on the bus to play areas, and have taken 4 of them on days out without my husband (he's often working abroad). It's all to do with being prepared, organised and forseeing problems such as how to take 6 kids to the toilet together! I always make sure the older 4 of 6 go to the loo before going out anywhere. I always carry drinks and fruit or savoury snacks with me and always have the changing bag ready to go out. When I get on the bus with 6, I use an umbrella fold buggy and backpack for the youngest 2, and commonly get someone offering to watch the small kids whilst I carry on the buggy and pay. Take up offers of help willingly.

Places like Butlins or Haven are ideal if it's one adult with several children, far less scary than going to Greece. However, I've travelled by plane with a maximum of 2 children under 5 and have found even budget airlines do help, if only in small ways, by allowing you to board first. I would be a bit apprehensive of flying anywhere unfamiliar though, that's just me.

If you are really on a budget, the Travelodge do £10 per night rooms and sometimes include London hotels at £10. I've taken the 3/4 kids to London a few times on my own - the hardest thing there is getting on the tube with a buggy and entourage of other kids, much easier with the backpack.

Hope you find something suitable.