Its not getting any easier

popa smurf

Holidays with the kids are they really worth the trouble. We have 4 under 8 and just back after a week in a family room in a hotel and we are completely shatered we just seemed to be in a constant battle trying to keep the kids under control who with a mixture of heat in hotel bedroom, excitement and tiredness turned in to complete demons and literary ran out of control for the whole week. of course we are doing this wrong, but we have tried the lot now at this stage and we have conceded defeat and no more family holidays for at least 5 years.

Big Bag of Chips

A hotel with 4 children is obviously challenging! A week in a hotel with 4 children? Fair play to you!!

I'm sure you've tried it, but self catering apartments always work well for us. We've done the hotel thing too and past 9 o clock there's not much to do except all sit in the one room. We occasionally might go away to a hotel for 2 nights, max, but it's self catering houses/apartments for us all the way!

shedweller

Its hard alright. You mentioned being in a hotel room for the holiday. Thats not going to be easy and any time my wife and i brought our kids to a hotel, it was for a weekend and no more. Its simply too small a space for longer periods. Self catering holiday houses is what we do and spend as much time as possible out and about. They still fight of course but that eases somewhat after a day climbing a mountain, swimming in a water park and whatever else we can muster up.
One of our lads has sooo much energy and hops off the others. He needs a lot of going!

jennyhayes123

I have 4 and we go camping. Obviously you need good weather but its ideal for kids. Have some tent in Ireland and mobile home/log cabin in France/Spain

January

You're very brAve. I spent a night in a hotel with my four the night before my wedding and swore never again. A week? Madness.

As others have said self catering houses or apartments are a much better option.

Moonbeam

I think you brought that on yourself lol
I have 4 7,5,3 and 2 and I can barely stick them in a 2 bed apt never mind 1 bedroom .
We hire mobile homes or houses for the summer holidays .
The French campsites are amazing and great for kids .

cyning

We did one night in a hotel with two kids (almost 4 & 2) before going on hols and I was fit to kill them so good on you for surviving! We went to Wales to a mobile home this year: 2 bedrooms, bathroom and ensuite toilet, loads to do on site indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Kids clubs and kids shows at nights. Tv and DVD player and their own room so we can watch telly once they go to bed.

popa smurf

Ya hotels won't work for us any more, we tought the kids club would be a great idea but they wasn't great we have done the holiday homes but OH does the same in holiday home as she does at home cleaning and washing clothes, ironing and all the daily grind. Those French camps seem to be the business its amazing what a good nights sleep does, yesterday I said never again today I say lets book France.

lawred2

popa smurf wrote: »

Holidays with the kids are they really worth the trouble. We have 4 under 8 and just back after a week in a family room in a hotel and we are completely shatered we just seemed to be in a constant battle trying to keep the kids under control who with a mixture of heat in hotel bedroom, excitement and tiredness turned in to complete demons and literary ran out of control for the whole week. of course we are doing this wrong, but we have tried the lot now at this stage and we have conceded defeat and no more family holidays for at least 5 years.

would ye not look at eurocamp chalets or self catering apartments?

home from home stuff

kunst nugget

popa smurf wrote: »

We have done the holiday homes but OH does the same in holiday home as she does at home cleaning and washing clothes, ironing and all the daily grind.

Tbf, that's easily solved by the burden of the housework being shared.

Sunny Dayz

Hotels in Ireland leave a lot to be desired when it comes to families. Alright for a few nights away as a couple or one night with kids but throw in a few kids and a few nights into the mix and it's a very different stay. Most hotels in Ireland are not child friendly. There are very few family rooms available, most don't let kids into the bar/ lobby/ function room after 9pm and to be honest all that's left to do at night time is all retire to the room early to watch the few crap tv channels or something on the ipad if you are lucky enough to have wifi signal! One hotel we stayed in before had the family room right above the function room! We just have the one child, he enjoys the novelty of a breakfast buffet in the morning but finds hanging about the room boring.

evolving_doors

Been there, done that, had the battle scars.

Was nearly going to do 12 days in France this summer but plans changed. Now I'm glad we hadn't gone and went camping in Ireland instead. If you get lucky with the weather then it's well worth it. 1 night in Hotel Room 101 could buy you about a week on a campsite. There's a little bit of outlay at the start (good tent and airbeds/sleeping bags) but it pays for itself in the long run. Try 5 nights first and see how it goes.

Would still like to do the chalets in France at some stage though, but the kids had such a good time just messing on the beach at home that we'll explore that more.

The main thing is to get the hell out of the room and get active!