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Holiday suggestions for 3yr old and 9mth old..
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19-02-2020 5:20pm#1Hello,
Just wondering if anyone out there might be able to suggest some good places to go on holiday with a 3 yr old.
We had been all gung-ho to go and book the centreparc thing in longford there.. but people we know suggested that it might not really be the break we are looking for. Most of the activities are for slightly older kids and the wee fella wouldn't be catered for at all..
We have two great boys, 3 yrs old and 9 months old. They are brilliant, we love them to bits, but they are a handful. And I'm almost embarrassed to admit that we do really enjoy it when our families take em off our hands for a few hours the odd time. Those breaks are rare tho..
So for a holiday to be a holiday we would kinda like to have a bit of US time too.
My sister laughed at the idea of us going to a self catering spot like centreparcs. Cooking and cleaning is not her idea of a holiday, she wants her breakfast handed up to her. And shur isn't it doing the same thing you do every day just in a different house?.. is her take on it..
She may have a point, and other friends were of similar mind.
We seem to be kinda too early (young) for a lot of the family breaks we hear about. Like there are hotels that have kids clubs and take the kids off your hands for a few hours so you can chill for a bit.. but the clubs seem to start at 5 or 6 yrs old. Our guys are too young for all of the ones we have heard about, Kellys, Castlecourt in Westport.. etc etc.
At this stage we're thinkin we might do a staycation and spend the money on babysitters...
Maybe use some of the days of the two weeks to take the lads on day trips and then for a coupla days send the 3yr old to creche as normal (seeing as we're paying hard for it..) and just lol around at home..
Then maybe get a babysitter for a couple of the nights and get out to a restaurant.
We'd get a lot of babysitting for the 500 - 600 we'd spend on centreparcs like...
( ok, well, at 10 euro an hour.. humm)
Anyway.. just throwing it out there.. anyone think of a better approach ?
Or a vacation spot that might have facilities for minding both of the boys including the youngest lad?0
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To be honest, I’ve put holidays on the back burner for a Couple of years while my kids are small, in favour of day trips, going away Is a bit too much hassle at the min.
The quality in clonakilty (it’s not called that any more, but I can’t think of the new name) has a lovely little crèche as well as an indoor play centre.
But, I’d recommend booking an apartment if you can get it. Four people in one hotel room Is a bit nightmarish imo. Lots of hotels also have family suites where there’s two bedrooms, but it makes things very expensive!
Thanks Jim, yah I'm with you on the one room thing..
Don't ever see why I should pay money to be in less comfort than we have at home
.. which sounds like we have loads of money.. :rolleyes: but we don't..
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Thanks Jim, yah I'm with you on the one room thing..
Don't ever see why I should pay money to be in less comfort than we have at home
.. which sounds like we have loads of money.. :rolleyes: but we don't..
I know exactly where you’re coming from, I don’t like shelling out for misery either! We stayed in the on-site apartments in clon a few years ago and they were great. Had the hotel breakfast, swimming pool, play area and other facilities, but didn’t have to sit in the bathroom if we wanted to talk after 8 o clock!
The crèche was great too, but it booked up way in advance, just something to be aware of, it’s probably an issue in other places too0 -
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I'm happy to pour cereal in the morning but no way am I spending my holiday in a tiny and under equipped kitchen cooking a family dinner on two crap rings.
That does sound awful
We always make sure that we have a proper kitchen with a full cooker & oven. I normally bring spaghetti bolognese for the first night. I take the sauce out of the freezer on the morning that we go and let it defrost in the cooler box on the way (also keeps the milk & anything else cool) so the first meal is usually just a case of boiling pasta, reheating sauce & sticking a few garlic breads in the oven. We might get a few pizzas & chips for the second night to pop in the oven. I'm all about low effort meals when we are on holidays.
For breakfasts, I bring cereals & bread for toast. I might bring some flour or ready made pancake mix & do pancakes one morning as they are quick and easy. I also make sure to bring enough ham and bread etc to make some picnic lunches.
We are going to CentreParcs next weekend with a 5 year old and 3 year old - I can report back if anyone is interested 0 -
Even before kids I remember OH and I on holiday and seeing a German family in the ground floor apartment of our hotel. We never saw the women, except when they came out to serve food or drinks to the husbands and kids. I said right there that I'd never have a holiday like that as it's no holiday for the women. I'm happy to pour cereal in the morning but no way am I spending my holiday in a tiny and under equipped kitchen cooking a family dinner on two crap rings.
Hear hear!!
I think most on this thread agree on that.We didn't do holidays until our lad was 5. We did a few weekends away or days out - with and without him.
Yah, thats refreshingly straight. Fergeddit till 5. Again, others are saying the same.
Friends who went to Centreparcs said they were great with 10yr olds cos they just hung out around the pool area all day.
But I am wrecked with our 3yr old in the pool trying to keep a hold of him.
They reckoned I'd be driven nuts in centreparc cos he'd be contstantly tearing off into trouble...
I'm rapidly warming up to the idea of 2 weeks at home.
But my OH says I will have to turn a blind eye to all the jobs that need doing around the place. LOL.Dingle has the aquarium. Actually so does Galway and might be quicker to get to depending on where you are coming from and would have other child-friendly events from time to time as well.
Yah, well thats it, we are actually close to a load of stuff really.. so maybe we just do the tourist in our own locality.
Great thing is we don't have to worry about on or off peak accomodation.. we already have the house.
And we could choose to do it during something cool like the arts festival when there is stuff on.
Thanks again to everyone for the straight talk.0 -
CheerLouth wrote: »That does sound awful We always make sure that we have a proper kitchen with a full cooker & oven. I normally bring spaghetti bolognese for the first night. I take the sauce out of the freezer on the morning that we go and let it defrost in the cooler box on the way (also keeps the milk & anything else cool) so the first meal is usually just a case of boiling pasta, reheating sauce & sticking a few garlic breads in the oven. We might get a few pizzas & chips for the second night to pop in the oven. I'm all about low effort meals when we are on holidays.
For breakfasts, I bring cereals & bread for toast. I might bring some flour or ready made pancake mix & do pancakes one morning as they are quick and easy. I also make sure to bring enough ham and bread etc to make some picnic lunches.
We are going to CentreParcs next weekend with a 5 year old and 3 year old - I can report back if anyone is interested
Amazing would love to hear back on Centreparcs! We haven’t booked it yet. 0 -
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Thanks Jim, yah I'm with you on the one room thing..
Don't ever see why I should pay money to be in less comfort than we have at home
.. which sounds like we have loads of money.. :rolleyes: but we don't..
Been there.. about 2 years ago. Still not fully out it it. But we have it figured....
2 bedroom apartment/cottage, part of a hotel complex with pool but walking distance to a town for dinners and quick pints. Easy travel to Dublin, which rules out some places in Kerry. Perfectly reasonable request, and as rare as hen's teeth. But will vouch for:
Castlemartyr hotel - courtyard lodges. Lovely hotel, 3 places to eat on the grounds and another in the village, a short walk, easy for buggy or small people. Pool is super. Grounds lovely. Easy reach of Fota, cobh, spike island and a few animal farms.
Talbot apartments in Wexford. Book a seafront view, the train runs in front, our 3 year old loved it. Pool in the Talbot hotel 150mtr away. In town, so choice of restaurants for dinner, all a walk away.
Amber Springs in Gorey, family suites have bunks in a nook, so you can watch telly etc and have lights on! 3 restaurants in the hotel, pool, kids club etc. Not self catering, but best kids set up I've seen.
Dungarvan park hotel. Nice plain lodges, good pool. 2 playground in walking distance. Loads of places to eat in town, 10min walk, plus 2 in the hotel.
Swimming really tired our lot out so ensured good naps etc back in that day. Simple brekkie and lunch. Afternoon activity. Dinner and drinks out, getting a babysitter once or twice if there's a nice restaurant and we want a break.
Always stayed a week so we were able to make the most of things. Kelly's never appealed because of the all inclusive0 -
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When you have a 3 year old and a 9 month old there is just no way to get out of the constant minding of them. Being knackered and unable to get a minute to yourself is par for the course, it only lasts about 20 years and then all is cool again We did not do holidays as such when the children were small, but did go places for brief sorties, like overnight or 2 nights max, just to see something we had a hankering to see. We used to take a big tent and all the camping gear but then we are mad (and did not have money). Always good fun but never a minute to yourself so to speak. If you expect this, the facts of life, it is fine. Maybe just do stuff you would like to do nearish to where you live, like cultural or historical places you want to see, or forests you want to walk in, or seashores you want to stroll along beside, but never take the time to do in a normal week, and just bring the bowsies along as per normal and mind them in the usual knackering way. At least you will have seen new places! And gone to the chippers on the way home where you can fall into your own bed knackered, repeat for years until they leave home....:D Kidding, you can go on more distant holidays when they are older. . 0
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Heh heh, yeah, thanks, you're right of course.
The sooner we get used to it the better off we'll be,..
Thanks
VidaWhen you have a 3 year old and a 9 month old there is just no way to get out of the constant minding of them. Being knackered and unable to get a minute to yourself is par for the course, it only lasts about 20 years and then all is cool again We did not do holidays as such when the children were small, but did go places for brief sorties, like overnight or 2 nights max, just to see something we had a hankering to see. We used to take a big tent and all the camping gear but then we are mad (and did not have money). Always good fun but never a minute to yourself so to speak. If you expect this, the facts of life, it is fine. Maybe just do stuff you would like to do nearish to where you live, like cultural or historical places you want to see, or forests you want to walk in, or seashores you want to stroll along beside, but never take the time to do in a normal week, and just bring the bowsies along as per normal and mind them in the usual knackering way. At least you will have seen new places! And gone to the chippers on the way home where you can fall into your own bed knackered, repeat for years until they leave home....:D Kidding, you can go on more distant holidays when they are older. .0 -
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