What do you do for holidays as a single parent?
I love the idea of going on holidays with my kids but as a single parent of a 2 year old and 4 year old, I feel it would just be even more exhausting than wrangling kids at home.
I have no one to come with me to help with the kids. I don't particularly want to go on my own when my kids are with their Dad.
Do I just have to give up on the idea until I meet someone or my kids are older?
6 Replies
U can only try it maybe just try one night away somewhere close at first and if it ends up being to hard maybe try again in another year or 2 and in the meantime just keep saving for the holiday.
So I love holidaying else where with my kids.
I organise Woolworths deliveries to the apartment I’m staying in (think lunchbox style snacks, breakfasts and lunches) and we eat dinner out.
Pick a child friendly hotel with activities or water slides.
Our itenerary is always similar;
Morning - breakfast/get dressed snd GO ! We find activities locally (swimming, theme parks, adventures, age appropriate activities, bike riding etc) with a packed picnic lunch.
Then back to the hotel around 1pm. (When my child was younger he would sleep at this time) then afternoon was spent at the hotel apartments or in the water areas of the hotel as a way to relax and unwind.
I loved it, and so did my child. We tried lots of new things that we wouldn’t at home.
My kids were older when I became a single parent so I took them camping, staying at an air bnb or a caravan park. Caravan parks are probably the better option, the bigger ones have heaps of things for kids to do and there's always a lot of other kids there. My kids just wanted to stay at the caravan park all day and not see anything.
My ex never helped with the kids even when we were together so it wasn’t hard for me taking the kids on holidays alone- if anything it was easier!
Start small, caravan park in a chalet. There’s playgrounds and bouncy pillows so you just need to supervise and enjoy. Then when it’s time to eat or calm down you can safely shut yourselves inside your accommodation. It takes abit to get used to if you’ve had help I guess.
But please don’t wait for another man to come along- enjoy holidays now. You can do it and love it!!
Ps- my two were 2& 4 when left their incredibly violent dad. And we’ve holidayed all over the state and Bali several times, just us 3. They’re now teens and we still love it
I go away with mine, theyve been to more countries than most adults. Yes it can seem just more exhausting, but its also really fun and mostly enjoyable as long as you dont stress yourself with it. make sure you go where you have air con and room service. And a pool for the kids. Then splash on those and treat yourself! Its a different kind of holiday. Much slower, cant get massages and do much for yourself but can get cocktails by the pool and dont have to deal with cooking and cleaning and do get to see somehwere on your bucket list and show your kids. And it passes the time better than being home by yourself with them.
If you have good friends at home, then maybe stay but still splash out on food delivery/eating at restaurants, a cleaner, have kids looked after ahile you get a pedi or massage.
The feeling of having a break in some way is just really important.
I paid for my mum to come to Thailand. Was amazing. Went to Cambodia and met friends there. Flew solo with a 5 and 3 year old. Tough but worth it