Just returned from a week on the coast near Boulogne (photos will be posted when I have gone the stone-age route and had them developed!!!)
The weather was fantastic, the house we rented was lovely, the beach was perfect for the children and we had a couple of wonderful trips to local places of interest (if Boulogne is within reach for you, do visit its Aquarium - it's worth the ferry crossing).
But...
is it just me, or are holidays hard work with small children??? OK, so mine were either recovering from a sickness bug or going down with one (as we were to discover at 1.00am on Wednesday morning). So, when I wasn't cleaning up, I was worrying: worrying that they were going to damage themselves, the house, or the garden; worrying that they were barely eating a thing (other than shed-loads of baguette); worrying that my French might not be up to conversing with the local doctor if they became any iller....
I'm exhausted, and in a few minutes, I shall be retiring to the living room to do something that I have not done at all for the last 7 days: relax!
I DO love France though - and I can't wait to show you my photos.
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6 comments:
Holidays with children are hardwork. I've tried various styles of holidays - with family (exhausting! But I think that was stress induced...) pine lodge, hotel, (ok, Travel Lodge) although I haven't gone for the foreign option because I could predict the problems with that with my motley crew.
Camping is no less hard work, but there's less risk of damage to property, children have A LOT of freedom and there's no point in caring what you all look like 'cos everyone looks windswept and interesting!
Am I doing the camping bit too much?
However, I suspect any holiday gets better for a while as they get older. Until they hit the teens...
Glad you had a good time, if a little tense. Now, relax and recover!
(Missed you)
x
Glad you're back!
Oh, there you are! I was hoping you were well! I'm glad you had a good vacation, and I think that everyone needs a vacation after the vacation when traveling with small kids (or traveling at all)!
Better with small kids than with kids old enough to fight constantly? That is the prevailing memory I have of our family vacations: fighting in Canada, fighting in Florida, fighting in the Great Smoky Mountains, fighting in Michigan... That, and my father taking my brothers (the fighters) and me (of course the innocent and picked-on) on a hike in Canada and taking about a million photos of animal "droppings"... yes, those vacation photos alternate between me pouting, and poop. What a trip!
Sarah - it was really lovely of you to say that you're glad that I'm back. I felt really touched by that - someone I've never met is glad that I'm here! Thank you! (I'm glad you're there to, by the way - if ever you have to come to London, let me know and I'll put some coffee on!)
I'm glad that it is not just me who finds holidaying with children challenging. It seems to work best for us when we go to Italy as there we are surrounded by family who can take them off our hands for the odd minute here and there.... I mean I love them dearly and holidays will never be the same again without them, but...
Jeny - the poops and the pouts sound really funy. You can't beat an eccentric dad - my friends used to get lots of mileage out of some of the funny things my dad did and said (in a nice way)!
Yes.. holidays out of the house just seem so much more stressful than resting at home.
I've needed a vacation from my holidays to get back to normal.
I can't wait to see the pictures of your holiday!
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