The First Single Parent Holiday

Next week, for the very first time, I will be taking two children abroad.

Alone.

Both kids have a few air miles under their belts already; right before the split we travelled as a foursome to a family wedding in Madrid and a year later a cruise with my mum from Southampton to Nice. Both trips were great but my overarching memories from both holidays are ones of juggling – juggling luggage, juggling cranky kids, juggling wants, needs, worries.

We’ve done a couple of UK minibreaks since – memorably this incredible stay at The Pig – and Center Parcs is a firm favourite with us all. But these trips involve a car boot you can load to the point of bursting; this holiday is going to be the first time we’re setting foot on a plane (for 4 hours! Observe my fixed grimacey grin!) and disembarking in a foreign country as a party of three. Never before have I alone been subjected to this wonderful world of scorching temperatures and luggage limits.

Obviously my first emotion about our pending holiday is to be incredibly excited, as well as hugely grateful to the people at Mark Warner for believing in us all enough to send us off to Kos for the week. I’m also really looking forward to experiencing the holiday from the perspective of a single parent, considering what works and what doesn’t, hopefully having an amazing time in order to give families like mine the confidence to do it alone.

But fundamentally I’m a worrier, and it would be unnatural for me to embark on our first foreign single family holiday without a certain amount of fretting. Which is why I’ve been trying my best to identify my worries in order to knock them out of the park, starting our trip on one tightly organized ship (or plane).

things to do in bournemouth

Firstly, the luggage. We have an allowance of 20kg each, though obviously expecting a 4 and a 5 year old to cart massive Samsonites around the airport is out of the question. Instead they’ve each got Trunkis to be responsible for – I had to buy one more as we only had one, lest WWIII break out over Trunki possession – and as much of their belongings as possible will be packed into these to go in the hold of the plane. They also each have a backpack which I’ll stuff with new games and an emergency iPad each, for when that 4 hour plane journey becomes that little bit TOO long.

Me, I’ve never successfully packed for a trip less than 25kg, and enjoy flying Virgin Upper because of the massive 3 x 35kg allowance. So that’ll be an issue. In preparation I have bought all my cant-do-without toiletries in miniature, and will just have to go without six pairs of shoes (gulp).

The flight itself is from Gatwick, a generous hour from home, meaning we’d have to leave at around 5am to make sure we arrived for the 7am check-in safely. To save this mad morning rush (and the inevitable stress), the night before I’ve booked us into the Bloc Hotel which is situated above Gatwick’s apron. So it’s going to be literally the most exciting place that plane-spotting Hux has ever stayed. And to be honest, as a fairly big aviation geek myself, I’m really looking forward to this too.

Bloc is literally five steps from Security, so we’re planning on driving here straight from school (I’ve booked valet parking to eradicate the worries of park n’ride buses with two kids and their Trunkis), getting used to the airport environment and having a relaxed dinner in the Giraffe next door, where Bloc customers get a discount. Phew.

One other worry I had was the airport check-in, security and waiting process. I experienced a nightmare situation with Monarch at Gatwick a couple of years ago where the check-in took two hours and I was held back for another 30 mins because of a suspicious substance in my handbag. It was quite obviously nothing, but I nearly threw up the night before’s tequila haring it to the gate at a sprint only seen before at the Mum’s race on Sports Day. There were no relaxing bon voyage breakfast Bellinis for me that morning.

2015 resolutions

Which is why we’ll be at check-in on the dot of opening, and we have snagged fast-tracked security with our booking for the No 1 Travellers Airport Lounge. This is £28 for adults and £14 for kids and you get a hot breakfast included for the price and a magnificent view over the runways (ding dong, jackpot) – along with that invaluable fast-track through security. I predict we’ll be relaxing with that Bellini (me, not them) and an order of eggs florentine within 30 minutes of leaving our airport hotel room. No stress trying to hunt down a breakfast BLT at Pret, or dragging the kids into a beery Wetherspoons for bacon, beans and eggs. Fabulous.

I’m hoping the kids will be too entertained by the novelty of the flight to get highly strung (and if not, that’s what the iPads are for) so my next worry was entertainment at the hotel. They’ll be in Mark Warner’s marvellous kids clubs for half of each day, and in our  free time together we’re going to be doing LOTS of swimming. We’re taking our SwimFins with us – these have already been a huge help for Hux as he learns to swim – and I’m taking pool toys as well, plus Tevas to protect little feet when beach walking and swimming. I’ve also planned a few hours sightseeing in nearby Kardamena and I’m on the hunt for a lovely Taverna to lunch at on this day. God, I love Greece.

In terms of kit, I’ve duplicated their Factor 50 swim suits – 2 of each – as well as sunglasses (times 2), bottles of Factor 50 cream (times 4) and sun hats (erm, 3 each, just to be on the safe side).

Phew.

I’m getting my bits waxed today; throw in a bikini and my Birkinstocks and that’ll be me sorted. I’m still on the hunt for that perfect white sun dress but we can’t have it all, can we?

And so I think we’re set. Factor 50, luggage, iPads, the excitement of relaxing on a beach that isn’t in Bournemouth. What else do we need?

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

37 Comments

  1. Susan wrote:

    You need Gargie, along with her bikini!!!!!

    Posted 6.16.16 Reply
  2. serena wrote:

    seriously you sound sorted xx hope you remember to have fun!!

    Posted 6.16.16 Reply
  3. I am so jealous! You’ll have a great time!! X

    Posted 6.17.16 Reply
  4. Pen wrote:

    This sounds amazing. Have a great time. I’m really looking forward to it. I will be taking Cygnet to northern France with my parents and in the car this year, but this sounds like a great idea for next summer. Let me know whether it would suit a three year old will you? (Cygnet will be 3 if we go next summer). Loads of love and happy holiday. Pen X

    Posted 6.17.16 Reply
  5. EB wrote:

    Have a lovely time!

    Posted 6.17.16 Reply
  6. Oh enjoy lovely it will be amazing! X

    Posted 6.20.16 Reply
  7. Stacey wrote:

    You’ve got it covered! On our recent flight to Aus 22hrs, I was stunned that little 3yr old remained captivated with a sticker book and animal figurines. iPad shunned, on a plane of course-there went my screen time! I also have a wonderful friend who runs solo with three kids and has travelled a ton, near and (really) far. Don’t be surprised if you catch the bug, having kids has actually made me want to travel more. Have fun, the Bloc hotel looks awesome!

    Posted 6.22.16 Reply
  8. Jane wrote:

    Howdy would you mind letting me know which webhost you’re utilizing?
    I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads
    a lot faster then most. Can you recommend a good hosting provider at a reasonable price?
    Cheers, I appreciate it! http://www.yahoo.net

    Posted 7.10.16 Reply
  9. Lucy Zelazowski wrote:

    You sound organised, very brave for going alone.
    I’m sure you will have a fantastic time
    I look forward to reading all about it.
    Xx

    Posted 7.23.16 Reply
  10. Sounds amazing! Does Mark Warner charge a single supplement for single parents?

    Posted 7.23.16 Reply
  11. Motion detectors hooked up to the light switches within the
    rooms of a school automatically shut the lights off when no movement
    occurs for five minutes. In earlier times, that meant a dark room, full of chemicals and taking a great deal of effort.
    Led weed grow However the tactic wasn’t perfected until 1930, when scientists found that plants can grow without
    deriving nutrients from your soil.

    LED grow lighting comes having a heavy lowering of energy costs;
    they don’t use just as much energy as traditional incandescent not
    to mention HID grow lights. Besides proper decoration, it can be very
    important to present proper lighting to an aquarium.

    Posted 8.10.16 Reply
  12. Yes they each mean something, though the important thing is they are going to use the most recent HDMI connectivity.
    Of course 3D won’t only be on a consoles and 3D TVs. Hdmi cable to rca Anytime your children want to join an internet site ., be sure to review it
    in advance.

    Developed in 2009 using a Great Brittan non-profit,
    the one computer board Raspberry served as an an easy task to decipher learning
    device. Without the best cable, your photo high quality could be reduced and often, you’d possibly cease
    prepared to make use of your device in every
    respect.

    Posted 8.11.16 Reply
  13. Another AMD E-350 based laptop, the Acer AS5253-BZ602 packs the APU right
    into a larger 15. Here are some in the best gift
    ideas to get a freshman just starting college. Consumer reports hp laptops The final laptop to produce this best-of list will be the unassuming Idea – Pad Z575, a sturdy 15.

    The laptop screen can simply be damaged if it is distorted or dropped.
    Thus, in can case, you need to invest on a laptop that offers value for money; Dell Inspiron 14
    S541212IN8 is the best to buy.

    Posted 8.26.16 Reply
  14. Overall the Marantz UD9004 is undoubtedly an exceptional
    universal Blu-ray DVD Player. The second being events the spot that the officers
    could easily diffuse the situations by simply making sure the
    person knows they can be being recorded.
    Hdmi avi converter One with the first audio streaming devices was the Squeezebox, from Slim
    Devices (now section of Logitech), which used an Ethernet link with
    stream audio to your hi-fi source.

    With numerous types of screen many different purposes you’ll be
    able to find exactly the correct one for your needs. Also upconverts 2D blu-ray titles to shut to 3D image excellent.

    Posted 8.28.16 Reply
  15. This rejoinder or re-appearance of off-air high-definition antennas has led with a miraculous quality of HDTV broadcasts.
    It includes a semi-precious stone on the top and emblems or insignias around the side.
    Roku remote flashing green So, you are going to locate it tough to choose the right Tv except if you know specifically things
    to look for.

    If you habit light insignia or some suggested color
    within this blogspot theme, along with would be weak as well
    as be testing to read. A great deal of other ten sports live tv
    channel online tricky connections will stick to, both with
    a dish, World wide web cable, satellite signal decoder or even a media player.

    Posted 8.28.16 Reply
  16. sixty wrote:

    Choose probably the most beautiful flowers and set about three to less
    gorgeous calla lilies aside. Its then best to make certain as many of the plants as is possible are safe or mild for animals you can eat.

    As a monotone bouquet, or as accents, it’s hard to go wrong
    with roses.

    Feed your peace lily once a month during the growing season with water-soluble houseplant
    fertilizer. Suggest tying the bunch with ivory grosgrain ribbon or white silk tassel for additional adornment from
    the florist.

    Posted 8.28.16 Reply
  17. gilatogel wrote:

    ?i there, I log on to your new stuff like eve?y week.
    Your humoristic style is aw?some, keep up the good work!

    Posted 9.28.17 Reply
  18. I got t?is we?site from my pal who shared with me ?n the topi? of this site and now this time I am visiting this website and reading very informative content here.

    Posted 10.22.17 Reply
  19. Why viewers still use to read news papers when iin this technological world all
    is presented on net?

    Posted 1.10.18 Reply
  20. Especially when your site is totally new, it can really help tto create interest quickly.
    A small number of you might be confused whenn this occurs about
    how precisely my outwards boun links became inward bound links without other action. They will
    pay you a llot oof money to examine a web site or even a product for your owner.

    Posted 1.10.18 Reply
  21. Keeping current can be aan easy proceess once yoou know
    wherfe you should look. You fedl when you needed given your relationship more timje and
    effort it would been employed by out. News keeps us in touch with political affairs not only
    of our own country but additionally of on thee world.

    Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  22. u blogu wrote:

    So now it comes down full circle time for the average person whoo may have taken on thhe role inn the blogging site administrator.

    There are many bblog networks around that enable you to
    submit you and promote your blog. Would your work start a fresh perspective or wouldn’t it just invole a ‘what’s new’ response.

    Posted 1.24.18 Reply
  23. Clifford wrote:

    This i? a topic that is near to my heart…
    Take care! Exactly w?ere are your contact details though?

    Posted 1.24.18 Reply
  24. kaywa wrote:

    Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful
    post. Thank you for providing these details.

    Posted 1.31.18 Reply
  25. Do you liike regular posting because you must keep regular content onn your own blog
    if yoou need to commercialize it. You can usually test the speed
    in the servers by accessing some existing sites which can be hosted with
    all the Company. I call this outstanding results, however, you
    should know that your videos can produce the same recent results for youu also.

    Posted 2.25.18 Reply
  26. Here are five nifty as well as simple steps to create tuat clinching first info product.
    During breeding, provide ample food and ensure that
    there will be less competition inside aquarium tank. Of course, this is as a result off your failure to pay yohr bills punctually, pay your insurancee plans,
    as well as pay the money youu owe for a creditors.

    Posted 2.25.18 Reply
  27. Wonderful website. Plenty of useful information here. I am
    sending it to several friends ans also sharing in delicious.
    And of course, thanks to your effort!cheap authentic jerseyshttp://tnocolombia.comhttp://luso2016.comhttp://shopperssmart.comhttp://androidtvgeek.comhttp://Yourproductguru.com/

    Posted 3.21.18 Reply
  28. The manual probably says replace every 30,000 miles but
    a majority of mechanics recommend replacing yearly or if you have any problems for example stalling or lack of
    power. And that means that regular tire maintenance after a speedy oil change is one of
    the very best ways to be sure that your automobile is operating in as
    safe a manner as possible. Other improvements added for the
    2006 Acura RL include the CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) and
    ACS (Adaptive Cruise Control).

    Posted 4.1.18 Reply
  29. Thanks for the marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it,
    you’re a great author. I will always bookmark your blog and
    will eventually come back at some point. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great
    posts, have a nice day!

    Posted 4.27.18 Reply
  30. Deference to post author, some superb selective information. https://www.trolleycoin123.com/blog/wp-login.php

    Posted 9.18.18 Reply
  31. Harvard didn’t strive to just emulate, but to surass the earth’s most
    revered universities. It is better to stick with the best course provider, for your time being.
    I’m not praoclaiming hat everyone does that, I’m speaaking of the minority on this one, nevertheless it just irritates the hell beyond me.

    Posted 10.30.18 Reply
  32. Hi, after reading this amazing article i am as well
    delighted to share my experience here with mates.

    Posted 12.30.18 Reply
  33. Unquestionably believe that that you stated. Your favorite justification seemed to be
    at the internet the easiest factor to keep in mind of.
    I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while people consider
    concerns that they plainly do not recognize about.
    You controlled to hit the nail upon the highest and defined out the whole thing with no need side effect ,
    folks can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more.

    Thank you

    Posted 8.8.19 Reply
  34. fantastic issues altogether, you just received a logo new
    reader. What would you suggest in regards to your publish that you simply made some days ago?
    Any sure?

    Posted 9.1.19 Reply
  35. Francesco wrote:

    Your style is really unique in comparison to other folks I’ve
    read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this site.

    Posted 9.20.19 Reply
  36. I used to be recommended this web site by my cousin. I’m now not certain whether or not
    this publish is written through him as no one else know such precise approximately my problem.

    You’re amazing! Thanks!

    Posted 2.7.20 Reply
  37. 5 stars
    What i don’t realize is if truth be told how you’re not actually a lot more well-liked than you may be now.
    You’re so intelligent. You already know thus significantly in the case of this subject, produced me personally
    consider it from numerous various angles. Its like men and women don’t
    seem to be involved until it’s one thing to do with Woman gaga!
    Your own stuffs excellent. At all times deal with it up!

    Posted 6.8.20 Reply