Most stressful vacation ever!

We're at my inlaws and the last few days have been nuts. We're both really stressed out and this has been the worst vacation ever as far as I'm concerned... my kids won't sit still. DD mostly just runs around but DS is into everything... my inlaws' house isn't baby proof at all, and today he opened a bottle of shampoo and swallowed some (then puked all over)... we're lucky it was only shampoo! That's because dh was taking his shower and I was sitting down with DD 2 minutes and lost track of him...

At dh's cousins yesterday they just ran over the house the whole 3 hours we were there (huge house with 3 staircases etc). It's exhausting and NOT fun. We hardly got to eat anything and even less talk to anyone. It sucked.

And now dh wants to drive 12 hours to spend CHristmas with two of his brothers too and I'm dreading it... we've just been arguing the whole time we've been here! Inlaws are old and no help. Toys keep their attention 2 minutes if that... it's more fun to run around...

Is this normal? DS is the same at home but at least it's mostly baby proof... that's why I don't dare going out to playdates, would be pointless if I'm just chasing kids all the time. Same at the mall today, kids were nuts and running all over... heck even at the restaurant they won't sit still either, and it's a real pain to go anywhere with them... Nobody around us seems to get it and I feel like the worst mom at times.

 

Sound like my Thanksgiving. :faint: My boys will be 3 in January and I was exhusted by the time we got home yesterday. Yes, they are also into everything. My one son dumped at least 5 cans of soda on the floor (or drank it before we got to him). He also stuck his hand into the pies and licked his hands. :woah: Both were playing with the light switches and going into the bathroom and flushing the toilet.

I swear at times I have 12-18 month olds again.

What did not help was they missed their nap. So on top of everything else, I had two very crabby boys by 3:30.

My bil actually asked me if we would like to come to midnight mass on Christmas. :rotflmbo: Sure....let's see; no naps for the day and keeping them up until 1:00 in the morning. Sounds like a great time. <_<

 

its hard! especially when you are "on vacation"!! but that just puts more stress on the kids too. And to the OP, I have finally come to the conclusion that if I want them to act a certain way out and about or at other people's houses I need to start it at home... which is hard b/c at home I'm the type to baby proof... but in the end that doesn't really teach them anything does it?

tonight we were at my in-laws for dinner and the kids were getting my fil's toy race cars off of his shelf - I tried to tell them they needed to ask... well, why should they? they don't have to ask at home... anyway, that part was ok. but then later my ds went and grabbed a small marble elephant figurine and somehow it got thrown in the carpet and the leg broke off. UGH! anyway, this did remind me that I need to have a "no touch" place at home that they are in contact with and that they know they aren't allowed to touch...

the other thing I think I need to try is to have them ask if they get get things, or go places. I don't know if I should start with everything... or just things that aren't their typical toys...

anyway, good luck! some days the kids drive me crazy from me having to say don't touch, or to try to direct them to touch or do something else..

 

Oh we have some 'no touch' places at home that they usually don't touch, but DS still get into occasionally...

 

mine are almost 5 and are still that way minus putting stuff in their mouths (finally - its only in the last 6 months that Ian has stopped)...I'm to the point now that as long as they don't break anything I let them go - hey if you're going to feed my kids sugar expect the consequences!

 

I've been there. Until recently DH and I would do zone defense or one-on-one. Oh and we'd assign a kid to a relative if we needed to go to the bathroom or eat.

Its not fun, but I think these are important lessons. I try to go over what my expectations are before we go somewhere, and these expectations are different from the ones at home. At home you can pull your toys out and play where ever. At someone's house you need to ask before you touch something because it might be a decoration. At home you can go off by yourself, at someone's house you need to tell daddy or me before you go off with other kids.

But it doesn't always work. I had an experience last summer when I brought the girls to a party by myself (DH was busy), and ended up leaving after an hour because the girls were crazy wild and I just couldn't deal.

 

I love the idea of telling them your expectations, and telling them that they are different in different circumstances. thanks for sharing that!