Holiday part 2 - ...

Zoë and I had a great time together on holday in Son Bou, Menorca. This was fortunate as we spent all our time together - usually holding hands. If we were separated at all I'd soon hear "hand, Daddy, Hand" as Zoë held her hand up to me. I didn''t mind, I understood that she was feeling insecure and unsure of her surroundings. One evening we were separated by a few feet in the restaurant, I could see Zoë but she couldn't see me. "DADDY" she shouted at the top of her voice as a waiter pointed to me looking at her. I'd chosen the hotel, the Sol Milanos Pinguinos, as it was very child friendly. It was themed with 'the Flintstones', had kids and toddlers clubs and activities, so plenty for Zoë to do whilst I has the occasional drink in the 'Sports Bar'. She however prefered to join me at the the bar and enjoy a juice or ice lolly whilst I had a beer. So our days pretty much would follow a pattern, something she could feel comfortable with. We'd breakfast, go for a paper, read and colour pictures in, go around the various things in the hotel she liked such as the roof playground and 1€ rides dotted around the place. Then to the pool followed by lunch, a rest, a visit to the bar across the road - where I was grateful for someone adult to talk to as I had a beer and Zoë a water or ice cream. Another 1€ ride, pool again then reading and colouring in before a bath, dinner, drinks and a show (for a few minutes usually) then bed. There was a 'train' that would do a circuit of the town every 30 minutes or so.It stopped out side our hotel for ten minutes before setting off again. "Toot, Toot" it woud go as it approached the hotel. "Engine" Zoë would shout excitedly if she heard it, at the same time, jumping up and down until I'd take her to our balacony to see it. One day we hired a car and went to 'Ciutadella' for the morning. Zoë chose herself some new sandles to replace the sandles we bought for her in Morocco last year and we had a picnic lunch before setting off to a secluded beach cove for the afternoon. Zoë wasn't too keen on the sand but she liked to go in the sea or play where it was wet. All in all we had a great time. It was hard work at times but always fun, perhaps made harder by the lack of any English people in our hotel - so a bit of a shortage of anyone to chat with. But an experience I'd recommend to any Dad. You can form much stronger bonds of trust with your child through this kind of experience - and get a holiday in the sun too. What could be better?