Are you a new parent? Have you recently returned home with a bundle of joy that you wouldn’t replace for the whole world? Does it cry a lot, keep you awake and generally make you more frantic than anything you have ever encountered in your life before? If so, then it sounds like you might need a holiday. Thought that wasn’t possible with a new born? Think again!

Not only is it possible for new parents to take a holiday with their new born child/children; it is wholeheartedly recommended that you do so. If there was ever a group of people that desperately needed a holiday it is this one. New parents are stressed in ways that the rest of us dare not even imagine. If you fall into this subsection of society then listen up! Not only can you take your child on a luxury staycation right here in the UK – but the Luxury Family Hotels group of hotels exist specifically to make your life easier.

New Parents Are Under Constant Pressure

Whether you have just had your first child, or whether you are on your fourth, a new baby is stressful. You are placed under enormous pressure from the moment that tiny life arrives and you realise that you are responsible for its safety. Worse: there might be more problems at play than you realise.

After a pregnancy or a birth it is not uncommon to experience mental health issues. Particularly for those that experienced a traumatic birth: anxiety, depression, and PTSD are almost normal. More than half of all sufferers of mental health problems are parents – with a whopping 68% of all women with mental health problems being mums. The Mental Health Foundation estimate that between 100-150 parents per thousand suffer from mild depressive illnesses.

Raising a baby is so stressful that the National Health Service have issued specific advice on how to cope. If you find yourself under pressure and feeling like you cannot manage – then follow their advice. We also suggest that a holiday is not out of reach for those with a new baby. It might even be the best way to take some of that weight off.

Stress is Terrible for a New Parent’s Health

Various sources give differing accounts of what is the most stressful factor of being a new parent. While the NHS argue that spending a full day failing to complete a single task because of the baby’s needs is a common cause, the Guardian cites lack of sleep as a major factor. Their research suggests that a new parent faces around 6 years of sleep deprivation per child… and lack of sleep has a distinct impact of its own on your health.

Lack of sleep can cause a lowered sex drive, leads to weight gain, and causes ‘foggy thinking’ according to Healthline. Sleep is as fundamental a need as nutrition and water are to the human body. In addition, all new parents will recognise their lack of nutrition as they continue to eat what they can grab, when they can grab it.

What Causes So Much Stress?

As if lack of sleep and poor nutrition aren’t bad enough, the layers of stress on any new parent don’t end there. Some of the stress factors faced include:

• No time to yourself – as a new parent you do not get time to yourself. Studies have shown that solitude boosts creativity, helps the brain relax, and can even reduce the risk of behavioural problems in children.
• Financial worries – adding to the family always costs more. This leads to huge pressures.
• Time management – there isn’t enough time to do everything as a new parent. The sooner you accept this the happier you will be.
• Add to this the lack of sleep, constant stream of visitors to see the new child, and the inexperience of raising children to the first time parent – and you start to get an adequate picture of the stresses involved.

How do we change things? We stop, we take a break, and we turn to the list of luxurious hotels contained in these pages. New parent? Need a break? No wonder. We know just where you should go…

Hotels Have Changed to Accommodate New Parents!

The staycation is now the norm for new families. It is cheaper than going abroad, it means you have access to all the luxuries of home and the resorts are tailored to meet your needs. Everyone wins and you get the longed-for break you so deserve.

So now that we know hotels and resorts are changing to accommodate the young family – what sorts of things should you expect? As usual, we are already on the case!

What sort of Family Friendly Hotel Facilities Are There?

Upon closer inspection you might be surprised by how many family orientated hotels the Luxury Family Hotels group offer.  You can expect to find all sorts of family activities, rooms, and amenities. Some of these include:

• Crèche Facilities – many family hotels now have crèche faculties to let you get some hard-earned time off.
• Complimentary child care – some hotels and resorts offer a few hours free per stay, some offer a couple of hours a day, and some offer babysitters that you can hire in advance.
• Child eating times – many hotels appreciate that children want the experience of dining, but without the pressures of doing so in adult company. To combat this you often find a children’s hour for family dining.
• Child-friendly swimming pools – from pools designed specifically for toddlers to adult pools with life guards on duty at all hours, your family hotel is ready to make swimming fun.
• Baby-Listening – most hotels that offer family rooms will offer a free baby-listening service. This just means that the staff will oversee the baby monitor while you eat or enjoy the facilities. They will contact you if the baby needs attention – but it means you can get away even for a few minutes.
• Family Rooms – we have mentioned these but not what they include. Many family rooms are for four, some are for 6. They might include a kitchenette or facilities for heating the baby’s food, beds to sleep everyone, separate rooms for the adults and children, and the usual hotel amenities. If you can afford it, we recommend the family rooms that have interconnecting rooms and so the kids have a separate room (often twin or bunk arrangement) so you’re all not on top of each other!
• Baby and toddler equipment – another thing we are seeing more and more of is a rise in hotels offering on-site equipment for the little ones. Baby cots, cutlery, bottle warmers, crockery, nappy bins, changing mats – and just about anything else you need can be ordered in advance to the room. This frees up your luggage space and generally makes your life easier.
• Play areas – most hotels will now offer both indoor and outdoor play areas for the children. Many will have both soft play and more adventurous play areas for a good age range of child.
• Kid’s clubs – it’s not always about the babies. Some hotels have kid’s clubs that run through the school holidays so that the kids are off your hands for a few hours throughout the day.
• There are usually on-site activities for slightly older children. They can include going to nearby beaches, educational tours, or things like swimming lessons with an instructor. These activities will depend on the hotel, but some of the best we have seen include fossil walks with a tour guide at the Moonfleet Manor Hotel, Special spa treatments for teenagers at the New Park Manor Hotel and the specially tailored ‘Baby’s First Stay Away’ package at the Woolley Grange Hotel.

Where Can I Find These Wonderful Family Friendly Hotels?

The Luxury Family Hotels Group are a hotel chain that are specifically focused on providing high-end stays for you and your family. Whether you have a new-born baby or are raising young children – they have warm staff, toys in the reception, and all the baby and toddler equipment you can think of to make your stay easier.

The Luxury Family Hotels Group Difference…

What makes a Luxury Family Hotels Group hotel different? When they talk about ‘family-friendly’ they don’t just mean that they have big bedrooms. Everything you could think of for raising a child will be included in your stay. The Woolley Grange, for example, can give you warm milk on demand. How many times a day do you need to heat milk and how much time do you spend on it? The hotel can take this one problem off your hands. They really have thought of the smallest details.

This difference in service takes the Luxury Family Hotels Group out of the realms of the standard hotel, setting them apart as a unique holiday destination for any family. If you want to experience a real break, where real things are taken off your hands to free up your time, then a family friendly hotel should be the first on your list of dream destinations.

With more than thirty years of experience in catering to the needs of families just like yours; the Luxury Family Hotels Group offer a range of hotels with a difference. Woolley Grange alone has seen more than 200,000 visitors pass through its doors. With the likes of Ickworth, Fowey Hall (read our review here), New Park Manor and Moonfleet Manor all adding to the range, you are sure to find the ideal location for your family.

Book now, take that break, and don’t be a super-stressed parent. You could be making memories instead, with the Luxury Family Hotels group.