Hi Dawn/Graham, ive gone from disagreeing with you to totally agreeing with you. I got back just over a week ago with my 10 year old and she loved it, not bored once. However one night we were eating at a chinese in Candolim and a group of around 10 walked in, it was bedlam from the word go everyone was drunk one of the children was sick as soon as they sat at the table. They were all shouting and swearing and stupid me rolled my eyes at my daughter to make her laugh because i knew she was feeling intimadated. One of the mums saw me and told everyone if i didnt like it to off. Some of the older kids looked sunburnt which fair enough we got caught out once, but the little one was shattered and didnt know what to do with herself. It is sad but i guess no matter where you go in the world there is always something or somebody we disagree with. Never mind.

The point we were making is........ how can dragging a two year old (for example) across the world make any sense??

I totally disagree with the above comment but i do agree with some of your other comments which were made.
I am taking my son to Goa in a few weeks, he will be nearly 3, and my nephew who is 12. I have took him to many different places in the past (turkey, Goa, and thailand) He loved all the attention from the locals in Goa and thailand. Why is Goa not a suitable destination for young children?
I understand the point you made about it being too hot. Obviously we keep him out of the sun around midday, whether it letting him have a nap in the hotel room/his pram, or keeping him in the shade in a beach shack.
Its just a matter of taking sensible precautions etc, like in any other country.
We have worked hard all year for this holiday and i study as well so i think its a well deserved holiday. I wont stop taking my child to Goa just because some people dont agree with me. Why let comments like that spoil our holiday?

There are two year olds and two year olds and parents of two year olds!!!!
Like anywhere there are parents who care for their children and those who dont! I've seen children at that age who are total brats and those who are young adults! not always the childs fault?

Well we will have to disagree.

Taking the 'how you should bring a child up' debate out of the equation, because there are good and bad parents everywhere. Most parents are fully experienced and qualified to make a decision on where to take their children on holiday. Whether that is to Goa or Timbuktu - is their choice.

If meeting families and chidren doesn't fit into somebody's criteria for a good holiday, then I'm sure there's places in Goa and indeed other holiday destinations around the World where this can be obtained. There are holiday brochures that specialise in providing 'no children' AI hotels, so that could be an option.

I am not condoning some parents attitudes to their children and/ or people around them - there are some bad parents about, but they are definitely in the minority.

Goa sounds a great place (going in 5 wks for the 1st. time) and I have burnt the midnight oil for hours and hours on end reasearching it - so let the kids enjoy it too.

McGroogle

I thought it best to split this from its original thread as it was "hijacking" it!

Tricky one this having 2 kids myself 16 and 20 year old now so hardly kids, we always took them to Greece or Tenerife as Goa was too expensive back then. I would have loved to have took them both to Goa for the experience. Without wishing to drag up the old `Costa Goa`threads again I can see the points raised by Dawn/Graham and must say I agree on some of them.

We have all seen it, parents with kids up till all hours bored stiff while their parents are getting merrily drunk in the bar allowing them to run wild just so they can have a few more beers. At the end of of the day if you take your kids then it should be a family holiday and the kids treated as such and not allowed to become someone elses problem. Don`t get me wrong I love kids and will happily spend time chatting and playing with other peoples but there comes a time when I just want to relax and chill out just like everybody else.

As I said earlier the cost of getting here and the cost while you are here make it very appealing to a lot of people who maybe used to frequent the Costas *cues the stoning* . I have half shares in a Benidorm bar and love the place to bits but the culture difference the heat and the distance make Goa a million miles away from here and should be treated as such.
People should have a little more understanding of Goa before they decide to haul the family half way round the world and expect it to be the same. By reading the threads on here and making posts as what to expect in Goa then I feel you have at least made some effort to find out for yourself

I understand the point you made about it being too hot. Obviously we keep him out of the sun around midday, whether it letting him have a nap in the hotel room/his pram, or keeping him in the shade in a beach shack.
Its just a matter of taking sensible precautions etc, like in any other country.
We have worked hard all year for this holiday and i study as well so i think its a well deserved holiday.

Too right Yummy, that is responsible parenting as it should be

BTW Mc Groogle enjoy your hols

People should have a little more understanding of Goa before they decide to haul the family half way round the world and expect it to be the same.

I agree with you on that one feel the vibe. It was my third time to Goa before i first took my son. I would never have took him if i hadn't have been before because i wouldnt have known what to expect. Fell in love with the state, draws me back year after year

I took my 5 yr old girl and 15 yr old lad to Goa, They had a wonderful time. My son's a chess nut so had a whale of a time winning the older generation in the hotel, on the beach, at the poolside (which had a great big chess set) and the goan waiters too. He also played football and learnt to climb the coconut trees (in a controlled environment). My little girl loved it too and made friends with loads of local children, she went to school for 2 days out of the month we were there and had the experience of a lifetime visiting a poor village out in the sticks. She has been back at school now for 5 weeks. My daughter used to fall asleep in the restaurant on 2 chairs without whinging and no tantrums. The one time in the month when she did play up she was taken back to the hotel room by me, Hubby and son and we stayed in that day and scowled at her for spoiling our fun too, she didn't do it again.

While I agree with a lot of the above comments, I also disagree with some, It really comes down to bad parenting. But no-one can say who comes to Goa except the authorities and I hardly think they are going to turn down a family of 4 as opposed to a couple or single adult. Goa is a progressing state and with that come changes. Maybe they should start having adult only hotels and accomodation?

sadly you find fantastic (not) parents like those described all over the world. i dont agree with the 2 year old being taken there though. my parents moved to kenya in east africa with me & my sister when we were 2&3 & then spent any free time they had driving around the beautiful country & its neighbours. although i only spent 6 years of my life there fantastic memories of it are firmly entrenched forever. i think travelling with kids no matter how young is always a good thing! but not the god awful behaviour of the ignorant parents in your case.

We have all seen it, parents with kids up till all hours bored stiff while their parents are getting merrily drunk in the bar allowing them to run wild just so they can have a few more beers. At the end of of the day if you take your kids then it should be a family holiday and the kids treated as such and not allowed to become someone elses problem

This is exactly why i don't take my child to somewhere like Mojorca. Ive nothing against majorca but i feel when i go on holiday to Goa it is a relaxing holiday, we never stay out til past 11pm as my son gets tired and sometimes im tired by that time. If parents want to stay out drinking until all hours then they should leave thier children at home or wait til they're much older. I saw something like that about 4 years in Turkey, a couple were in a bar with their son ( think he was about 7) and because he was so tired he was playing up, and the parents just kept shouting at him. I felt sorry for the little lad.

The point im trying to make is that not every parent who takes their children to Goa will want to stay out til late drinking.
I am off to Palma nova/magaluf with a group of work and University friends whilst my hubby and son stay at home as they have already been on 2 holidays this year. I would definetly not intend on taking my son because i know that it is going to be a holiday where i want to stay out quite late, and i do not want to inflict that on him.

I'm travelling for 6 months my parents sister her partner and 2 year old niece came through in Jan to suprise me. My niece had the time of her life and cant wait to come back to Goa. You get the bad 'parenting' at every holiday destination, so you shouldnt tar everyone with the same brush

I totally agree there are good and bad parenting in all countries and resorts. My gripe is the 9-10 hour flight where babies and young children are crying continiously or running up and down the aisle and bothering the aircrew or other travellers trying to relax and enjoy the flight.

Its difficult enought to keep a child occupied for 2-4 hour flight, never mind the Goa flight!!