LIFE IS LOVELY: A break to Butlin's was the perfect getaway for Elijah, but holidays can be hard work with a little one

I hadn’t been to Butlin’s before, but I’d heard good things about it and with so much to do on site it seemed the best place to go to keep a toddler entertained for three days.

And while it was nice to get away before the new baby arrives, the holiday didn’t come without its challenges.

After Elijah was sick twice on the journey, resulting in two outfits changes, we finally made it to our destination and we were ready to enjoy a few days away from reality and make some memories.

Tantrums, twisty behaviour and lack of sleep all combined and didn’t make for a particularly happy Elijah at times.

Being 23 weeks pregnant, I found it more difficult than usual to control his tantrums and without the help of others I might have struggled to get through it.

Sometimes you need the patience of a saint with little ones.

I found it hard trying to get him to listen and as he made a show of himself I felt more and more people looking.

Sometimes you have to take five minutes away from the situation and let them settle on their own.

Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience when you’ve been away with your children?

We’ve never had such a short trip filled with so much fun and activities.

The indoor water park, the circus, arcades and a trip down Skegness sea front were just some of the things we experienced during our break, not to mention all the walking we did - I certainly worked off all the junk food I consumed while away.

The entertainment on an evening was top tier, with so much on offer from game shows to performances from Fleur East and everything in between, the staff did a great job keeping guests entertained.

Elijah showed off his dance moves as we watched a Latino dance performance on our first night.

Despite some meltdowns we were able to enjoy our break and I’m sure we’ll be back again, just with an extra little human next time and hopefully fewer tantrums.