Holidaying with older children and their children......?

The best plan is to holiday with the grandkids, but leave their parents at home. A spare aunt or uncle is useful for doing the effort-requiring stuff, like yelling at cajoling into bed before midnight, making sure they are reasonably cleansed occasionally, making sure they remember to do safety clips up on tree-top activities, getting the crack-of-dawner's breakfast, etc. etc.

Apart from that, all normal rules go out the windows. And the folks back home are none the wiser.

It would be no fun with Mum and Dad along. Lovely as they are.

We love to spend time as a whole family group (2 of us + 4 adult children and associated partners + 11 grandchildren) as the kids have a whale of a time and the grownups behave themselves. Did it in 4 caravans 2 years ago and have booked a Youth Hostel for next year's summer 1/2 term. Fingers crossed it works out OK. Will have to think about rotas not done that before.

As lovely as it's been - and as much as I love the little munchkins - I will be going home and looking for a short break à deux -

I'm quite looking forward to next Wednesday. Home again, teacher DD back at work, and DH out all day flying his little aeroplanes.

#homealonepraisethelord. ()

I am on holiday, at present , with DS and GC. I am totally exhausted, we are up a lane, up a track and GD2 gets car sick every time we go out.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments yesterday, Gransnetters, when I was feeling a bit sorry for myself for not having been asked on holiday with the family this year. This, plus remembering the reality of such holidays without the rose-tinted glassed (exhausting!) did the trick. My DD has asked if I'd like to go out for a day next week with her and my GS - a day out with a 4 year old, then back home to peace & quiet is ideal!

Best of all worlds cangran.

My gs (7)lives in Poland and we see each other 5/6 times a year and use facetime to keep in touch. I have holidayed with the family lots and we all get on well but, for the first time, this year I took my gs on holiday without his parents...We had a ball!!

Grandchildren are much more fun without parents about.

As the Polish holiday starts earlier we got a good deal at an excellent all inclusive hotel in Spain(no cooking or cleaning).My fears of him missing his parents were completely unfounded and his English improved greatly over the week.

So good we are repeating it next year at his request.

I do wish my grown up children would include me in their outings - I was widowed thirteen months ago and I do need the children and grandchildren. Whilst I know I can't encroach on their lives, just being left out is very hurtful - this is what happened over the new year with parties on and I was dumped back home in the certain knowledge that I was going to see in the new year on my own, having watched the family get dressed up and pack up the champagne and beers to take with them. They just wanted to come in to the house for the toilet and then left. They didn't trouble to see if I had a bottle of wine for the evening or any nibbles (I had, I made sure white wine was in the fridge) but it really did hurt. I did raise it with them weeks later (I'd fumed over the upset) but got a rather sharp answer. I'd been with them during the daytime on new year's eve and just delivered back home on their way to London. If I'd had someone staying with me I might have thought twice about going out. I'm not bothered about being on my own but this really did hurt.

GrandmaNell I can understand how hurtful that was . It is very hard but I have developed a very stiff upper lip, although my DD's are very good and understanding, there is always the occasional time when I feel very left out and wish I had someone to share with...
(my granddaughter is Nell and she is 6 today!)

I meant to write a note, but I do hope your granddaughter Nell had a nice sixth birthday.