Holidays with family

The biggest problem for us, is that we are up ready to go early morning, and the rest of them seem to take hours to get organised to do anything.

Oh yes!
And why do they have to bring so much holiday kit with them and leave it strewn about the place?

Indeed - the sleep-ins by all the family (the AC members anyway) have been a feature of our shared holidays - but I will be around to field the children and keep them happy.

I do remember that making a decision about what to do/where to go often lasted into the early afternoon!

But were we will be there is so much to do in the grounds of the great bog house that I fully expect that they will not go very far, but just laze by the pool, play tennis and boules and rampage around the grounds in a pack of cousins! Oh, and eat and eat and eat!!

I suppose that's one of the issues, the "who does what when" ... but with a big family Sarah you find there are both early-risers and late-to-beds.

Our early risers went out early (often bringing back delicious breads and pastries) and the "later" families often cooked the evening meal and did all the end-of-the-day clearing up for example.

Because we had six family units there was a good mix and match and people made their own arrangements but "invited" others to join them.

I've had a couple of holidays with one son and his partner and absolutely loved it. And a few years ago 14 of us had a holiday together and it was wonderful. Generally though, it's just me on my own which I don't mind one bit.

I spent a number of wonderful holidays with my DS1's family in t big touring caravan mainly in Provence. The children were just pre-teens and slept in their 'pup' tents overnight. They would go and collect the morning bread order from the campsite bar and we had a leisurely breakfast. Much time was spent in and around the pool. We visited favourite haunts and shopped together in the local market. That period is over: the children are late teenagers and living their own eventful lives; their parents are both with new partners. But we all have our own happy memories.

Oh yes, we do it every year. 2 sons and their partners along with 3 grandchildren so nine of us in total

We have great fun together but also go off and do our own things when we want.

When we go on holiday as a family, we all have separate rooms/apartments on a complex so we have an element of independence. There is no compulsion to do things with us or each other and everybody does their own thing if they want to. Generally, we get together in small groups during the day and larger groups in the evening. It works for us.

We went away with my Mum 2-3 times when our children were small and she was newly widowed, they weren't to anywhere special but the memories are precious now.

We’ve gone on holiday with ours daughters, husbands and kids lots of times. It’s hectic, noisy and great fun! I’m looking forward to our next trip to a big villa in Florida next year. Secret (for us) is plenty of space, everyone happy to help out and some time on your own!
We’ve also gone away with friends and siblings. Never again. One set of friends just wanted to sit and drink alcohol all day long, my sibling and partner followed us everywhere. Couldn’t seem to do anything alone. It was tough!

Lovely subject ?❤️

I’m with the minority on this. I love them all dearly so booked it on a wave of optimism and really wanted to enjoy us all being together but no, never again.

11 of us + dog are off tomorrow to Southwold! It was a suggestion made by daughters to celebrate my 60th, 12 years ago and we’ve done it every year since, at various venues. It’s our treat to the family, usually at Easter. It’s certainly a treat for me to see them all together. Started with 2 babies and my parents. Now DH and I are the oldies and there are 5 DGC. Sometimes we do things together, sometimes not. Everyone appears to enjoy it and they are already asking when and where we are going next year, after I dropped a hint that maybe it was time to stop!

No we wouldn't do it. We like very different holidays and have different interests. We all get along very well perhaps because we don't spend too much time together!

Whether it works or not must surely depend on at least two things: how you get on with the relatives you go on holiday with, and what your expectations of a holiday are.

I have no experience of it - by the time I was old enough to travel on my own nothing would have induced me to travel anywhere with my parents, as they quarrelled incessantly.

My DIL made it clear from the start that they intended to travel on their holidays - any time spent with us, or by us with them is usually at Christmas or Easter and requires a fair amount of tact.

We pay for holidays for our 3 sons and their families and we have a marvellous time

We did take my Mum on holiday with us when two of our sons were babies. All she wanted to do was cook an clean! Whatever I suggested doing or going to the answer was 'No'. Given that we were in Wales where she was brought up she had little interest in her home town.

Some years later we took my MIL with us to Cornwall. She didn't stop complaining the whole two weeks and spoiled the holiday for us and especially the children. I said then 'never again'.

I'm sure multigenerational holidays work well for many people but it doesn't appeal to me.

Yes absolutely loved it. We have such lovely memories and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Have done it in the past. We all really enjoyed it. Can't or maybe won't do it now for health and mobility reasons. I miss going away with them, but cherish the memories and - who knows - when I get my hip done I might be able to go again.
They are all coming to see me soon and will stay in places around or here, and I am going back with a daughter to her home up north.
Do try it, and as others have said, discuss first who is contributing what and share the good times.

Our DiL loves family holidays and goes away at least twice a year with our DS and their 2 children plus her parents (amicably divorced), and her brother plus his family. One year our DS, who is an only child, was keen for me and OH (as his only close relatives) to join them all at a big house in Cornwall which we did. Sadly, we didn't really enjoy it. We'd only met our DiL's family once before (at her wedding to our DS) and soon realised that we had absolutely nothing in common. The holiday became a test of being polite and trying to get along. Even our attempts to spend time with the GCs were thwarted by "No 1 Nanna" who sees them regularly but wanted them to herself. The only other time we have tried a family holiday was when we paid for a week in a lodge with DS, DiL and GCs. I made it clear beforehand that I didn't want to be lumbered with all the catering and guess what? I'm sure family holidays can be fun, but think carefully first.

Works for us - we rent 2 flats overlooking the beach in south Devon and a house in a road behind. Each family has its own accommodation. We also have a boat moored in the sea outside the flats. The Building with the flats has a swimming pool - small gym, sauna and a cafe. It all works well and it’s lovely to see the grandchildren every day. I agree that tolerance is needed and a sense of humour helps ??

We did it for many years but usually only for a few days, a long weekend. We have taken a big house on one occasion which was wonderful. With grown up grandchildren now this is unlikely to happen again. Agree about the sense of humour.

Dear Lord no I go on holiday to do my own thing

Yes, lovely - so far so good!

Going on Monday.

8 of us in a static.

Yeahhhhhhh LOVE IT ... ❤

We had a couple of nice holidays with my parents when DC were little. We had a nightmare holiday with DS and her family. Only once and never went on holiday with another family ever again.