Christmas holidays

Maw ''We could get Jura to find us somewhere nice and could après all day without the skiing part! grin ?''

well yes, I could. We love going to ski + spa resorts - so those who don't ski or snowboard can enjoy the spa- and those who do can soak away the aches and pains at the end of the day. But as it is all booked- too late for this time.

I mean, of course say no if you don't want to go- but you would so be missing out. Get elasticated crampons for under you boots- and relax and enjoy. Do you know the name of the resort? You could find a transfer my bus or taxi or train to take you and daughter to Salzburg- perhaps even stay a night there.

As said, say no if you wish, but what a magical missed opportunity.

Yes I’d take your option Sodapop

I would go and enjoy spending time with the family at Christmas, you don't have to ski. I also agree with Maw it would be very magical.

Go. Christmas in the Alps is lovely and you'll have a great time. Life's too short not to experience a great time with the family. It will be a lovely memory for your daughter's and grandkids too. You'd be surprised what you can do - it isn't all about skiing. My aunt (aged 77) came with me when my DH and went on our 1st skiing holiday in 1989 with our my daughter (age 4). We had a blast because she went on walks and met some lovely people and then regaled us with her antics. She was quite a character. You'll sleep like a dream too.

What’s not to like???????? All of it!! Cold, snow, ice ........ don’t go, simple

GO GO It is beautiful in winter,, having lived in Switzerland. You can go for walks all marked and safe. The air is clear higher up, take a gondola ride, sit and have a drink and admire the scenery. You are so lucky to have a good family to invite you, not as a cheap babysitter though!! Good luck

'enjoyed', obviously!

Many years ago we went skiing (1st time) at Christmas, with dds then about 9 and 12, a friend of dd1, and both my mother and my FiL, both of whom had been widowed during the previous couple of years.

We were in a pretty Austrian village, and I do honestly think they joyed themselves very much, although there was never any question of either of them skiing. They explored the village together, enjoyed treating themselves in cafes or just relaxing in the hotel lounge, and would sometimes take themselves up the mountain in the cable car, , to enjoy the views.
Will there be someone you could do similar with, just pottering about, relaxing, and enjoy evenings with the skiers?

My sister accompanied a couple of friends who went for the ski slopes.
My sister is a non skier had no wish to learn.
She had such a good time that she went again the following year.
She said the transport to Salzburg and surrounding areas was great.
I'm sure there will be sleigh rides and as others have said it will Christmas personified.

It would be as shame to leave your daughter on her own whilst others are off enjoying themselves.
Especially as there will be lovely comfy sofas in front of a roaring fire where you will be able to snuggle up with a glass of something warming and a good book.

I'm quite

This happened to a friend of mine - although with one of her daughters (and her 2 children) and 2 other couples (friends of their who also had children). My friend was really excited and touched about being included but it turned out that she'd been invited along to do lots of babysitting! You never know, your invitation may be the same?

I personally would go. Your three daughters will be there, with your grandchildren. What a wonderful time to make memories!

We have been invited to a sunny Christmas abroad this year with our adult children and grandchildren in a ‘child friendly’ hotel. Suspect it will be more ‘bucket and spade’ than we would necessarily choose, but we will have fun and memories with our four young grandchildren which will be marvellous. I suspect that when they are teenagers, that they may not want us to come with them on holiday ... and we might be to immobile by then to want to go!

Go and enjoy the apres ski, the presque ski, their skiing stories and the shared memories! Take a good book or several to read while they are out and have a lovely time. ?✅ ?

Who's paying for you? If they're expecting you to pay and you don't want to go then explain your genuine reasons for not going. If they're offering to pay for you, take the opportunity to go. Keep your younger daughter company, take books, magazines or other things you like to do during the day. Enjoy yourself, meet new people... Do they have a spa or swimming pool on the complex?

I'd go like a shot, despite not skiing or snowboarding, despite mobility problems myself ... I'd still go in a heartbeat. Go, say yes and build up a bit of excitement for some quality family time.
The children will be exhausted and sleep well so even if you do get a bit of babysitting duties it won't be difficult.
There's plenty of other things to do apart from skiing and your youngest daughter will probably be fine left to her own devices when you want to go off on your own.
Regret what you don't do comes to mind Amt101 you'll only get the 2Ronnies and Only Fools and Horses with a little bit of Bruce Willis defying the odds if you stay in the UK for Christmas

When DS and his then girlfriend were managing different ski hotels in Verbier, they managed to get me a room in hers and I ate in his. They somehow got me a lift pass too. I didn't even think about skiing - Heaven forbid! But the free local bus service took me round about the town and the lift pass took me to the top of the piste so that I could watch them skiing while I warmed up with hot chocolate. I put on my walking boots and enjoyed a stroll in a neighbouring valley. It was an unforgettable week when I also clearly saw the Comet Hale-Bopp in that wonderful cloudless Alpine sky.
OP don't dismiss the idea out of hand, but find out what you can do in the resort while the rest of the family go skiing.

There is a lot of conflicting advice but my bet is that out of all the comments someone will have said exactly the right thing and you will feel much better for having read everything ,amt101.
There are other things to think about when going away with other folk - even family .What time do they like to get up in a morning?
Will they be offended if you want to go to bed earlier than them?
What happens if you just feel like curling up and reading a good book?
Will they feel bad if they want to go out to eat and you feel like staying in and eating alone?
You are probably much younger than me but not being used to being with a lot of people daily nowadays I get tired when I am involved in too much conversation.
If you had no doubts at all about going you would not have posted your email.
Please yourself.
You can say no ,you know.
I really don’t think this applies to you but it may to me if I were involved in a similar situation .....
Had I been invited and said no I don’t think my family would lose sleep over it.
They might well feel relieved that I didn’t want to go with them but feel that they had to ask me first so that I wasn’t upset that I hadn’t been invited.

My advice is to trust your "gut" feelings. Don't be pressured into agreeing, if it's not what you want to do. I think that family holidays can be great but also that they can be quite stressful! (I speak from experience, including that of DH & I going as non-skiers on a family skiing holiday.)

As you get on well with everybody and it doesn't sound as if they are expecting you to ski you can curl up there with a good book and a glass of something as easily as you can at home. Its Christmas surely any childminding doesn't have to be too heavy. So many grans on here would love the opportunity. As so often other countries deal with cold and snow so much better than we do. An hours drive is really nothing.

I would go in a heartbeat but as it isn't going to happen, I can only dream.

I love travelling so I would go! However I would say from the outset that you are happy to do your fair share of cooking etc (assuming they haven’t hired a chalet girl?) but plan to relax and do your own thing a lot too.
I also would be wary that you will turn into a free child minder for the holiday! So probably, as someone else suggested, tactfully raise the issue of your holiday expectations as well as what they are expecting. Someone up thread optimistically said you would “be waited on hand and foot!” I would probably not think this likely, but certainly it would be your holiday as well and so you should get a say in how it pans out.
I think Christmas in Austria will be fantastic and as others have said you could pop on the train to Salzburg and enjoy the Christmas markets!

Apologies - I said "DGD" not youngest Daughter who cannot ski due to health problems.

amt101

I notice that a lot of people are trying to persuade you to go because it is something they would like rather than thinking about you and reading what you actually said.

I think MissAdventure is right! If you don't want to go you should not feel under any obligation to go. Your DGD who cannot ski will be looked after in turn by her family, surely? Personally I think a family with a child in her position is selfish to take her away on a skiing holiday for themselves at Christmas, knowing she will be left out of the main reason for the holiday and will not be part of the family group. Were they hoping you would come so that you could look after her? That is despicable! To make you feel guilty and force you into making a journey to a place you do not want to go for Christmas because of their selfish neglect of their disabled daughter and their selfish desire to go skiing. How dreadful!

I think the only thing MissAdventure might have overlooked is that, for you, it is not "that simple". Trying to say "No thanks, I won't be coming." to your family is difficult. I think actually it needs to be simple though! Your children need to respect you and understand that, like all of us here, we are the older generation and have different needs and feelings. Please follow your own feelings and do not go. If you feel as I do, say that they are being unfair to the non-skiing child to book a Christmas skiing holiday in which she cannot take part and will be left out of the group.

Wishing you all the best and good luck when you tell them. Just hold your ground, don't be dragged into a long explanation about why you do not want to go, just repeat the same "I prefer to stay at home for Christmas this time." If you start saying why you prefer it, they will just knock down yours answers, so don't give them reasons as to why you prefer not to go.
Good luck!

As it is a ski resort there might well be staff at the chalet to cook meals, clean and have tea and cake on the table for returning skiers.

Christmas at a ski resort is wonderful even if you don’t ski. Sitting in a deckchair in snow with hot chocolate in your hand watching your family ski is wonderful as is swimming in a very warm outdoor pool surrounded by snow and mountains. I am so envious AMT101.
Others have mentioned being “ used “ to babysit. I can’t understand the downside to that unless the children’s parents are planning going out every night and leaving you with the children. The reality with a ski holiday is very busy days, early dinner and early night to prepare for the next wonderful day.

Thank them for suggesting it but please don’t go.

Enjoy your Christmas at home and treat yourself to something nice .

I wish I could babysit my grand daughter. Good luck,whatever you decide.

We skied every year for ten years and I dont think I was cold once. Ski resorts are not like Britain. The snow is dry, crisp and powdery and the indoor spaces are usually heated up to about 80 degrees. Invariably we slept with the windows open all night, being used to British houses in the winter. The scenery is breathtaking and many resorts have winter walks, toboggan rides, spas and swimming pools. Some even have rock bands and outdoor markets with hot punch, roast chesnuts and plenty of shopping. It really is picture postcard. If it were me I would go like a shot, providing I was not expected to cook for everyone of course.