Holidays with grandparents

We went away with my grandparents every summer in their caravan for a week to ten days, mum and dad would come at the weekend if close enough, so they could work while we were off school, pretty sure my grandparents covered our expenses and parents gave us since pocket money (low income). We're going away in the summer to the Netherlands with my parents and DHs parents all together (MN nightmare scenario but I like them all!), but we're all chipping in for accommodation and travel and sharing driving.
I don't think grandparents paying for multiple holidays a year is normal, but I'm not from a wealthy background. We earn more than my parents ever did but have substantial mortgage/outgoings and can't afford to treat 4 extra adults to a holiday but that they'd want us to!
DS is going away for a week in the summer just in the UK with PIL and they won't take any money from us. Well send him with some cash and he'll likely come back with it as he has before with them and with my parents.

I also think many people take GPs on holiday because they can't handle dealing with their children on their own without help from others for the entire time
i take my children on holiday alone and have done every year since they were toddlers. It was always and remains always significantly easier than when my mum and dad have come too. And no they dont do any childcare. They are two extra people to look after. 😂

We go on an annual 4 generation UK weekend away. Costs are usually split but sometimes the eldest 2 generations fund it between them. If that happens the "youngsters" pay for all the food and activities for everyone while there.

When we go away with just my parents it varies. Sometimes they pay (if it's their choic of destination or timing) but we'll pay for all the food when we're there. Sometimes we book separately but go to the same place. We would never pay for them because my siblings aren't in a position to do so.

Normal for us. When the children were small, we couldn’t afford abroad - my parents could so they paid and a lovely time was had by all.

Later, when MIL was widowed, she came with us and paid tor herself although we picked up food/car etc.

Now we have grandchildren we go away for smaller holidays with them and split 50/50 even though it’s four of them and two of us

We all had/have separate holidays too but it’s pretty good all round - our children loved it as our grandchildren do too.

I should add we don’t live close by so it isn’t as if we live(d) in each other’s pockets.

Most definitely not for my family, not because I don't get on with my extended family simply because I value precious time on holiday with my own little family.

I also think many people take GPs on holiday because they can't handle dealing with their children on their own without help from others for the entire time. None of my friends have their children a full week without help or household help and not always because of work, most have GPs that take them a day out every week, have a sleepover every week , come and help them get dressed for nursery, take them to clubs or do nursery pick ups. And some of them don't do any laundry, parents pick it up, wash, dry, iron and drop off. It's alien to me as we get no help with any of that and just plod on.

In a way.

We have been on holiday with our kids and my parents and separately with his parents.

Cost was split down the middle.

It does work out cheaper doing it that way so we were subsidized a bit. Cottage holidays in the uk rather than anything expensive though.

Lol the most I get out of dad is a couple hours at the pub softplay if I need it. My mum will come somewhere if I taxi her about. No neither would ever pay for a holiday for us.

It wasn't normal for me as a child but it is becoming the normals for us now we have kids.
Last year we went to centre parcs with my parents although I'm sure we split it 50:50.
The year before, my husband's parents took us on a cruise!
This year we are going to a hotel staying in a lodge self catering with my husband's parents, they have paid for the majority of that although we didn't ask them to. And then we are going to centre parcs on June with my folks.

So yes going on holidays with the grandparents is a running theme for us but we usually split the bill for it.

I wouldn't take my primary holiday with grandparents - I value our time as a family unit and grandparents probably like different holidays to the kids now. We do have a week with grandparents each year, alternating the family between FIL and my parents.

MIL (divorced) has made it clear she would rather do her own thing which is fine.

We pay ourselves - well, share the cost of the accommodation. So it makes it cheaper but they don't pay for us.

My parents are taking 16 holidays this year (yes more than one a month). They are LOVING retirement.

We spend a week every summer with my parents at their holiday home. But we pay for our flights (nothing else though).

I've never been away with my grandparents. DH did as a child but not as an adult.

My parents took us away a few times, we also went with them and split the cost sometimes. Not every year. Didn't get as much as a meal at my ex mil's house in my dcs entire childhood!

I know people who do and many who dont do this.

My parents have always taken their grandchildren on holiday on a child-centred uk holiday every year. Haven, Butlins, Parkdean, Centreparcs and the like. They were getting older when i had mine so I always went with them, but my older siblings didn't usually go with them, just their children. My younger sibling’s child has had one holiday with them as they are no longer fit. Now my parents are pretty much housebound and instead get joy by paying for the remaining child-aged grandchildren, and me and my sister, to go away in this country to a child-centred holiday every year instead. I said this year that I can get the same price for a last minute week in spain but i was told a firm no, as the children love butlins, and it is for them not me 😂

my mother-in-law also starting taking us away every year, in a air b&b type with lots of walking and sightseeing, but now her partner is no longer fit enough either.

We did some of those when i was a kid we went to one in wales that was 🤩
I was also fascinated with welsh accents which i had not heard before and thought they were amazing

We apparently went on holiday with each set of grandparents once (I don’t remember either time)

My parents always said they never did it again as they needed a holiday to get over it!

Most (of course not all) grandparents are wealthier than their adult children and families and have fewer costs (paid off mortgages no childcare costs etc) so it's quite common in my experience.

Don't do that please. That's unfair

Also very common amongst my working class family and friends.

I remember my parents saving newspaper tokens to take the grandkids on cheap caravan holidays, which they loved.

Whilst it is not normal for us I think it was fairly normal amongst the families my son went to school with and my closest friend's family. Not that the grandparents paid completely for many but the parents shared the cost e.g. center parcs. I know a couple had holidays paid for them that the grandparent's didn't also go on - and that is just the ones I know about.

We tried it with DH's parents once but it just made it more expensive and more work for us (it was clear we were expected to pay for everything including a bigger cottage so they could come and wait on them). Never again.

we don’t for various reasons but very common among our MC friendship group with small children.

most summer holidays are funded by GPs as even when you are a high earner, money is tight with full time childcare and big mortgages. It also means the parents get a break and GPS get time with the kids.

Normal for us. Not every holiday but at least 1 a year with each set of grandparents.

Not normal for us. We've had one holiday with my parents and we covered the costs of the accommodation and most of the food.
We often go away with my MIL and we pay for her.

We do a week away with Grandson each year or maybe a couple of Monday to Fridays. I remember spending a large part of the summer holidays with grandparents at their caravan. My own children went to stay with their Grandad who lived at the coast for a week each year. It is a lovely way to spend time with grandchildren.

Normal for us. When my DC were young we would go away with one or other set of GPs for big and small breaks. Not always, but more often than not a set of GPs would be along. Now DC are adults we tend as an extended family for someone to say I fancy this place or that and for those who want to go to go. Sometimes this may be all of us, sometimes a few. Everyone pays for themselves though!

My family didn’t take grandparents when I was a child. With DH and DCs we’ve been in the odd weekend away with grandparents but not main holidays, I couldn’t cope with that. I don’t enjoy holidaying with others as it just complicates things and I don’t want to compromise on what we choose to do with our holiday.