Should kids go on holiday abroad every year?

We have relatives who live in US so we have had some brilliant family holidays in US with them, visiting different places, Disney, Yellowstone, Washington.

We have also done Butlins, Haven and Travelodges in this country and had a brilliant time.

Going on holiday anywhere for some kids is a luxury. I feel very lucky that we have been able to have a holiday every year, either in this country or the US and I do not take that for granted.

How ridiculous.

I always feel a bit sorry for kids who have seen it all by the time they’re 18.

It’s going to be hard for them to replicate the life to which they’ve become accustomed unless they’re very high earners, and also leaves less for them to explore themselves.

It is healthy and exciting, in a different way, to go on adventures as an adult, using your own money to reward yourself for the work you’ve carried out, and see things for the first time with friends or a partner.

Judging by your attitude I don't think you are particularly well rounded yourself.

You would be surprised. Many children still don't get a holiday at all.

Quote honestly I think having a holiday either abroad or at home is a luxury, not everyone can afford either!
Our 3 DC are all adults and moved out now, but when they were young, we had four holidays in total; a week in Spain, a week in a B&B in Blackpool and two camping breaks. It would have been lovely to have been able to offer more, but it was enough to keep the bills paid.
Years down the line, they're all working hard and taking themselves on holidays to explore the UK and abroad.

I felt sad at not having been able to give more, but none of them feel hard done by and they're all more than happy and "well rounded" despite not having holidays!

If you've never left dull-on-sea but have a raft of top grades no one cares. You'll fall down at the interview.

This is balls.

I do think having had some enriching experiences is useful in life but it does not have to involve foreign travel. I've hired lots of people who's sole experience of going abroad was the school trip to germany age 13.

As we look to protect the environment we will need to expect travel abroad as a less common occurrence.

We took our two abroad on an expensive sun holiday.

Honestly? They preferred our annual uk camping trip. They went spent all week asking worriedly if the expensive holiday was instead.

I do think kids (or really more the whole family) get a lot from a holiday away from home but that can be an inexpensive uk trip. In my view a high proportion of brits don't do much on a holiday that involves experiencing authentic local culture etc.

We go abroad a couple of times a year with our kids.

I honestly don’t know why people wouldn’t want to take their kids abroad and let them experience new cultures and see new things first hand.

I went on abroad holidays every year growing up and they are some of my most memorable childhood memories.

Clearly you know it’s a luxury. I love going abroad and we go twice a year. But only because we can afford it. You don’t need it to be well rounded.

There are some strange assumptions on this thread. Many people have said travel is wasted on young kids, but I have brilliant memories of foreign holidays as a child, and I thought Spain or France were a lot more fun than a caravan park or B & B in Blackpool. I don't think an annual foreign holiday is essential though! Although I now live abroad, so I am still enjoying exploring where I live as it still feels like a holiday. And why do people assume abroad is only AI by the pool with no cultural gain? I'm sure most people leave the hotel at least once, and even exposure to different languages, climates, food, culture can be experienced just by walking down the street. Although AI isn't my thing, I do think there is a lot of snobbery about it, let people enjoy things! So IMO foreign holidays aren't essential, never mind annually, but I do find most people who have traveled to be more well-rounded than people who have never left their home town, so I do think if you can do it, travel is a good thing.

I traveled a lot as a child and imagined my dc would too. They haven't. Mix of money, neurodivergence and medical needs that would mean we would need medical equipment - four machines that together are the sizes of two large suitcases and weight a lot more- not easy. We manage a domestic trip yearly (driving).

I have two friends whose dc go abroad at least once a year, often two-three times and they are some of the least well rounded kids you could meet.

My dc get culture in other ways. We often do day trips to museums, historical sites and art galleries. We go to see local plays, bands, orchestras. We drive to a University for really neat events they host, many of which are free. They read daily, listen to the news and we talk about current events and politics. They listen to interesting podcasts. I have several friends whose dc have never been abroad or in their 10+ (some are teens) years have been abroad only once or twice and they are also very well cultured and well rounded.

While I'm not saying travel is bad, I don't think you can put too much emphasis on it. Who we are is never defined by how we spend a week or two a year.

As your child is neurodivergent they might prefer to have one holiday spot you return to every year. There is great security in going back to a familiar spot where they know what's going to happen and have their favourite activity.
We did have regular holidays abroad but also every year we went to the same place in lreland and now our dc are grown this is where Jill their memories are from. This is where they bring their now partners to share those memories.

Just do whatever suits .

Haha, I'm 60 years old and have never been on an overseas holiday.
Put your money in investments for their future instead. Then they can live a comfortable life and enjoy holidays when they are old enough to remember the experience.

TBH it was a massive priority for DH and I , we didn't have a lot when the DCs were young ( thank you finacial crisis 2008) but an abroad holiday ( usually France and driving tbh) was a non negotiable. We went without a fair bit to make sure it happened we camp and we live in Kent so both of those made it easier. As they got older and finances eased we went to more places, we continue to put foreign holidays above smart cars or having a cleaner tbh.

Not these days it's not.

I went abroad once as a child. It didn't do me any harm, I've never felt aggrieved or blamed my parents, never felt jealous of friends that went more often. We visited lots of places through a playscheme and often went with my cousins. Our summer holidays would often be spent at my nan's home and my other cousins would congregate there, we'd have the best time.

As an adult I've been abroad 3 times and have just booked a holiday for this summer. We have 3 kids and whilst we are comfortable, I would rather take them abroad once every few years and do trips in the UK too as well as spend on our home. We did Disneyland Paris and Scarborough last year. They speak about icecream on the beach and having fish and chips much more fondly than the disney trip although I loved Disney and would go back in a heartbeat. Kids aren't well rounded just because they go on holiday.

You have no reason to feel guilty.

Its a luxury and horrible for the planet. Its your child that will need to deal with the effects of a collapsing climate.
Going to magaluf every year when they were kids won't help them with that.

I also have this guilt. I know where you are coming from. But I kind of think that they have the rest of their lives to choose to go abroad and their childhoods are quite small in comparison to that. Especially given that they won't remember most of the holiday so

Like many people growing up in the 70s, I didn't go abroad until I was 16.

We managed to take DS abroad most years - but I certainly wouldn't have felt we'd let him down if we hadn't been able to do this .

If you were to take your DC within the UK to different cities and museums, or walking in the countryside, they would probably experience more of interest than if they spent two weeks each summer never leaving an AI resort .

Luxury and, if you’re flying, not great for the climate.

My son seems to think it's his right.
Doesn't make thee same assumptions at his dad's tho, they've been away twice in 11 years to a caravan (still making memories tho)

Absolutely. OP you need a reality check.

My eldest is 11 and we’ve not yet been abroad. I went abroad with my own parents once when I was 12, my husband went abroad for the first time at 18 without his parents.
we are both very well rounded and expect nothing from anyone. Seems odd to think abroad holidays are the be all and end all.

Luxury.

I've been abroad once, a school trip to France, unless you count the Channel Islands.

We holiday in the UK each year and don't feel that we have missed out. Our dc are now grown up and have never even commented that they thought we should.

I know families who go abroad annually and the parents sit by a pool getting tiddly while the DC go to kids club. I also know families who never go abroad and take their DC camping but visit museums, art galleries and historical locations.

We can all be ridiculously reductive, but my clunky point is that the two are unrelated. My dc are nearly 17 and 13 and we went abroad (Paris and Normandy) for the first time last year. It was lovely yes, but not life changing. They've asked to go to Wales next.