To think this is cruel on the children?

It’s a real tough one be I think the real issue is how much pressure is put on parents to work so much. This probably wouldn’t be their first choice but it’s a pretty good choice depending on grandparents.

I’ve seen some incredible and dedicate grandparents and it may well do both the child and grandparents wonders. I can’t imagine it’s an easy decision on the parents.

unless of course they are just cold parents who arnt that bothered.

guess we’ll never know but hope.

Not necessarily. My family did this and I have amazing memories of it. My grandparents were so much fun. I’m extremely close with my parents and siblings, we speak multiple times a week and to the best of my knowledge I’m not damaged or have any issues!

We (my brother and my cousins. 7 of us in total eventually) were shipped to Grandparents or my aunties house for the summer holidays and school breaks. No question about it!

Our parents worked (1 Aunty didn’t but she minded us if grandparents couldn’t). We loved it and didn’t really know any different. It was just our normal and always happened.

i will say, as a teen (13 ish) when I was able to stay home for a few days (Parents home in the evening) it was an absolute novelty 😂

I've met a few parents who do this. Tbh I am jealous. It wouldn't be cheaper for me as I'd pay their way, but I ran into several of these GP/GDC holiday families on school hols and all were having a blast.

The GP's gave kids full focus & took them out to activities & everyone benefitted. So jealous!!

They might have a wonderful relationships with them, so maybe it's triggered feelings from your childhood. Often I find when something really gets to me, it's often because it triggers something about my past.

Personally I couldn't do it as my parents don't have the tolerance for youngsters for more than a few days and I would miss them too much.

However if I had a wonderful relationships with my parents and my kids equally lived them, I would much rather use grandparents than 6 weeks of daily kids clubs where they don't really care.

I wonder why this is bothering you.

Both my parents worked full time. No such thing as holiday clubs.
parents had same two weeks of with us. Rest of the holidays, from much too young I had to look after two younger sibs. Had to shop and clean house. Not allowed friends round. So boring. Would have loved to have gone somewhere someone had time for us.

This is what working parents have to do.
They don’t always have much of a choice and in some areas clubs are rare.
The amount of School holidays aren’t the same as with work

Some people use boarding schools for work reasons too.

I don’t have a problem with it if the kids are OK with it.

If they have to work then the children have to be somewhere, they might prefer Grandparents over holiday club.

Shouldn't be either though for the majority of the time!

Me and my sister were packed off to rellies in South Africa for the long school hols. We bloody loved it. It was the 70s and we were put on the Blue Train alone to travel to the next set of rellies.

That's good because I don't agree. I was a very happy child at home., loved my parents etc etc but my Nana 💕💕💕💕💕

My Nan and grandad used to come to stay with us in the summer school holidays they used to come for about eight or 10 weeks, (we had moved overseas) my parents were working and so I know it's slightly different in there. I used to see them in the evenings and we do everything together as family at the weekends, I would've happily gone overseas to them for the school holidays but it was less practical to send too small children back to the UK.

Can't believe how many posters think this is okay :-/ actually really sad how many people think 2 young kids spending 6weeks 300 miles from their parents is acceptable.
Grandparents are not the same as parents, and I am assuming if they live 300miles away their relationship with their grandkids isn't THAT close anyway!
Clearly parents who prioritise work over spending time with their children...so sad especially at such young ages where they need their parents most.
Same with Nanny's/au pairs...end up being surrogate parents to the kids even on holidays etc, and think it's really sad 😔

How do you cover school holidays with your kids?

Yeah it sounds cruel. I knew someone who ships off their 4 month old baby to their parents for 2 weeks so they could go on holiday. They did it more than once before they were 1. Why have kids then?

I would have loved this and it would have been very good for me.
It all depends on the grandparents of course.

I went to my nans house in Spain for the 6 week holidays when I was growing up. My younger sister stayed in the UK with my mum who was a single parent. They are the best summer memories I have with my nan! I wouldn’t judge unless you know the full story.

Well nobody is remotely interested in your opinion unless you can actually back it up with arguments when challenged.

I don't care what you think, nobody does. I might care why you think it.

From age 5-12, I travelled 1000miles away with my grandma to go back to her home country for 3-4 weeks every summer, every other Easter and some half terms. This was in the days before free/cheap international calls so I'd maybe call my mum a couple of times a week.

My mum worked full time, so instead of being stuck in a hall for the majority of my school holiday, I spent it with family and friends, exploring another country, swimming in lakes, and playing with my friends on their farm. I have some beautiful memories of playing in the hay lofts and riding go karts down the giant hill on the farm. I gained so much independence, and got to experience different cultural celebrations as well. If I was in the same position as my mum, I would do exactly the same with my child.

I would have killed to spend every holiday with my grandparents!

Also my grandpa always looked after the swallows and he built stands up by the house for their nests to be secured. They were coming every summer to nest by his house, 4-5 families at least. My lovely grandpa said he was so happy when the swallows come as he knows this is when his girls come as well. I always remember this when I see a swallow. I was thinking to get a swallow tattoo just to onor his memory. He was trully a wonderful man to whom I own s much! Sorry, I am rambling and derailing!

I spent every summer with my gran.
Dgs says with us for 3/4 weeks. He would like to stay longer but we think it's important he has a week or two with his local friends before going back in September.

Why do you think it's cruel? We used to spend a lot of the summer holidays at our grandparents caravan, we loved it.

I thought the exact same thing- the children were sent off to random aunts houses for the summer etc

Exactly
Don't think it's cruel at all
Grandparents are family

I was one of those kids! Spent there me and my sister 3 months summer holiday with my grandparents in the countryside. We were not the only ones (shock horror), I was seeing my cousins and my friends and we were running riot, swimming in the stream, running on the fields eating berries and fruit from the trees and hitting the local disco! My grandpa was just giving us money and scolded the older boys (cousins) to look after us with their eyes, and the world was our oyster. We were always in a group, we were never in danger and we had each other s backs! No one dares to pick on us, it was trully takes a village to raise a child. Going to my relatives and to my friends houses and always welcomed like their own! Meeting the animals, feeding them, and being spoilt rotten by my lovely grandpa for whom we were the apple of his eye. Listening to his storries in the evening by the wood fire. Trully, hands on heart, the best memories and the best childhood! So sad that the kids now days don't know this feeling. True, I was raised in Romania, in the 80s 90s where childcare for our poor working parents was not accessible. But wouldn't change it for the world! I miss those days so much sometimes I cry by myself.