CHILDREN HAVE NEVER HAD A HOLIDAY! MASSIVE GUILT!

Perfect holiday for children and adults , relaxed , beautiful locations , exciting things to do in all weathers , how dare someone say that to you.

Nonsense. That’s a perfect holiday for youn g children. They don’t like long trips.

I went on 3 holidays before I left home: 2x 1 week stay in a cottage in Wales, and 1 week at Butlins. Other than that we did day trips in the holidays. Very happy childhood holiday memories, particularly of the day trip years.

Delighted it has put your mind at rest.
Ditch that biatch!

Course they have holidays. It doesn't have to be on a plane somewhere.

Ask her which insecurities she tries to compensate for by dragging small children abroad which they don't need.

It was a mean comment guaranteed to make you feel bad. Ditch this so called friend.

YABU in stating your kids have never been on holiday. Yes they have.

MINE HAVEN'T EITHER! SHOULD I FEEL GUILTY TOO?!

A holiday isn't a priority, especially if you technically do take small holidays in the UK, the only difference is location.
My oldest is autistic and I don't even want to imagine how he'd be on a plane, he can't even travel in a car.

Tell your "friend" she's being stupid.

This may be slightly outing. I live in Scotland, in between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Since mine were babies we have always went to seton sands haven caravan park (just the other side of Edinburgh), we usually do a mon-fri and a fri-mon each year. Now my kids are 8 and 10, we have been to Spain twice, Paris, done Disney too and both of them will always say seton sands is by far their favourite holidays. Don’t listen to your ‘friend’. Her kids are no doubt flung into kids clubs while abroad instead of making family memories. Just to add my older kid is autistic too and I was so worried about him flying but it turned out he enjoys it, it’s me who hates flying 🤣

A caravan holiday is a holiday! It’s not my sort of holiday and it may not be for your friend but it is still a holiday. Saving for a house deposit is a very sensible approach

My DD has autism and ADHD. Our holidays are between 2-4 nights as that’s what she can manage. Any longer and we risk meltdowns. Someone may not see a 2 night break away worth the travel but it gives us a holiday within our limitations. It sounds like you’re doing the same

Think of it differently OP, if you won the lottery tonight what holiday would you be booking next week? I’m guessing with DS’s struggles you’d book a nice long weekend at a caravan park rather than flying out to the med! Don’t feel the need to keep up with anyone else, it sounds like you and your family are doing the holidays that suit you best

I will never understand these threads.

Your 'friend' tells you that your children have not had a holiday, when they definitely have, and you feel bad even though there's an actual reason why you holiday in the way you do?

Just ignore it when people say stupid things like this. It's a reflection on them and not you. Sure feel bad that you can't afford certain things, I think that's natural, but to feel bad because you're actively arranging things for your children that you know they like but that this person doesn't consider a "holiday"? Don't be silly.

Talking rubbish. I had my first holiday (of any kind, no camping, no caravan parks, no brownie/school trips, no time outside the home whatsoever) when I was 25 with my BF (now DH). I’ve made the most of our MC affluence to take our kids on lots of holidays - from camping to luxury overseas trips - because we can afford it and because DH and I love to travel. It may have made them more well rounded people, or it may have added to their MC privilege and entitlement. Only time will tell. But I certainly wasn’t damaged or limited by lack of exposure to overseas holidays and, in fact, appreciated it more as an adult not having been able to do it as a child.

If your kids love their UK trips with you, if you love being together, that is absolutely ALL that matters.

I think your "friend" is being sneery and rude . We had caravan holidays when young (my DP owned a static one in Deal) and some others besides .Always enjoyed them hugely. My own DC have been abroad a couple of times .OW hols here in a caravan .Really loved it !

Your ‘friend’ is an idiot.

For one thing our camping holidays (tent - not even a caravan!) are far less stressful than the trips abroad, dealing with airports/passports/early morning flights and I would love to have a MILs caravan that we could easily pop away to for a nice break. What a treat.

Also, well done you for prioritising your children’s security by saving for your home. How can a week or two abroad compare with that?

Not much of a “friend” - my parents took me on holiday when I was 4, 8, 12 & 15. I really don’t think they did anything wrong. They couldn’t afford more frequently. Caravan trips would be lots of fun.

Took our kids to portugal once based on the same guilt of ‘we should take them abroad’. Won’t be rushing back. Had aeroplane meltdowns, misbehaving in passport control, too hot for them, youngest came out in a rash from too much sunscreen and pools and was in pain. Apartment smelled funny. Cost thousands. UK all the way for us. It’s not that we can’t afford it, it’s just not worth it (in our opinion) until they’re much older.

We’ve done trips to Disney, Mexico and across Europe.

My teenagers still talk about our caravan holidays when they were in primary school as their favourite holidays of all. In fact my eldest wants to go back after graduation as a treat!

It’s not about cost it’s about memories. I’m certain you’re making pls try if happy ones.

Everyone likes different things, if you all enjoy a caravan break then of course it's fine.

Personally I hated caravan holidays as a kid and to me a holiday is abroad,.again we like different things. Doesn't mean you deprived your children

Your friend sounds like an absolute bitch tbh

My PIL didn’t go abroad until they were 65&67! This was through lack of funds. They have been a couple more times since, but still travel in UK several times a year. They would definitely disagree that they didn’t have a holiday until the age of 65!

The first thing that came to mind when I read your OP was "comparison is the thief of joy" an old but very true saying, and good to keep in mind.

The second thing that came to mind is that this friend is very stupid and you should not take anything she says seriously, much less get upset and guilty about.

My dc went abroad at 5/3 and not again until they were 19/17. Honestly they are well adjusted young adults who now travel, as do I now I have more more money. And when we did the first holiday it was awful, hot sticky, tired children I hated every minute. I was cabin crew at the time and vowed never to do it again!! Your friend is daft

I consider 4 nights a holiday. I don't consider your friend a good friend of yours or a nice person.