Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ungrateful Teens on Florida holiday

536 replies

WatermelonWaveclub · 13/09/2025 18:54

I brought my 3 teens (18, 16 and 13) to Florida to celebrate my eldest's 18th. Honestly it has been a nightmare. Every morning they refuse to get up. We end up leaving for the day's activity hours late. At least one usually refuses to come. Then we end up rushing around with the youngest upset we don't have time to do everything they want. When we get home late and I just want to sleep I am expected to sort food for whoever stayed back at the hotel. Then they stay up late keeping me awake. I'm exhausted!

The main thing they seem to want to do is stay in bed on their phones! Noone seems to worry about wasting a lot of money on activities they don't attend or any thought to making the most of a holiday they are very lucky to be on! No care about me missing out on things I'd like to do or their sibling would like to do. They were fully aware of what the holiday would involve and said they would like to go on the holiday. For example they knew there would be a lot of swimming. One has point blank refused to swim and the other 2 will swim hypothetically but have not once been in the hotel pool with me in almost a week and both just layed on sunloungers on their phones at the water park yesterday.

How would you deal with this situation?

OP posts:
PumpkinSeasonOctober · 13/09/2025 19:05

Never take them on holiday again. Do they realise how expensive this trip is?

Vaguelyclassical · 13/09/2025 19:05

Why Florida? The older teens are obviously far too old for Disney and it's a rather flat state with some everglades full of nasty biting things; there are also rather a lot of people in unbecoming red baseball caps. Great beaches, but you didn't need to come to the States for those. (Or to swim in a hotel pool.) You might have done better with a buzzy, interesting city in the US. Or a buzzy interesting city in Europe at a third of the cost. Sorry if I sound snarky, but I'm genuinely interested in the logic here. (But I do sympathize with you--I grew up in genteel poverty and I'd have been down on my knees in gratitude if my own parents took me out of the country!)

Wellretired · 13/09/2025 19:04

Balloonhearts · 13/09/2025 19:00

Let them! If they aren't ready, you and youngest go without them. If they don't want to swim, leave them on the loungers. If they stay behind, don't cook for them when you get back, tell them they're big enough to fend for themselves.

This! And do some things you want to do...and refuse to worry about it ....be clear about what you are going to do and what time you are leavng and stick to it... also is it possible to stop them from disturbng you at nght? Are you sleeping in the same rom, or is it noise?

Needmorelego · 13/09/2025 19:04

Do what you want to do and leave them alone.
Take this opportunity to only do things you want to do.

Ablondiebutagoody · 13/09/2025 19:03

I pointed out those lounger + phone kids to DS10 on holiday this year. Literally hours and hours under a brolly doom scrolling. I let him know that if he ever does that, it's our last holiday. What a waste of money.

doubleornothing · 13/09/2025 19:03

Did they actually want to go on this holiday? Just do your own thing theyre old enough to get on with it and if they see that youre enjoying yourself they might see what theyre missing.

Hiptothisjive · 13/09/2025 19:02

It’s this weird thing when you fly oversees through many time zones that can mess with your internal clock…..what’s that? Oh yeah jet lag.

Worse when you come back though. Better prepare them now so they don’t miss any more school in GCSE and A level year.

Balloonhearts · 13/09/2025 19:00

Let them! If they aren't ready, you and youngest go without them. If they don't want to swim, leave them on the loungers. If they stay behind, don't cook for them when you get back, tell them they're big enough to fend for themselves.

2015pls · 13/09/2025 18:59

When we get home late and I just want to sleep I am expected to sort food for whoever stayed back at the hotel.

oh don’t be a bloomin martyr op

2015pls · 13/09/2025 18:58

Quite early in school year to be off on hols at these ages Op! 😆

2015pls · 13/09/2025 18:57

I’m guessing they’re very much like this at home during holidays and weekends and you hoped they’d undergo a transformation on holiday?

Unfortunately they have just stayed the same