To not understand the "holidays with small children is just parenting in a different place" complaints?

Oof ok yeah, you've lost me with this. Awful.

We have 5 kids, I've always enjoyed holidaying with them, we've genuinely always had a lovely time except once....a 3yo that tantrummed all day every day, an 8yo who moaned and whined about everything, two teenagers who were moody and sulky (mostly down to their younger sisters spoiling their holiday) the 11yo was the only one who had a good time 😂 I do remember thinking why the hell did we bother and it was more stressful than just staying at home. Luckily it was a one off but I can see why this could happen 2 or 3 times and parents may be hoping it'll be a bit different the next time (which luckily for us it was). You live and learn, but I wouldn't judge people for moaning about it.

OP, you started a post saying you ‘don’t understand’ why others don’t enjoy holidays with kids as much as you did. It’s an odd thing to say. Do you struggle in general to see that others have different setups and kids to you? Do you struggle to put yourself in others’ positions or empathise?

I had easy kids so holidays were easy and fun. Apart from weaning. Paying £8 for mashed carrot in a posh hotel 20 years ago was very painful.

I would not do an all-inclusive if you paid me. But I can understand why others like you do. Open your mind.

Well, unless all this scaremongering and complaints about holidays being pointless because it’s just parenting in a different place are coming from someone in your real life, who we all don’t have access to, this is a scenario that you have made up in your own head.

Because here on Mumsnet, the vast majority if not all posters who vent their frustration about a holiday where they’ve come back more exhausted than when they left are doing so because of a specific reason that you have not encountered.

They are sharing their experiences of travel disasters, awful spouses/family members, SEN kids who can’t adjust, non SEN kids who have an out of the blue meltdown, unpredictable weather that tanks the holiday etc etc.

The exhausted Mum is having a vent because from her perspective the holiday gave her no respite, no new experiences, no restful family time therefore not a holiday.

No one on here had gone away with an easy baby, a supportive spouse to an all inclusive resort and come back and said well that was pointless because it was just parenting in a different location, not doing that again!

I can't talk about those with more than one child as we only have one.. The best way is to start taking DC on hols as soon as you can and to start as you mean to go on. So if you are happy to have kiddie centred rather than family friendly hols go for that. We were quite clear, no Butlins, no camping, no places where you both stay and do organised activities. Delighted this worked for us, we've always had fun, we all like holidays in the surf or walking, we go to art galleries and museums. We do go to places with activities for a day if it's something DC will like more than us - climbing wall, theme park, steam train. But a whole holiday would not be my idea of a family holiday and it's not a given that kids want full on organised activity for a holiday given they spend their school time doing just that.

I’ll leave you to it Op

i started reading your thread thinking… what an odd OP

now I just feel sorry for you

“Are you confused”

says the op “not understanding” 😆

Err yes because what you just posted makes zero sense.

I don’t see your life as remotely appealing op

you had a very rare and well deserved holiday

you’re experiencing post holiday blues by the look of it, because you sure as heck haven’t returned feeling zen!

Is it though OP?

Your first post was saying you didn’t understand people moaning about why holidays were just like parenting at home but harder on the basis that you’d just had a very lovely stress free vacation.

Then when presented with all the reasons other people might have had a different experience instead of empathizing and admitting that makes sense, and fingers crossed you’ll continue to be the lucky one on vacations in the future, you blame the less fortunate posters for attempting their crowded caravan holiday.

How stupid they were to think it was going to be fun, eh?

Op has been through struggles more than most I’d say

I think she’s exhausted
had her first holiday in half a decade
and who knows when she’ll get another one

Errr wasn’t it you that started a thread criticising other parents?

Not seeing you as privileged

and not seeing your life as something remotely appealing
does not mean I’m trying to cut you down

Looking for mum friends around Falkirk Scotland

Maybe privileged is the wrong word.

In the OP, she sounded either naive or goady judgmental.

She basically said she didn’t understand parents who moaned that holidays were simply parenting somewhere else because she was having a fabulous time with her easy baby, supportive spouse and all inclusive resort.

Basically ignoring the struggles of anyone who is a single parent, lower income, have ND children, or grumpy teens, or sickness while away, or a weather disaster, or an unsupportive spouse, or other CF family member.

When asked whether she might consider all those things she’s pivoted to suggesting the parents who have a little moan on MN have brought it all on themselves by daring to attempt a holiday in their current circumstances.

Now it seems that the OP thinks the moaners are not only doing parenting wrong, they are also doing poverty wrong!

As I say, I could not describe loving life when weeks and weeks of not spending any time with my husband

but you sound very happy

to a lot of us…. Going through multiple ivf, finally going with an egg donor, then working 13 hour days 4x a week and barely seeing your husband, and holiday once every half a decade… sounds bloody hard.

i love my holidays with my children …. Thankfully 3 holidays a year
and I don’t need to be apart from them for 13 hours a day 4x a week to do it