Why don't people take their kids on holiday?

@Micnerhss basically people enjoy different things.
It's as simple as that.
Every parent will want to give their children different experiences but it's physically impossible to experience everything that exists in life - so for most parents what they do with their children will be what they enjoy in life.

The idea that it's 'depriving' children is mental. We couldn't afford to go on holidays when I was a kid at all and believe me, that was the least of our worries. Of all the things I was actually deprived of and that impacted me, holidays are nowhere on that list. If we could have afforded it and only stayed in the UK, I would have been none the wiser.

We’ve only just started travelling abroad again after 10 years of holidays in the UK, and I could cheerfully knock it on the head. Even as a child I would start counting down the days until I could go back home.

I never travelled as a child and I don't feel like I missed out.

Honestly? Haven't been abroad since 2008, pre kids. Wouldn't even know where to start looking for a holiday. Don't want to waste shed loads of money on something shite. Worried that ASD child will freak out at the airport and refuse to get on the plane.

Easier to just stay at home.

I agree. I can’t think of anyone I know who doesn’t love going away with their kids at least once a year.

Your circle sounds completely alien to me OP

I don’t understand it either. I think it’s bonkers to deprive your child of travel and seeing the world because you think ‘airports are stressful’ and the like.

I’m inclined to think it’s genetic, as PP suggested.

Because they don't want too

Although I love to travel (and particularly solo travels and living and working in different countries for extended periods when I was a young adult) my memories of family holidays abroad are predominantly of tension, my parents fighting because they were stressed about potentially missing connections or being lost, being forced to share a bedroom with and therefore look after younger siblings, siblings vomiting in vehicles, sibling using the excuse of cramped sleeping arrangements to step on my head repeatedly 🧐,) I don't have especially fond memories of the long haul holidays especially...
I have fond memories of some of the different countries I lived in as a child, but not of the holidays. Which is why we kept to Europe and mostly avoided flying for holidays with our kids especially when they were little, to keep things low stress (we had unavailable flights with kids as parents live abroad- not really holidays though).

Holidays can be nice, but there are more important things overall. Knowing how to navigate different transport is important though.

this - i second it

side note in general for this thread, it royally pisses me off when people comment and say how your child is missing out by not going abroad.
My children have the best uk breaks/days out and wonderful times. We havent been abroad for years as frankly we are skint.
But does not mean to say they don't have fun

also would never go away without my child on holiday!

Thank you, I believe it’s very important to take his wishes into account, despite his lack of verbal language.

My husband (42) never went on holiday as a kid, ever. They did the odd day trip but never an overnight anywhere. It makes me quite sad to think about. They weren’t poor, it just wasn’t something they did. His dad would even tell him about all the travelling he did himself but never thought to take his own kid on holiday.

I used to go out with a guy years ago who never left the UK. He had a pretty full life tbh and was always in different parts of the UK but he never really bothered about going abroad. He's in his 50s now, recently got married and she's managed to get him out of his comfort zone - he's been to places I haven't been now. I didn't think there was anything wrong with him not travelling outside the UK, there would never be any point in him doing it just for the sake of it. Just a thoroughly decent guy with a busy life.

"He wont be 'saying' anything."

My son is also severely autistic and non verbal but he says plenty.

I have a severely autistic non verbal son and he can certainly make his feelings known. If he didn’t want to go on holiday I wouldn’t take him on holiday.

It might not stop anyone travelling but it does mean different families make different decisions and prioritise different things. In fact that's the case whether autism is involved or not.

Some people just aren't bothered about it travel. There's nothing inherently wrong with that.

"why? what exactly has that got to do with anything? I plan to actually take him on my holidays when he's an adult too."

You come across as smug.
I hope when he is an adult, he will get a say in what he wants to do.

Why it is insular to not know anyone who hasn't been abroad? It seems quite a strange thing to flex about.

I know very few people who haven't, they all have different reasons and they all love a UK holiday. But I don't think I know anyone who never takes a holiday (finances permitting).

Maybe you don’t realise just how few people can afford it? Or they could technically afford it but need to spend that money on a new boiler or a car etc.

You sound like someone I know who has spent 20k on holidays this year alone to “make memories” with the kids. She cannot spend any time at all at home with them, every holiday is filled with exciting days out and trips away. As a result she thinks every other child is culturally deprived. But that lifestyle just isn’t reality. The kids need more time at home.

there are a multitude of experiences in this world. Some people value particular ones over others.

im not going to list the experiences my child has had without going abroad frequently because they absolutely would be outing, but I can pretty much guarantee they aren’t things you are bothering to do with your child. Mine adores the incredibly enriching things I have arranged. Perhaps it is your children who are missing out.