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Original poster

Feeling Sad - Sitting at the Airport

87 replies

Icequeen01 · 02/08/2019 04:55

I know this is going to sound ridiculous but I’m currently sitting in an airport lounge with DH waiting for a flight to Italy for a week’s holiday in the Amalfi Coast. I am looking forward to it but am I ridiculous to be feeling sad. This is the first holiday without our DS. It’s to be expected, he’s 19 for goodness sake, but I’m watching all the people with young children and remembering back to when our DS was that age and would have been beside himself with excitement. I guess it’s just another rite of passage but even so it makes me sad 😢

OP posts:
Chottie · 02/08/2019 07:01

Op - life goes on and fast forward you will probably be sitting at the airport taking your DGC on holiday :)

whereiwanttobe · 02/08/2019 07:02

I used to to love holidays with the children (not so much the grumpy ex) and had just a few adult-only years before my grandson arrived. My partner and I are now on holiday with him and I am back to building sandcastles and playing in the sea - it's wonderful. My lovely partner doesn't have children of his own so this is first time around for him, and he's a natural.

So enjoy your couple time and hopefully you'll be doing it all again in the not too distant future Smile

Frownette · 02/08/2019 07:20

Oh OP I'm sorry but you made me giggle and think how cute you are :)

New stage of life, nothing stays the same forever (except death and taxes) and so much more to look forward to.

Best friend from uni was talking about how she found the transition from when children started to get older around age 10 and asserting themselves (in a physical sense, less dependent on cuddles) very difficult.

Have a lovely holiday

Loveislandaddict · 02/08/2019 07:29

My 19 year is coming with us!

Because we are paying!

fleshmarketclose · 02/08/2019 07:36

I remember feeling a bit like that when we did first holiday without the dc.This year we are going away with all our adult children and our first grandchild. I'm looking forward to it but suspect it will very quickly revert to it being me looking after the brood as I did when they were children. I'm consoling myself with it only being a week tbh so it just shows how quickly I got used to the new norm and you will too. Enjoy your holiday.

reluctantbrit · 02/08/2019 07:54

DD is 12 but will be again this year on a residential pony camp while DH and I will spend the week away together. We did this 2 years ago and it was sooooo nice and relaxing.

We do love the other weeks with DD and luckily she is not yet I. The “don’t Talk to me or even suggest an outing” stage yet but the idea of sending her off on her own was the best we had.

ScrubsandBubs · 02/08/2019 08:05

FlowersWine Don't be too quick to think that's it with childfree holidays op
DS decided not to come with us any more when he was 18, aged 19 he wanted to come with us again and aged 20 he wanted a 'family' holiday with us, his sibling and girlfriends. I was sceptical but it was a great holiday!
Enjoy this one with DH, you never know what next year brings!!

GhostRidersInDisguise · 02/08/2019 08:10

LilyAnnaRose I'm so sorry that happened to your son.

1Wildheartsease · 02/08/2019 08:12

As above - we had our child-free holiday (with some sadness) but have since had quite a few child-full holidays. They like being 'back together again'.

The fact he isn't clinging and that he has a world of his own too is a success. Toast yourselves but don't look back too often this week.

Herocomplex · 02/08/2019 08:16

It’s such a physical feeling, like homesickness. Talk about it if you can, get a hug or two, a little weep doesn’t hurt.
Enjoy your holiday!

fluffiphlox · 02/08/2019 08:21

He’ll probably be back with you in a couple of years when realises what he’s missing.

ScrubsandBubs · 02/08/2019 08:28

LilyannaroseFlowers

Cherrysoup · 02/08/2019 08:31

I have to say the children have made the week for me. I'm also sitting in an airport lounge, on my way home tho.

Tentomidnight · 02/08/2019 08:37

I can understand you feeling that way, family holidays are our best times with our DC.

However, what I am utterly confused by is why you are choosing to pay school holiday prices and face school holiday crowds when you don’t have to?

Stopyourhavering64 · 02/08/2019 08:39

We went on our first holiday without our 3 dcs 4 years ago...it certainly was a different type of holiday from those we did as a family but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, chilling in the shade of a palm tree in Thailand and didn't miss having to ask for restaurant wifi codes
All our dcs are now adventurous travellers and have done many independent long haul holidays without us.
Younger dd , who has just graduated is of to China next week, then Bali, then S America!
However she did ask us last weekend, when will we be going on another family holiday?!

flowerstar19 · 02/08/2019 08:42

Ah OP as the mum of two young DCs I see both sides of this, I really envy you the freedom but totally get your sadness too. On the other hand maybe enjoy these years as in my experience and friends we all suddenly want to holiday with our parents again when we have young children! I know it might be a long way off but you might get to have children all excited all over again! Xxx

Notverygrownup · 02/08/2019 08:43

And Tentomidnight wins the prize for the most Mumsnetty response possible!! I thought the same, but perhaps OP is a teacher?

Sending sympathy OP. There was a couple here who went on a romantic long weekend to Paris, without their small kids, a while back. They spent most of the time taking photos of cranes and diggers for their ds, speculating on how much he would love seeing them!!😊😊

Hope that you manage to get a good break. V jealous. The Amalfi Coast is high on my places to visit (if we are ever able to leave the country post Brexit.)

Mother87 · 02/08/2019 08:48

Oooh i've got something in my eye now😌it seems so long ago when we took all 5 DC's/DS's away - two glorious weeks sunshine & swimming and harmonyGrinthen 3 driving thru Europe chasing the sun... and then various partners... now DG's or just us... it all went soooo quickly - and with so many challenges/changes - circle of life and all that... Elderly DM/DF now and any plans always liable to change... And am not relishing the 'opportunity' for just me and DH tbh... Not his 'fault' but battered by life etc etc... So if you're contented with DH and 'in a good place' as they say i dont just mean the airportGrinthen maybe you've earned your stripes/freedom😀and will learn to make the most of it... hope that doesn't all sound too sad!

AudacityOfHope · 02/08/2019 08:55

This thread has made me feel really sad. Our kids are 8 and 7, and our last holiday left us feeling more knackered at the end than the beginning. Holidays and kids are such fucking relentless work sometimes.

And yet - the thought of them going off and doing their own things, living separate lives.

It's all too fast isn't it

Lilyannarose · 02/08/2019 09:02

I'm happier that my younger children can grow up to live independent lives.
It's way less heartbreaking than seeing my eldest pacing up and down shaking a baby's rattle at 20 years old.

Mishappening · 02/08/2019 09:05

Can understand this - I have set free three. The thing to do is to concentrate on how grim the last few hols were with stroppy moody teenagers in tow!

PeoniesarePink · 02/08/2019 09:10

We went on a long weekend to Devon last year and it was our first break without our 3 DDs. I was fine when we left home but when we got there and unpacked, I had a real lump in my throat. It seemed such a milestone........ and whilst it was lovely to have time with DH, it made me realise that one day our younger 2 are going to leave home and that will be our every day life. I get stressed at the noise mess and muddle with them but know that I need to treasure every moment.

Enjoy your holiday Flowers

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 02/08/2019 09:13

Your first holiday without children (ok, 19 but still...) and you still chose to go in school holidays?!

OP, enjoy the freedom and peace of off peak travel, it's fab! Grin

BigSandyBalls2015 · 02/08/2019 09:19

We had our first child free holiday this year too ... strange to begin with but we had a fabulous time, nobody to think about but ourselves. Have fun OP.

katewhinesalot · 02/08/2019 09:23

One of mine will never give up a free holiday. The other one will soon not be wanting to come. I'd better make the most of the last year or two there.