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Original poster

When you book a family holiday, do you consult your children?

81 replies

amaryl · 20/02/2020 08:52

Do they have any input? Do you sit down with the brochure and go through it with them?
Currently in Tenerife and I think ds (12) would rather be at home. I booked it because I couldn’t bear a week at home doing nothing

OP posts:

lilgreen · 20/02/2020 12:32

I guess our summer holiday were simple I.e but if sun, beach, pool . When ours were younger it was Cornwall, Dorset,France, Balearics. We took them to uk cities like York, Bath, London in other school breaks and did castles, sightseeing buses etc. Skiing never appealed and neither has long haul with kids m.

itsgettingweird · 20/02/2020 12:38

I can give plenty of advice re Tenerife as I lived there! Ds was born at the local hospital.

It really depends what your ds is in to.

At that age mine loved a walk along beach, fish and chip lunch, a water sport of some sort and return to hotel and play cards.

There's Siam park in PDLA. If he likes birds etc there's parque de aquilas.
Along the other way in lots Cristianos there's volleyball and also use to be a huge climbing net.

When I go away alone with ds (now 15) I try and get a routine. So breakfast and laze by pool. Then off out to find somewhere for lunch and during the wander find an activity. We may just sit on the beach with an ice cream. We'd return to hotel and I'd let him go on iPad, I'd read and we'd play cards etc before showers for dinner.

I'd find out where the Mister sister show is playing whilst your there. It's hilarious.

CrikeyYouDontWasteTime · 20/02/2020 12:39

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Holidays

ColourMyDreams · 20/02/2020 12:40

No. I just used to book it. I never even bothered telling the husband until I'd decided where we were going. To be fair to him, he was happy to go anywhere. He still is. 😂

IamPickleRick · 20/02/2020 13:50

I’m the same Colourmydreams. He just asks me where we are going next because he knows it will just be booked and organised and what I want to do I do consider what the kids want but mine are still only little.

discusstin · 20/02/2020 13:56

Mine can all get to choose exactly where we go, what we do, what we eat, where we stay …….. once they are earning their own money and all grown up. Until then, no.

Drum2018 · 20/02/2020 14:05

Conincidentally we are looking at Tenerife for our holiday this year as teen dd befriended students in her school from there so she'd love to see them. I hadn't considered tenerife before as I assumed it would be roasting, but looks like it will be in the 20's when we plan to go so I could cope with that. So yes, as our kids are teens we do consult them and take their suggestions on board. We have a younger Ds too so it's hard to find something to suit all ages.

Taswama · 20/02/2020 14:08

Not really. We got some complaints last year from DS1 when we went back to the same place for the second year so we won’t go there again for a while. DS2 said he’d like to go to Spain so we have been looking into that but struggling to find somewhere with flights at a sensible time (we are in Midlands so limited choice), with activities at the other end and an quiet location to stay in. DS2 is very sensitive to noise and it affects his sleep which then affects his behaviour, so we can’t stay in flats, on a busy road, near a train line etc. So it looks like Cornwall at half term and visit family in the summer.
My 12 year old also enjoys doing nothing at home so we tend to stay at home a lot.

VirginiaCreeper · 20/02/2020 14:11

I would bring a friend for an only child.
Siam parc is fabulous (though I think a bit cool in February) but the I think not much fun on your own.

In my experience the success of a holiday is dependent on the DC enjoying it. I alwzys picked out 3 or 4 choices, listed pros/ cons and let DC decide. They are 2 years apart and therefore able to do things together. When they got older and one was not coming we paid for a friend to come.

Socalm · 20/02/2020 14:11

Yes, but mine are enthusiasts. They don't ever not want to go somewhere so consulting them is a, pleasure! It might be different when they hit adolescence. But honestly, what could be worse than being on holiday with someone sulking and wishing they were at home? Better just stay home and save the money.

Also, please consider water skiing which is super fun.

HoldMyLobster · 20/02/2020 14:13

I do consult mine - they're 14 and 16.

We're looking at a trip round southern Germany this year, and although I'd just like to mooch round old towns and castles, I know the teens would find that boring after a while so I'm looking for stuff they'll enjoy too.

They're fascinated by WW2 history so we'll look for some good locations to learn about that. They'd enjoy some big cities so we'll visit Munich - I'd rather go to Berlin but it's not really fair to drag them all that way just to visit my childhood haunts. Etc.

It's just basic politeness to at least include them in the decision at this age I think.

Parsley65 · 20/02/2020 14:30

No, but holidays are planned with all of us in mind.

Mine are teens now and still come away with us as well as going off separately with friends (festivals, etc)

I would always discuss the holiday (sell it!) with them before actually booking...

ChicCroissant · 20/02/2020 14:30

How about the Science Museum, Google tells me there is one on Tenerife? My DD is always happy with a Science Museum (thanks again to the MNetters who recommended Cosmo Caixa in Barcelona last year!).

If he likes skiing then Tenerife probably isn't going to be his favourite holiday - could you send him on a school ski trip? Ours are eye-wateringly expensive I admit!

EmpressJewel · 20/02/2020 15:24

No, we don't consult, but they are only 9 and 7! We do choose child friendly accommodation which has enough to keep them occupied.

Once they are older, we will include them in the decision making.

WinterCat · 20/02/2020 15:28

Tenerife is too hot. Too dry. We aren’t lay by the pool people.

Half of Tenerife is the opposite and that’s the half with interesting things to see.

ColourMyDreams · 20/02/2020 16:03

To be fair, one of our best holidays when the kids were little was when none of us knew where we were going.
We were in Germany at the time and the husband had just over 3 weeks leave. I was 4 months pregnant with my last.
We chucked the kids in the moonbus along with the tent and sleeping bags and armed with a map we set off.
Wendled our way through Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Poland and back through Germany to home.
The kids loved it so much that they did the same with their own kids. 😁

Lardlizard · 20/02/2020 16:05

I, but I know what they like

Lardlizard · 20/02/2020 16:05

AnneTwackie · 20/02/2020 16:10

It’s a difficult age OP, hope you’re not too down about it, make sure you don’t waste your break worrying!

Socalm · 20/02/2020 16:14

Oh sorry. Misread it the first time and didn't realize you are already in tenerife! Meh. How lucky your dc is to see the world! Of course they would rather be skiing. Who wouldn't? But life can't be one long ski trip. So sorry. Try jet skiing maybe.

Timetogiveupnow · 20/02/2020 16:16

I talk to dc, look at a load of options then present them to dh who does his research and then we book. Apart from florida which I did all the planning for and everyone loved.
Dc want a pool and heat, dh wants a short plane ride and car hire. One dc has mobility issues so I need to build that into the equation. I'm tight so it needs to be a reasonable price.
This year we've got ibiza in May and Wales in August :-)

Love51 · 20/02/2020 16:52

We had a chat with our 6 year old. His first suggestion was Venus. I said it had to be somewhere closer, so he suggested the castle 25 minutes from our house. So DH and I chose instead! Kids are happy anywhere at the moment but nice to at least give an illusion of choice!

Jamhandprints · 20/02/2020 16:59

My kids are 8, 6 with ASD and 1 so holidays are only for their amusement only. OH and I end up exhausted and stressed so its the opposite of a holiday for us. So yes, we do some research together about things we'd like and then I book it.

Original poster

amaryl · 20/02/2020 20:10

Thank you for all the suggestions.
Part of the problem is that he is on his own, his self confidence isn’t great( that’s new)
I’m a bit restricted with what I can do so whereas before I’ve always done the water slides or banana boat type things, I can’t now.
I looked on the hotel excursions, there’s a few possibilities, we missed the rep this morning, 10-12! But they’re all very long, there’s a stargazer mount teide trip, but it’s 8 hours! The jeep safari is 11 hours! All the boat trips just look like an excuse to get drunk.
We were here last year and had a very active time, we did mount teide, jeep, jetskiing. Whale watching.
Water skiing might be a good one, I could watch from the boat.

He’s been skiing with the school, and will be going again in Dec. I’m never going again, so it will be his only chance!
We’re very fortunate that this isn’t our only holiday and he says himself that he doesn’t want to sound ungrateful but he didn’t ask to come. Which got me thinking about whether I should do his type of holiday. He’s not sullen or miserable and I think he’s just trying to make the point that a sunshine holiday is not his thing. But it is mine!! I was craving the sunshine and any the down time he’s had recently he’s done nothing and got bored and restless and annoying.
We’ve had a lovely time today, we just went for a huge walk, stopping for lunch, watching the surfers, stopping for a drink, ice cream, then 2 hours in the pool.
I agree bringing a friend along would be the answer, but he’s not that friendly with anyone. I could bring his cousin, but then couldn’t leave the other cousins out. And that’s more responsibility for me!

OP posts:

Ellmau · 20/02/2020 20:31

Next year, research somewhere that's hot, for you, and has things he would like to do as well. What are his interests?

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