Apparently my children have never had a proper holiday

[thimblgattle167]

According to my SIL anyway
Every year we take them to eurocamp (or similar) We take the eurotunnel and have traveled all over France, Italy Netherlands Germany. We stay in a chalet and have wonderful holidays, swimming biking exploring and much more. Our kids are great in the car so it's all no bother and we have a great time.

But no apparently it's only a holiday if you get on plane and stay in a hotel. I'm utterly baffled.

An ex colleague of mine actually told me I was depriving my dc because I won't go on a plane. By the time ds was 5, during our holidays, he had been to Lands End, the Normandy beaches, The Somme, The Menin Gate, Stonehenge, seen the Bayeux Tapestry and climbed Mount Snowdon. Her holidays with her children consisted of flying to Spain or Greece and spending a week in a resort and apparently I should be doing the same

We go to this eurocamp type of holiday once a year with wider families. I have to say it's a holiday for the kids but definitely not for me. I hate the long drive, the cooking & cleaning while on holiday. So I can sort of understand why your sil said that. Maybe that's why she used the word "proper ". Camping is great for kids so I would say it's definitely a holiday for them.

To those who do not think one can/should take their kids to hotels, there are loads of family friendly hotels out there with pools, activities, kids club, entertainment etc. There are Suites, villas, apartments etc in hotels that can easily give you tones more space than eurocamp accommodation.

Not often I read a MN thread where everyone... I think it's everyone, has the same view as OP/poster 1.

Canvas are also good. Chateaux Les Eaux is a wonderful site (used to be keycamp). Tent, chalets etc. Small but a good pool and nice water park.

Perfect for exploring Normandy including Bayeaux, landing beaches etc and you can do Parc Asterix in one day with 2 drivers. And yes you have your own car.

Done it with mine from babies to late teens.

This sounds something I would love to do! And my kids! Off to google euro camp!!!

I’m deprived too, my holidays were a day trip to Whitby or Scarborough. Funnily enough I don’t feel deprived.
There s a photo of mum, dad, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins and me sat on the beach, adults on deckchairs, me the youngest digging in the sand, all of the women wearing best clothing, mum even wore her pearls. The men wearing best clothing too, trousers rolled up to the knees, ties off, top two shirt buttons undone…that was them being casual.
Home made sandwiches, jugs of tea bought from a tea shack on the beach. Happy days.

PS Eurocamp or Canvas Holidays are fab. Both have brilliant sites through Europe.

We did these holidays as children and they are my most treasured memories. We probably moaned sometimes (a mountain storm and small river running thorough the tent springs to mind…) but I’m sure your children will look back and remember the excitement, adventure and joy that you bought them.

yeah, hotels are great. But you can’t beat early morning dew on your feet as you walk to the loo block in the morning! She’s the one missing out!

This!!! Fricking ridiculous notion, your sil sounds a lot like my mum. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Ah, that four weeks I spent in Italy and France last summer counts for nowt then. Better tell DH we need to up our game.

Get googling! We did it for many years. DS1 loved it so much, he worked for them for three summers!! 😃

First comment definitely nailed it. Show her this thread.

Just got back from a four day visit to York in our caravan, a two berth tourer. The caravan park is a six minute walk from York city centre, it has a cross section of motor homes and tourers. while we were there the couple in a motor home opposite never left the site once, apart from taking their dog for a walk and even then it was only to the dog walking area on site. Same routine every morning, they’d get have breakfast outside under their little canopy, after which they sat out reading, meanwhile we walked into the city, visited the Minster, the Shambles, Rail Museum, went out in the car out a couple of times and whenever we returned to the site they were still on the same position. They told us they just enjoyed chilling in the ‘van. This was unprompted, she asked if we’d been anywhere nice, I told her to Elvington Air Museum..”Oh we just enjoy relaxing and chilling in the ‘van and besides the dog wouldn’t like it.”

But if that’s what they enjoy so be it.
It is their holiday.

Ha ha having just read a thread about Eurocamp holidays I've got all nostalgic plus I want to stop flying as much as possible so have resolved to start Eurocamping again soon!!

We tend to go to Cornwall twice a year - wish these non holidays were cheaper then

Oh shit. That means I didn't have a holiday until I was 19 then, despite travelling thousands of miles around Europe as a kid in a campervan. Nope, no holidays in just about every country within 1000miles of Dover, using any of the different european currencies...

I'd feel sorry for her, if she has such a narrow idea of what makes a 'proper' holiday. Your holidays sound great BTW

Has your sister in Law always been a moron?

This had me spilling my hot tea on my dress. I was NOT expecting that !!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣