Poring rain Amsterdam with teen. Massive c**k up holiday.

[Amsterdammit]

Hello, we’ve had too much going on as a family are v v stressed. Worried so much about hol and heat with pale lonely teen that In a moment of anxiety booked Amsterdam which was insanely expensive and now it will be pouring all week.
Please please if anyone has any nice restaurants, cafes, museums anything at all they can recommend.Teen is into science and computers, hates art, hates museums, we are happy, I mean desperate, and can hop on a train for a day trip. what were we thinking?! Just so desperately wanted a nice break for teen and now think we’ve cocked up desperately.

If he likes spicy food, definitely have a rijstaffel.

Can highly recommend Restaurant Blauw which is in both Amsterdam and Utrecht.

It's fab having so many different little plates to choose from.

Thank you for the restaurant!
we are in haalem and have just had a lovely rijstafel in a place called flamboyant.
we are all running out of steam tho, DS totally bored, everything expensive, weather grey it’s 8.40 and we are back in the hotel.
what were we thinking?
We were just too stressed to think clearly. Don’t know how to rescue this.

Sorry but you've had 102 comments on this thread and it's PACKED with helpful suggestions. I think at this point it's on you. You seem the prefer moaning about your lot so crack on.

If you’re stressed focus on the things you can control. You can’t control the weather. Or the prices. Or how your ds feels. I like wandering around Amsterdam which is free and requires no planning. Give yourself a break, your ds is very lucky that you’ve planned a trip for him 😊

Thank you! Sorry I’m being such a wet blanket hrteathere are loads of great ideas on here and I REALLY appreciate everyone who has taken time to post.
somethingfun you are quite right, I’m giving too much import to this week and Ds being gloomy.
kicking myself for being so stressed I seem to inadvertently have booked all the things I wanted to avoid!
Actually just want to curl up in a ball somewhere, but I need to get on a happy head.
Right, tomorrow is a new day.
thank you everyone.

Well, you sound a bit glum @Amsterdammit !
Here are a couple of ideas not yet mentioned, some free...

Cuyperspassage, underneath Central Station, is a vast mural made of thousands of Delft tiles, telling the history of the city. Absolutely stunning!

Café Papeneiland on Prinsengracht, typical traditional cosy Dutch cafe, specialty Dutch apple pie.

Hortus Botanicus, in the Plantage district, centuries old botanical garden, with a spectacular plant collection. Entry costs about £11.

Amsterdam Ordnance Datum in City Hall (free) is the benchmark for sea level measurements across most of Europe, and outside is the City Hall urinal, which has been made a Dutch National Monument. So I'm sure no teenage lad with a sense of humour would pass up an opportunity to have a piss there!

Enjoy your apple pie! 🍻🍺

If things don't improve, remember that the Dutch make the best gin in the world.

Oh ada you absolute star! I think your ideas will help,us get our sense of humor back.
and your gin suggestion definitely made me smile.
thank you. Sorry all for being Debbie downer.

If you are still there on Wednesday, you could go for a meal in total darkness at CTaste on Amstedijk. They do meals and also tastings, do check the prices before you go, as those trendy type places can sometimes be a bit of a rip off.
But an interesting experience if the cost is right.

Book the Corrie Ten Boom house as you're in Haarlem. It's free (donations appreciated). It's a talk which is really interesting and you get to stand in the hiding place - thr whole house is presevered and you get a real feel for what happened there (although it was very moving to go to Anne Frank Haus having read the diary, I think this one is better for kids).

Your teen is 16? How about splitting up for a few hours and letting him mooch? Amsterdam is really safe and he’d probably enjoy the independence. He has his phone, google maps etc.

Amsterdam is a fun city but teens are hard. I bet if you’d been somewhere hot he wouldn’t have got up/got off his phone.

Give yourself a break and stop trying to ‘fix’ this. It is what it is. Do some things you want to do.

Have you taken him to a pancake house yet? Dutch pancakes are nothing like the dainty French ones. They're solid farmer's food, with lots of toppings.

And agree to Amsterdam being safe (just beware of pickpockets). DS went last year on a school trip (we live in NL) and the teachers happily let them all loose - ages 13/14.

Book an escape room - we did a great one in Amsterdam

They have this which looks amazing https://amsterdamcatacombs.com/en/home/

Anything I might have suggested for Amsterdam has been covered, so I'm going to focus on a train to Brussels for a day of chocolate enjoyment. There are lots of chocolate experiences, or just blow that budget on a lot of chocolate instead.

I hope you get to feel less stressed. I can sense from here just how hard you are trying to make this work for everyone, but sometimes that's not in any human's gift. So chill, observe, eat great spicy stuff, and let what will be, be.

I did a bike tour when I went a few years back, which was a nice way to try cycling in Amsterdam without the pressure of doing it by myself and being a little intimidated by the amount of other cyclist traffic. Got a bit of history in, some fresh air https://www.yellowbike.nl/en/.

Thank you everyone! We stayed in Haarlem in the hotel malz which I am proud to be able to recommend, and I have a discount if anyone wants it.
baronessbombarst yes we have had pancakes, yum!
now DH is ill in bed. I dragged ds round rembrandts house in a stressed panic, I have no idea why, neither of us wanted to go. It’s surprisingly devoid of any paint or excitement.
Luckily I booked a boat in a thunderstorm, which ds actually smiled during! we legged it through the rain which was fun,to an authentic Dutch pizza. We eventually found a topic of conversation too, from how the museum was too ‘safe ‘ to how dr who is too jolly now. Phew! feeling a little bit more relaxed.
thanks pickledpurple pickle I think I’ll book the catacombs escape room. And the bike tourgiveemushyleas DS isn’t bothered by giant swings or graffiti, or so he says.
Thank you everyone so much for your patience and great ideas. I hadn’t realised how stressed I was. 3 days to fill!

We went to micropia last year and it was really good. An interactive science museum based on microbes. It's not too big. Next door to the zoo, although that would not be great in the rain!

Oh jeeze. I went on that. Scared the living daylights out of me.

My son and I loved Micropia!

Thank you everyone! You are all so helpful and wonderful.

Well ada he actually seems interested in the dark dinner! So have booked. Thank you! I’ll book more , microbial sounds good. And the swing. Escape room is ££££. It looks good but DS is all meh. I think he’s scared of choosing the wrong thing, I’ve told him anything would be helpful! 2 days to go! Am beginning to feel quite exhausted

I am NEVER doing a city holiday again. Too much to devise and plan and pay for, too anxious making!

Last time I went to Amsterdam it rained the whole time. Not going to lie it was a bit disappointing as it's a beautiful city when the sun is out. We ended up going to be cinema a couple of times as most films are in English.

i have spent many a rainy weekend in Amsterdam as my best friend is Dutch. Looking dry and warm today so could be worth c arching a bus to Edam and walking along the meer down to Volendam for lunch.

Or head to Albert cuypstraat market and sit in the cafes outside. De Pijp is my favourite neighbourhood.

cinema has English films for rainy afternoons and there is a good shopping area.

on horrible days I like to head to the American Hotel restaurant for their famous Pea Soup and people watch.

there are always great concerns on st the Paradiso and other spots so many a late night at a concert and a sleep in for the rainy morning. Patti Smith is playing tonight. That would be amazing!!!

oh wow thnak you! you garlictwist and sodullincomparison
Have been up worrying!