Cancelled holiday, how can I cheer up dc?

[DakCien]

Today we should be on our “summer” holiday. We booked it last year and dc have been looking forward to it since they found out we were going. It’s the only holiday we would have this year due to work commitments, so it really has come as a disappointment that it’s had to be canceled.
Dc all woke up sad this morning and I want to cheer them up. I can’t think of what to do. Anyone have any suggestions? We had to cancel due to a family member having an accident so it can’t be anything too physical that we can do.

If you don't want to go on that particular physical holiday ,.book somewhere else and go tomorrow.

Why on earth would you have cancelled a UK break!? How terrible for your poor kids.

Dd absolutely does not blame herself for the holiday not going ahead.

I don't mean this unkindly, but I wouldn't be so sure about this. She might just be telling you what you want to hear.

She could have gone to the cinema and chose dinner on holiday.
Aren’t other dc more frustrated not having any holiday at all? If they’re as understanding as you say they would have understood having to do some easier activities that dd could join in on.
and obviously dd and other children do blame her (and you) her breaking her elbow is the reason you cancelled and they get no holiday at all.

Providing you're covered under insurance, I think I'd aim to go again next year. In the meantime, you have time off, go away for a short break and do something different for a few days - hasn't got to be activity based (other than walking) or beach based. Just being away somewhere different is positive and you could visit a different tourist attractive or if money is limited, somewhere with nice walks and a picnic area.

So a quick yes/ no question. If you’d broken your elbow and been operated on with pins holding it all together a couple of days ago, would you happily jump on a crowded train and honestly say you would enjoy a holiday?

You've let down and disappointed all the other children because you didn't want one child (presumably your favourite) to not enjoy it as much as she could. Even though she could still come along and do some parts of the holiday.

Why would the other children be disappointed from "not a normal holiday" - they absolutely could have had a normal holiday - and your DD just needs to suck up the fact that she might have to watch rather than participate in some activities since she had a broken elbow.

Of course the other children are sad. You've demonstrated a complete lack of regard for them and their happiness.

Limbo Cast Cover.

Effective against sand and water.

My Dc (had many surgeries) went on many holidays post surgery / in a cast / in an external fixator frame.

As long as they were cleared for travel and we notified our travel insurance provider.

If OP had taken out insurance when she booked the holiday, this would not count as a ‘pre-existing condition.
It now turns out that the holiday was in the UK. She might need medical attention but it won’t ’cost a fortune’. We still have the NHS here, TipsyRubySheep if you hadn’t noticed.

Yes. And even if it was a no, I'd understand that I had to suck it up rather than ruining the holiday for my siblings who were looking forward to it.

Yes.

less than I would if I hadn’t broken my elbow but more than I would if the whole holiday was cancelled and we had to stay home.

did you actually ask dd if she wanted to cancel?

Yes. Children are incredibly resilient. Her holiday might be slightly different from what was originally planned, but it's better than staying home. She's been looking forward to it for a long time, and the rest of the family will still be able to have the holiday that was planned.

Honestly OP, I think you need to give your DD more credit. She will probably surprise you with how she adapts and gets on with things, despite the injury.

Of course! It's just a broken elbow, it's not like she's stuck in a wheelchair or on bed rest - you can still do most things with a broken arm.

I certainly wouldn't cancel if it meant an entire family missed out on a much-wanted break away, that's for sure.

Yes! But to the extent it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been, I would happily suck it up so that the rest of my family could enjoy the holiday.

You‘ve made a really odd choice. I suspect that deep down you didn’t really want to go.

Yes. I went to florida 3 years ago having just had broken my ankle and had pins in it! Was annoying but I managed. You know best and also know what your doctor has advised. I took DD on holiday last year and she dislocated her collarbone the week before! Was a beach holiday not an activity one. Either way it's not as good as it could have been but I decided she would have a better time on holiday with a discounted collarbone than at home witb one.

I don't know what that poster was on about clearly doesn't know how holiday insurance works, as an aside I have a pre existing medical condition and always manage to get holiday insurance.

My daughter shattered her elbow when she was 5, required emergency surgery with pins placed, then another surgery to remove the pins.

It is absolutely ridiculous that people are saying OP should have continued with the holiday. After elbow surgery, a lightweight, thin soft cast is placed on the elbow - not the usual cast.

My daughter had to take a few weeks off school (on orders of the surgeon) due to the risk to her elbow when setting. My child was also completely shattered from the trauma and the surgery and needed rest and TLC.

Posters who are calling OP selfish etc need to get a grip and take a long look at themselves.

You did the right thing OP and sound like a wonderful mother!

"Presumably your favourite" I mean seriously?

What a hateful and unnecessary post.

If it was a leg/ankle I probably would have cancelled but not for an elbow, especially as it's in the UK anyway. I do think people are being a bit unkind though. You made a choice for your family based on tricky circumstances. I hope you manage to have a nice Easter holiday despite everything. Could you do a few daft things to cheer them up e.g. eat dinner from mugs instead of plates, have a buffet tea with weird combinations, eat things you never would allow etc. You could see if the local library are doing any events.

The ideas given for staying home are a bit pointless really as they are same things you could be doing on a UK holiday.

As it was a UK holiday that you cancelled and you don't want activities that DD will miss out on, I think it's going to be very difficult for posters to suggest activities to cheer them all up. Anything suggested could probably have been done on holiday - bike rides, scooter rides, cinema, walks, crafting activities, visiting attractions like zoos, museums etc - could all have been incorporated while on holiday.

Really? She's massively prioritising one child, and completely disregarding the feelings of the others. I can't see why any mother would do that, unless they had a favourite. If the happiness of all her children was equally important to her - they'd be on holiday now.

If I had more than one child to think of, yes.

What things are there locally that you never do? Make it a sort of at home holiday. Make the most of the sunny weather today before it changes, pack up a picnic for tea tonight and go to a nice park with a frisbee, a load of bubbles or a stomp rocket (which if you don't have one is the best outdoor toy ever and will while away hours as long as you have plenty of space).
Is there a museum, zoo, wildlife trust place nearby, plan a nice day out. National trust are almost certainly running activities for children.
John Lewis has a load of Easter things for children, check their website, or the local shopping centre might have things on to induce families to visit.
Make Easter chocolate nests, Aldi have Easter chick shaped marshmallows which would be better that those fluffy plastic chicks to put in the middle.
If you like board games then buy a new one and have a game evening (in the olden days before computers we used to get a new board game on holiday in case of rain, which was likely in West Wales, Cludo is still my favourite)
Do you live near a river or canal that does little day trips on a boat.
I don't think I would have gone to a beach with a DC who has just had surgery. (A broken bone, yes, surgery on that injury, no.)

@Sunbeam01thank you so much for understanding my situation.