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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to object when a family is always classed as 2 adults and 2 kids.

65 replies

doorbell · 11/02/2011 11:32

Family make-ups are changing. Why is it the family prize in competitions is always for a family of four - what about the many, many families of five plus? It's discrimination that we can't enter!

And entry to theme parks, attractions, pools, soft play etc - the family tickets are nearly always for a family of four. Again, many families are bigger than that. It's starting to get on my nerves!

OP posts:
TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 11/02/2011 11:34

It's not really a family ticket. it's a ticket for two adults and two children.

Do you want them to offer the same thing for families of any size?

silverfrog · 11/02/2011 11:36

it's just a discount on a combination of tickets.

if you have more people than that, then you can always buy the family ticket plus the extra(s) - you will stillbe saving money on a proportion of the tickets.

are they supposed to let in a family of 7 for the same price as a family of 4?

DamselInDisguise · 11/02/2011 11:37

It is all pretty arbitrary though, they have to define it in some way. Otherwise you'd get people complaining about second cousins twice removed are still family.

They don't actually insist that you are 'family'; it's just a ticket for 2 adults, 2 kids. Similarly, you can always buy extra tickets for additional children. Things cost more when you have more children, that's just how things are.

MackerelOfFact · 11/02/2011 11:38

Competitions need to draw the line somewhere - they can't just open it to 'your entire family, whatever size' because they'll end up with everyone! It's something for nothing, so YANBU on that front.

With family entry tickets, I think that's usually because they work out at cheaper than the equivalent price for 2 adults and 2 children. If you have 2 adults and 3 children you can buy a family ticket plus 1 extra child and you're still saving some money, and if you have 1 adult and 3 children then it's probably cheaper to pay full price since it's the adult tickets which are stonkingly expensive.

I see your point but they can't really list every possible combination of adults and children. And things do cost more if there are more of you.

Memoo · 11/02/2011 11:38

The National Trust is good for this, their family ticket is two adults and however many children you have.

SexyDomesticatedDab · 11/02/2011 11:38

Agreed - it would be nice of MN to be able to reflect a more family orientated view and if there are prizes they should cover a whole family.

At theme parks etc they could at least offer an option to pay for extra children at a reasonable rate as well.

MackerelOfFact · 11/02/2011 11:39

X-posted with everyone!

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 11/02/2011 11:41

As one of three children, my parents always had to take someone else on holiday so we could have two rooms without them having to stay in separate rooms...

Not that I have a suggestion Grin

GrimmaTheNome · 11/02/2011 11:42

Not everyone does it. The National Trust memberships are particularly good, IMO:

Family two adults Two adults and their children or grandchildren under 18. Two cards cover the family. Children under 5 go FREE £84.50

Family one adult One adult and their children or grandchildren under 18. One card covers the family. Children under 5 go FREE £53.50

Chil1234 · 11/02/2011 11:45

YANBU ... it would be nice if there were some breaks for families with a different make-up occasionally. As one adult with one child we usually never qualify for anything family-oriented. Most package holiday offers are based on '2 adults sharing' and we have to hunt about online or create our own itinerary to avoid single person supplements etc.

DamselInDisguise · 11/02/2011 11:46

SDD, how are they going to define 'family' though? Do grandparents count? Do cousins? Do you all have to live together?

Decorhate · 11/02/2011 11:47

It's the hotel rooms thing that annoys me - not that I really have a desire to share a room with 3 kids & have no sleep, but sometimes we do need to stay in a hotel & the fact that they won't shove an extra folding bed in is irksome...

In France they are/were trying to encourage people to have more children so some places offer discounts if you have 3 or more children, eg the third child gets in free.

silverfrog · 11/02/2011 11:49

and what about step children?

my family consists of 2 adults and 4 children, but only 2 children live with me permanently.

so, we shoudl be able to rock up at Alton towers and go in for a "family" ticket price?

as other posters have said - you cannot possibly cover all the options.

proper training for the person on the ticket booth, so they can offer the best value tickets for your combination of people would be a good start (I am alwys pleasantly surprised when this happens).

but mostly the "family" ticket is quite flexible - ie 2 adults, 2 children, 1 adult 3 chidren as appropriate. and then buy extra tickets on top.

GrimmaTheNome · 11/02/2011 11:49

And the WWT- again you can have 1 or 2 adults, Family: named parents OR grandparents with up to six of their own named children OR grandchildren (aged 4-16 years).

The difference I guess with these two is that they're not soley out to make money from you.

(I've only one kid anyway but we find these memberships make for fantastic days out)

GrimmaTheNome · 11/02/2011 11:51

as other posters have said - you cannot possibly cover all the options.

the WWT has come pretty close - I'm sure 'children' can include stepchildren. In practice they don't check if we turn up with DD and a friend.

silverfrog · 11/02/2011 11:55

oh yes, Grimma - we have NT family membership, and that works well.

and I ws responding to the OP's focus on the more commercial attractions/holidays etc.

Onetoomanycornettos · 11/02/2011 11:58

At a local attraction, you can be a 'family' (four of you, any combination of grandparents, parents children) or a 'small family' (1 adult, up to two children). Lots of grandparents get cards with their grandchildren, it's rather nice.

MavisEnderby · 11/02/2011 12:04

Try being a newly single parent family.After dp died i took my 2 on holiday and they charged the eldest adult price.Angry

GrimmaTheNome · 11/02/2011 12:06

Mavis - Sad that really stinks.

silverfrog · 11/02/2011 12:11

oh mavis, that is really crappy. Sad

ivykaty44 · 11/02/2011 12:14

NT is one of the only organisations that give single parents a discount.

I always seem to have to pay full price for myself and my dd's

which equates to the same price as a family of 4 with their discount

Shewhoshallnotbenamed · 11/02/2011 12:18

ivykaty44 beat me to it!

As a single parent I can't take advantage of 'special offers' as they are all aimed at a family of 4 plus - therefore rendering the discount useless!

If I take my daughter on holiday I am hammered with single person supplement....can't win!

:(

Wouldn't it be better to offer a discount like for each full price adult, child goes half price - then a family of 3 would still get a discount, as would a single parent family?

jeee · 11/02/2011 12:22

The family issue that I have is the size of hotel rooms - try finding a room that fits more than 4 in. I don't mind paying for adjoining rooms, but they always seem to be booked out, and there are never large rooms available.

And English Heritage is good for large families. You can take 6 children with each adult on the family ticket.

silverfrog · 11/02/2011 12:23

yes, hotel rooms are a pain. we don't want ot share with our dds on holiday, but most places cannotguarantee adjoining rooms...

I wish there was a proper policy on this - it is impossible to manage, and we end up booking a villa instead. nice, but not the same as a hotel.

Roomfor5 · 17/02/2011 00:47

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