not to take my girls to water park cos they're screeching ungrateful banshees?

[lowfatiscrap12]

it's a half hour drive away.
I have three kids.
I can only get 4 children in my car and suggested eldest daughters friend came along with us today. This was all fine. Until half an hour ago when eldest (age 12) decided she wasn't going to play with her younger sister at all, wanted to be with her friend alone and was going to ignore her sister (she's two years younger and they usually all play together at this place) and has just had a major meltdown about her sister being there. I can't leave her sister at home. I can't take her friend today (no room in car).. after the loud screeching match they've just made me endure, I'm reluctant to take them anywhere. So I've told eldest that I understand she doesn't want to play with her sister,(although she's managed it fine before at this place) and my middle daughter (9) doesn't want to play there on her own (I'll be with our 9 month old in baby pool) so we're not going, and I'll take her and friend to the local pool down the road where I can drop them off and return an hour or so later. She's now sulking and apparently I've totally ruined her life.
How do other people with two or three children cope during the holidays? Do your kids always have friends over together at the same time?
When do they go back to school? Is it tomorrow? Grrrrr..

I'm going against the grain here - similar situation growing up, I'm the eldest. If I had a friend over I wanted to play with that friend, but younger sister always wanted to join in.

That was fine when we were younger, but as I got to 12/13 I wanted to not have to entertain my little sister as well. Mum actually cottoned on to this didn't force me to include my sister.

I think YABU to make her play with a younger sister when she has a friend over.

Is there nobody who could babysit the youngest for a day to let you take both older ones and a friend each, the youngest isn't old enough to care about missing out on the waterpark.

You should all watch the episode of Malcolm in The Middle where they go to a water park. It might cheer you all up.

I agree with the others that the oldest shouldn't have still got to go swimming. I feel sorry for the younger one. Can you take her for a special treat just the two of you?

I completely agree jareth in fact I am surprised so many posters think this is the norm - sounds a recipe for disaster to me!

I agree that sometimes older kids will just want to be with their friends and that's fine. But I think ignoring the younger one and having a screaming fit about it is not on.

maybe she's sick of being made to play with her younger sister and not being listened to?

Maybe