To be pleased that I no longer have to 'do the seaside thing' now that the dcs are teens?

[Cherryberries]

Am I really alone in feeling pleased that in this hot and sunny weather I no longer feel compelled to pack up the dcs and the car and bundle everyone off to the seaside for day of fun and frollics in the sand?
It was such a faff and I always felt an enforced feeling of jollity.
God,the sand in the food,the car, the shoes,the hair,the house for weeks after etc.Then the endless hours of suncreaming-before the dcs go in the water,then again when they come back out,then again half hour later and on and on.
Mine are 16 and 13 now and it is a scorching hot day here and I am so looking forward to lolling about at home and not feeling obliged to go and 'do' stuff anymore.I am probably in the minority here but today it feels like utter bliss and I will smugly watch the news tonight when they show little clips of all the packed beaches full of suncreamed toddlers and harrassed parents.AIBU? .

[jamdonut]

My kids are now big enough to walk to the beach if they want to! Takes 15 mins. I've never been a huge fan of sitting on beaches, and DH hates it, we'd much rather be doing something interesting like visiting castles or museums or something.

[ThePortlyPinUp]

I love the beach and will go even when the ds's have grown up and left home. Dp isn't as keen as me though as he dislikes the heat anyway. Not that it matters today as its freezing here in Norfolk :(

[crazydrunkevilhamster]

I live 2 minutes from the beach & I flat out refuse to take Ds 4.5 on days like this .
It will be packed full of tourists that don't give a crap about anybody else & let their dogs/children run wild while they sit their with a crate of Stella .
On top of all that all the topless/half naked old people that already look like shrivelled up prunes

[Sparklingbrook]

Going to the beach is an open invitation to some people to me antisocial. And yes crazy I don't want to see shrivelled up prune people.

[IfNotNowThenWhen]

Sand?? Sand?? Eeee, ya great Southern Nancies!
It's pebbles where we go.
Rock pool exploration with fluorescent nets, bit of paddling in the freezing North Sea. Industrial windbreaks against the gale force stiff breeze.
Then, The Best fish and Chips In The World (oh yes) and bandages for bleeding feet.

Champion.

[ssd]

YANBU but I miss days out with the kids, when they are teens they are off doing their own thing and you are left at home waiting for them to return...but they never do things together and expect you'll be in when they return with no key/for a drink or a feed before going out again

mind you, I sure dont miss crowded swing parks on days like today...or smelly soft play...and I used to live in these places!

[GobblersKnob]

Ah IfNotNowThenWhen, see I love a pebbly beach, HUGE improvemnent, as long as it's not too hot....

[Chivetalking]

The only U thing is doing it and hating it. Ours only ever went to the beach if we were on holiday and actually I never minded it but I'm sure there were other equally 'enriching' experiences I body-swerved because I couldn't be arsed or because I loathed them.

They've all grown up un-scarred

[Ragwort]

I love going to the beach on my own - pure bliss, a large rug, picnic and a good book, nothing better. Certainly hated having to build sandcastles, paddle for hours, look for non existanct crabs, buy endless ice creams (which got dropped) etc etc. I remember one or two lovely days when I used to go alone when DS was at school . Completely different on your own except that I don't live anywhere near a beach now.

[Sparklingbrook]

What's not to like?

[Ilovemyrabbits]

Yanbu, but I miss my 12 year old wanting to go places. Just lately she just wants to stay at home, glued to some book or other and she's not interested in her poor old mother. I don't get to do anything interesting at the moment as she's young enough to need me in the house most of the time - I could doubtless nip to the pub for an hour or two but I couldn't bog off to the coast for the day without her. I miss the seaside :( I understand that renewed sense of freedom though. I feel the same when I know I can pop to the shops without worrying about her coming with me.

[cory]

I didn't know it was something for kids. Where I come from everybody goes swimming, from toddlers to 90yos.

But YAdefNBU for not wanting to do something you don't enjoy.

I otoh am completely : my 13yo and 16yo have gone off in the car with their dad to visit relatives and I heard them packing swimming togs in the car just in case they pass some suitable river on the way. I am at home sick and with piles of work. It will be the same all summer: they will trundle off happily to the sea and even if I come with them I won't be able to go in

And there is nothing I love more than the feel of fresh sea water against my body.

[GoldenGreen]

I love the seaside thing; am fine with toddler groups and ok with soft play; positively enjoy baking with toddlers; but oh god I will be very happy indeed when I no longer have to pretend I enjoy going to the park. Bores me to tears standing in playgrounds. Yanbu.

[alistron1]

We took our teenagers to the seaside in half term. They had a ball and it was much more fun than taking toddlers! They flew kites, made sand castles, played frisbee and paddled in the sea. They are 16, 15 and nearly 14.

[Goldenbear]

YANBU for feeling satisfied about not having to do something to make your children happy.

I feel the same as GoldenGreen and can't stand the park. We went on holiday recently with my MIL to Bournemouth it was great in that the hotel was next to a sandy beach and the DC 2 & 6 could play with their buckets and spades. Where we live has pebble beaches and so my DC relish the time on the sandy beach but on one of the days my MIL insisted on a trip down memory lane (fine) to a park where my DP as a child, would go on electric mini cars. Unfortunately, they no longer existed and we had to go to the 'play area' as my MIL thought it would be a good idea. TBF they enjoyed it but for me it's like a bus man's holiday and all the while I was thinking how we only had 3 days, with nice/hot weather on these sandy beaches and we were stuck in a park again!

[BaconKetchup]

We never did that