Can i leave my spoilt dc at home

[Lestagirl]

Due to goves policies on school attendance we've had to lower our sights on holiday. We got away this year on the fact it was pre booked prior to the rule changes.

So we've booked a cheap deal to Spain next year and they are kicking up a fuss, I want to leave them behind. Ungrateful sods.

"You mean there aren't British teenagers texting on their phones on Trafalger Square?"

Why did you say this? I don't understand why you would if not to point out that other nationalities do that too i.e. objecting to the attempted stereotyping of it being a particularly Spanish Teenager thing to do?

Perhaps I am wrong but I still say you've used a lot of stereotyping of Brits in Spain on this thread and been really quite unpleasant about them. I guess you can afford to take that stance as you are not a Spanish person living in a tourist area that depends on the money pouring in from tourism.

It's something that interests me actually, why it's considered so beyond the pale to stereotype other nationalities but it's fine to do it to Brits and no one says a word?

No aurynne I meant that while you are busy portraying all British people in Spain as drunken ignoramuses while spaniards are all do culturally aware and sophisticated, I'm saying that there are hordes of Spanish teenagers, herded around London, behaving like tourists and not engaging with ordinary British people in their homes as you expect the Brits to when they go to Spain.

Tourists are tourists. Many Brits want to go to Spain for the sunshine and nothing more. Many spaniards want to come to England to gawp at nelsons column. Neither are getting an authentic insight into the others culture and country.

So I'm saying it works both ways and I thought of try and balance out some of your superciliousness

Ooh Nicky let me have a go!

I reserve the right to criticise Brits on holiday because I am, for the present, British.

If there's a drunk Spanish bloke who is severely sunburned and wearing nothing but daft set of Spanish flag shorts, standing in the middle square of a holiday resort and shouting the odds, that would of course be something Spanish people would probably comment on. Swap Spanish for British and I am going to say he's behaving like an absolute fanny without reference to every other nationality in the world and all of the terrible things they might do. It's not relevant.

I do hope you'd not lump ALL Brits into judging that though would you? Therefore it's not stereotyping is it? It's judging an individual who just happens to be British.

To be fair to your children - they are just that children! I don't think until you are an adult and have to manage your own money you start to realise what a great childhood you have and all the things you did have! Your brain doesn't stop maturing until you are really old - I think it is 25! Take them on holiday - have a fab time!

I moan about all sorts of things and I know I am ungrateful - but I also know I am really really privileged!

I love Leicestershires out of sync school holidays.

I'd prefer Wales to Benidorm every day though.

Ask them exactly what you want them to do about it. You can't afford a holiday village, so what do they realistically want you to do? Get them to give you a sensible suggestion. I suspect that they won't be able to come up with much.

Nicky, yeah (I am technically British and have never whipped off my top while getting drunk ) but I think we can't avoid the fact there are certain patterns of British behaviour abroad. These include the imbibing of alcohol and the removal of clothing.

Not read the whole thread so apologies if already been mentioned, but I'd be tempted to sign them up for a few shifts in a soup kitchen somewhere along the way before next summer.

I agree Ken - they obviously don't appreciate what 'can't afford it' actually means. Kids often struggle to comprehend budget in my experience, as they completely fail to take the cost of living into account. They have no experience of it after all...so it must be difficult to grasp.

My own kids fully understand that we can't afford foreign holidays, and are more than happy with our camping trips, because that is what they are used to. We have never taken them abroad, as the budget to facilitate that is simply not there. Our kids know us to be on a tight shoestring and accept that as the norm. If we were to announce however, that there would be no camping trips next year, I think they'd be pretty pissed off. I'm not sure their understanding would stretch quite that far.

OP's kids are the just same - they too are used to what they know, and the shift in circumstances aren't as clear cut to them as they are to us adults. While I agree they are being ungrateful, I doubt it is driven by any genuine malice on their part, but naivety as to what funding a holiday actually entails. This is not their fault, but because they are still children with no experience to call on other than what has gone before. Each family has its own traditions and familiarities, and it is not for us to call these girls names and cast aspersions on their decency as human beings.
They simply expected what they've always had.
So shoot them!

Indeed but there's also many other nationalities behaviours that I could mention at this point that would get me roasted for stereotyping them. However it's fine to mention one off incidents like you have.

What's not fine is describing Spanish People as being revolted by Brits and their holiday choices alongside all the other really negative descriptions in Aurynne's posts.

If I went on a thread and said:-

"Goodness the Spanish are a bloodthirsty lot, they love bullfighting"

"Spanish teenagers love doing anti social graffiti don't they? I see it everywhere when I go to Spain"

"Spanish people especially the police are all unhelpful, rude and surly"

I would be rightfully roasted.

SOME Spanish do the above, I personally have had experience of the second two but it would not occur to me to lump all Spaniards in with that.

SOME Brits act like total idiots when they go on holiday, agreed, then it's further sensationalised in the media and we just lap it up and pile in ourselves. I've seen the odd bit of crap behaviour myself, I go on holiday there regularly, but mostly I see young families and couples just having a lovely time in the Sun.