To hate it when DD makes friends on holiday?

[Darklis]

OK, I'm prepared for most people to say that IABU, but..

I end up minding strange children while their parents happily drink wine on their decking.

I want family time and outings, but once she makes friends she whinges whenever we want to leave the site where her brand new friends are playing out.

I am brought into awkward contact with strange children's parents, and I am a natural curmudgeon.

She invariably meets her soulmate on their, or our, last day.

I have a week of listening to "I miss Maaaaiiiisiiie..." after we get back.

She has loads of proper friends at home, But I can't be arsed with holiday friendships that are more faff than they are worth. Rant over.

I can totally see where you're coming from OP

I think you have two alternatives as a solution - either 1. go on remote holidays where there are no other families for miles, or 2. go with your own friends and family group so your dd will already have other children to play with and won't seek out randoms.

option 2 is fraught with other issues however

I love it when DS makes pals. He's an only so it means he has someone to play with. However we try to make sure it doesn't impinge on the other family - we wouldn't expect them to look after him for example, and would only chat briefly to the other family unless it looked like we had something in common or they extended the hand of friendship.

We had a great time in France this year and ended up spending the last evening drinking wine with DS's new companions parent and girlfriend.

YABU

Better your DD is happy, then moaning she is bored. I'm presuming she is an only child.

I think you should put your foot down when going out for the day though.

So I think you are being a little unreasonable.

YANBU.
And why do the other parents ALWAYS have to be people you can't stand!!

If you want "family time" then book a s/c cottage or apt that sits on it's own rather than something on a 'site' with others.
But then don't expect your poor dd to amuse herself. IMO you with go somewhere with other kids so they can make friends, or you go with another family or bring a friend from home, or you have to entertain them almost all the time and take them on loads of trips and play with them.
I know which I prefer.

I'm with you entirely. My DS has made friends with a child (we're on hols currently) and every time they are in the pool or in the playground he agitates to be there too, and as he's 6 he can't be left unattended so either one of us goes with him and changes our original plans or he feels hard done by and whines. we tried to go out for the day yesterday and he couldn't wait to get home to see child x. Also, then I have to make conversation with other child's parents, who are perfectly pleasant but frankly I have all the friends I want, and on holiday I want to either be left alone to a book, or relating to my family . . .not making small talk with strangers. Arg, next year must book a remote cottage in arse end of nowhere. At home DS has loads of friends and a very full social life so it's not like he is desperate for friends, also when he has some time on his own he gets really creative and draws or write stories or plays interesting games, and if we're together we get closer as a family.

Last holiday we met a couple who were totally on our wavelength. It was great. Their children played with our children all day and all evenjng.

And a we did was exchange some friendly small talk with couple and then went about our own business. Everyone happy. THey were fab. We didn't even know their names.

I did the same thing, my parents had an easy out. We'd exchange emails or snail mail and become pen pals. :) Then we could still be friends later.

I'm another one who loves it - but we have an only child so it is great when he meets other children so that they can all play together & we can drink/read/sunbathe whatever. It must be pretty tedious for a child to only have his/her parents as company on holiday.

why not just say no to 'minding' other peoples kids?

I have a rule when camping - play with everyone but NO ONE comes in our tent

I sit and drink wine while they play - outside away from the grown ups

I'm bemused by these holiday makers who "vant to be alone" a la Greta garbo, but stay on campsites or places with shared pools. My problem is finding somewhere that has shared facilities - if I wanted a holiday let on our own where we could go without bumping into other folk, there's loads of them.

Oh and left to his own devices DS will play too much on his electronic devices or demand that we go into the pool with him. With his little friend this summer they played football, splashed around in the pool and had a whale of a time without looking at a screen and without us lifting a finger . We had plenty of alone time when we went out on trips or for dinner.

DS made a friend. She has sent him a post card already. It is all very sweet but sad too as he hasn't made any friends at school but always can when in the park or pool. Sadly once DD saw what was going on she was nasty to him .

FunLovinBunster The parents of DD's holiday mates have all been lovely and we've ended up spending the last couple of nights getting pissed and eating out with them usually.

I know what you mean OP but I suppose I'd have to try to be glad she was not lonely.

Surely it's a positive attribute that your DD is able to make friends so easily and likes playing with other children?

Sure, she needs to come on outings, but it's lovely to roam around a holiday park with a gang of new mates at that age.

DS has been having a fab time with his new buddies on holiday this year and did last year too. He is a bit older though (11) so there is no real need to follow him around checking up on him so no socialising with other parents. Been great for spending time with DP

I know what you mean, this can go either way. Dd has made some great friends with really nice parents and some with bloody awful parents. We also slightly dread this but at the same time feel happy that she has a chum to enjoy the holiday with. We took one of her friends with us last year and that proved a good solution for all!

No I don't hate it, I think it's inevitable that a 7 year old sociable child is going to prefer spending time with her new friends and not with her family. It's fine to negotiate where and when this happens though, and still have some family days out.

MY 10 year old daughter adopted a 2 year old boy whilst we were camping this year. Spent the whole time we were onsite with the child on her hip, directing the other children's play.

She got a letter this week from the parents, saying a big thank you, with a photo of the pair of them, and how much their son is missing his "best friend". She is so chuffed. :)

YANBU
Once DCs are old enough to play at the playground or in the pool by themselves it's great, but at the age you feel you ought to be watching it's borring and stressful as you always feel you ought to keep one eye on the other children too.

Not surprised your poor DD wants to go and have fun with the other kids rather than go on outings with someone who, by your own admission, is a curmudgeon. Get drinking your own wine on the decking and chill out.

I mean all this in a loving way .

I honestly think yanbu! If your holiday has been
Anything like mine you end up feeling responsible for someone else's kid as their parent is nowhere to be seen enjoying the 'free' child care! I Love my children to make friends with others on holiday but I am not prepared to let them wander into strangers apartments and disappear whenever they want - it seems most parents here are. Next year I will book a private house as I am fed up of
Providing free childminding services for parents who can't be arsed themselves. Yes I would love to be sunbathing on the terrace with a glass of wine in my hand but whilst my young children are in the pool/out playing it would be irresponsible to do this! Rant over!