To not enjoy holidays

[Ohsofat]

Just come back from a week away abroad with the family, DH, DD & DS, after about day one I'm ready to come home, I dislike the heat, sun creams, being couped up in one room altogether, the stress over getting everything packed, all of this not helped by a bit of a control freak DH. DH takes a few days to settle so constantly on edge, jumps on every little thing the DC do wrong as well as everything I do that he doesn't like. Yet if I don't do the holidays I feel bad to the DC cos all their friends do holidays abroad every year and they feel they are missing out.

I'm with you OP!

We tend to self cater in the UK, with lots of eating out and outdoor activities to wear out the DC.

I don't think I could cope with going abroad every year it's too hot. I've not been for over 10 years.

When I was with exDH we found that with kids it was better to holiday in Britain as actually, overcast weather is the best for doing active 'stuff'.

Maybe try being in this country next year?

i just feel guilty if we don't take the DC abroad, we hadn't been abroad since 2012 before this one so not doing it every year but the DC don't seem to think they've been on a proper holiday unless it involves an aeroplane whereas to me even a weekend away is a mini holiday. We do holiday in the UK if we don't go abroad, other then one year when we just did day trips over the summer hols and for me it was bliss.

don't feel guilty! You could always take them to Scotland if you're dead set on a plane and live in England….

Scotland has been lovely today.

A holiday is something you should enjoy so if you don't like the heat go somewhere cooler.

So where have your DC got this view that holiday = abroad? Half of my DC's friends aren't getting any sort of holiday this summer, and most of the ones that are, are having a week in the UK camping or self catering.
Maybe you need to move to a less affluent area

I'm with you on your sort of holiday though - everyone in one room is no fun- we don't do it normally so why would we do it on what is supposed to be fun? Plus most of "abroad" is too hot to be pleasant in August - maybe drive to Normandy/Brittany and self cater if it has to be non-UK?

and to add to the question asked by redsky, where have your dc got the idea that abroad= hot?

Am currently holidaying in Scandinavia; pleasantly cool, plenty of energy to do things. Holland, Germany, various parts of France, mountains of northern Spain: I could think of loads of foreign holiday destinations which are not hot. And full of interesting things to do and see.

I think it comes from friends & family, most of the family holiday abroad at least once a year and we have friends who also travel abroad every year and often to far flung places.

Love the idea of a drive to France, but neither me or DH have the confidence to drive abroad.

I agree holidays are suppose to be fun so why do it when they're not but I'm very guilty of getting caught up in the #making memories which seems better in hot far flung places (I know I know don't help myself)

We certainly do need to travel more in Scotland, Ireland & Wales.

I hate them so much organising before hand, then travelling with dc, a dh whose not used to 24/7 with said dc then a few nice days rinse and repeat get home and do mounds of unpacking and washing. I much prefer a few days in the Isle of Wight or even my absolute favourite August in our home town whilst everyone else is on holiday, parks are quieter and you can spend the same money on fabulous day trips and eating out. Doesn't help if you are both self employed and have to work twice as hard before you go and when you get back.

It's not necessarily just the abroad = hot corythatwas but definitely more consistently nice weather then we get here in England so that they can be outdoors for the majority of the holiday with an outdoor pool being the main priority on their wish list of things to do.