Being latched onto abroad! NOW

[Poisongirl81]

Help! We don't want to appear rude but we are in Spain with my toddler and another couple have latched onto us for a week now...they have 3 dc and are different ages to ours 🙂 today we got up early to put towels down but they spotted us and so sad next to us...again! We can't move our towels now as it would be rude. We just want to chill and read but they talk all day mainly at us!

Just be rude and tell then younwant to spend time in each others company, without any hangers on.

You dont owe them anything, you dont have to worry about them thinking you are rude, you dont know them and you will never see them again after this holiday.

I've never experienced anything like this! I seriously must have 'piss off' vibes. I don't make eye contact with people who give off 'I want to be your best friend' vibes!

Do people on MN make good friends with other families/people on your annual holiday? I've seen two families hang out all week and then cry on the last evening when they're all having a final drink together, they promised to meet up back in the uk. I wonder how common this is? It's not something I've experienced.

Headphones?
I hate this, we had it years ago. We reluctantly exchanged numbers but then left something at the hotel which they very kindly brought back for us. I then had to travel miles to collect it and be "talked at" for another 2 days much to dh's amusement.

What a bloody nightmare! I'd hate this too on a family holiday. You're going to have t just bite the bullet and tell them to leave you alone. Good luck

They have just suggested we go for drinks while kids club is on. I said im.gonna just chill. The man is nagging my oh to go just them 2 instead. Slight silver lining in that there is now a 3rd couple they seem to have also latched onto so pressure off and she is nice so I've been chatting to her.

Tell them a story about a vacation you once had where this couple just wouldn't leave you alone and how annoying that was ;-)

But yeah, either tell them straight to their face or put in headphones while reading and when they do get your attention be very distant.
Come on, it's been a week! Don't waste any more days on these people...

I love how this thread is unanimously of the 'their behaviour is bang out of order' mind (rare as unicorn shit on MN for people to be in such agreement). I also completely agree. So, who is still DOING this weird latching on to strangers thing and thinks that it's acceptable? Who are these people?

This is my pet hate on holiday. DH and I spend all our working lives having to put others first and doing a lot of talking so we like to be completely selfish on holiday and do what we want. My sister always meets others (and is even godmother to the DC of someone she met on holiday) so we tried being friendly to another couple one year when DC were young. They were okay until they got a few drinks in them and then they got very argumentative with each other - we had arranged to go for an Indian meal and he started calling the waiter a p*ki etc. We got up and walked out then spent the rest of the week avoiding them (which was hard as a very small resort). Never again. Now we avoid all eye contact from the start and just ignore people who try to talk to us. Might be rude but I don't care - so next time, cut them off at the pass from the start off OP as the ship has already sailed this time I fear.

Well I don't agree with monopolising people's time of course, and this could well be their way of avoiding spending time with each other, but one person's 'latching on to strangers' is another's making friends. Maybe they don't know their friendship isn't well received.

If you didn't want to make friends on holiday then why have you allowed this to go on for 6 days?
Be friendly for a couple of chats then make it very clear that you want to spent time alone.
Pussy footing around and being passive will get you no where, grow some balls and do something about it

Omg , I want to fly over there and tell them on your behalf !
Please tell them you want to spend time with your family.
Don't make stuff up .
It doesn't matter what they think , they're nuts anyway.

I love how this thread is unanimously of the 'their behaviour is bang out of order' mind (rare as unicorn shit on MN for people to be in such agreement). I also completely agree. So, who is still DOING this weird latching on to strangers thing and thinks that it's acceptable? Who are these people?

Yes, absolutely! Only presumably, these people have absolutely no sense that they're being rude or pushing their company on people who don't want it -- they literally just think 'Oh, there's that nice family, let's go and sit next to them at breakfast/on the beach/get the next door sun loungers/jolly them along to come drinking once their child is in holiday club!'

It is, I suppose, perfectly possible that the OP and her partner have been so subtle/polite in their attempts to keep away from them, that the other couple genuinely haven't a clue, or because they'd be delighted to be befriended by other people, they don't get that not everyone wants to, or they think the OP and her partner are 'just a bit shy' and need 'jollying along' until they start dancing on tables and doing drunken karaoke.

Or, of course that they have the psychological equivalent of a tin ear for other people's response to them.

I bet they do usually holiday with another family, but this year, really weirdly, EVERYBODY they know had other plans every single week between now and September, completely coincidentally.

My dd was breastfed until four and I was a breastfeeding counsellor for twelve years. When I read you were being 'latched on' to by a couple, OP, the mental images were absolutely shocking!

as it's our last two days we really want to have some alone time

I'm afraid you've let it go on too long now. There's nothing else to do but sell your house, move next door to them and knock it through so you can become one giant creepy polygamous family

They just asked if we are going to the beach. I said no we will go later...theu said oh ok we will wait good idea when it's cooler etc.. ...wtf!

I get what you're saying, but for someone like me who is a bit socially anxious holiday is the perfect opportunity to be able to avoid awkward, forced interactions with people you barely know and just relax in peace and quiet. People shouldn't infer themselves upon others assuming that their overtures will be welcomed. I wouldn't know how to react (this is part of my anxiety) so would compensate by being overly polite which may give the impression of welcoming, when I'm actually slowly dying inside! It's not necessarily 'unfriendliness'- some people find talking to strangers genuinely challenging and uncomfortable, and that's not how you want to feel on holiday.

And they want to go when kids club is on. OH just said no I just want to swim and relax in peace at the beach

Do you think they're using you as extra adults to parent their kids?

I honestly can't believe that people latch onto others when on holiday like they've always been best mates. I have the odd chat with people but have never ever come across anything like this how weird that they seem to think stalking is fine just because they are on holiday

And as for this:
The other day they couldn't find sunbeds so actually came and sat on the end of ours.

Tell them to fuck off out of your face OP.

Friends of mine always come home having met some 'best mates' family. They always invite them to stay afterwards too. It never lasts. I'm beginning to think my friends are like these people.

Luckily I wouldn't go on holiday with them if you paid me

barrygetamoveonplease I thought exactly the same.

Visions of topless sunbathing gone horribly wrong.

You either just let your holiday be wrecked or you say you want some time alone.

You're missing a LOT of chances here to say 'Actually we just want a couple day today, we never get time alone so maybe see you tomorrow?'

Honestly OP, just say in reply to "Do you want to go for drinks?" that you and your OH would like to be alone.