To cancel our holiday?

[BonAppetitPete]

Family holiday to Tenerife booked for next month (booked last year).

DS is 7 and has ASD.

Over the last 6 months his anxiety and consequently his behaviour have worsened.

He will not sleep - we have to lie in bed with him.

He doesn’t like to go anywhere or join in with any of the paid activities with the other children.

Something will inevitably upset him at any point - it’s often hard to predict or is unexpected .

He does not (can not?) listen to simple instructions - when something is in his head his need to fulfil it becomes paramount over anyone else or his safety and he becomes very agitated.

We’re currently on a caravan holiday and we haven’t had two minutes to relax .

DS won’t join in anything , complains about most things or gets hugely overexcited , constantly asks to stay in the caravan and won’t sleep unless I lie with him (which takes hours so any free night time is lost).

I’m exhausted!

I really don’t want to go to Tenerife next month to deal with it all again (it’s the same at home but harder on holiday ).

DS is indifferent to going .
DH wants to go .
Toddler dd doesn’t have a clue.

WWYD?

*help not home, sorry

We do the time table thing
And manage expectations
They are given choices

It's a shame to miss out on a holiday, I understand why, but I think it helps in the long run to expose them to new things rather than keep things 'the same' for the sake of a bit of peace.

My boys wouldn't cope with complex. We usually get a caravan facing a big grass area so they play football or just run about. Me and dh relax on couple of deck chairs.

GreenTulips I wish it was as easy as just wanting a “bit of piece”

The anxiety these things cause DS impacts us all - especially me as I am also chronically ill .

We haven’t taken this decision lightly - the holiday was a gift for our wedding anniversary - 18 months ago!

greentulips my post wasn’t meant to sound snarky at all

We will try again next year

It fine - we have the same issues only we are now 5 years along the line

I know it's difficult and god hard work -but I wouldn't cancel a holiday. We'd just manage.

I can think of many instance where the day was spoilt because it didn't quite go the way she wanted or plans change - earingboit was a bloody night mare (Italian night turned out to be pasta rather than pizza - luckily the waiter nipped down the road ans brought her one!)

Sounds like our family "Hell"idays. We have two with an ASC and I usually come back from a holiday vowing never to go again. Maybe I would go this year if you lose money by cancelling but would think very carefully next year about what your ds can cope with.

From an insurance point of view could the GP give you a Drs certificate that DS is too unwell to cope with going?

Unfortunately from experience, I wouldn't count on it.

OP