To consider this? Holiday dilemma

[Toomanythings]

We booked two UK holidays for this Summer. We booked them ages ago. It's the same place we go every year but we are all really looking forward to it. It's only caravanning so hasn't cost much.

Now it's ended up that the weekend we go on the first holiday clashes with two quite important social events that teen ds has been invited to and really wants to attend.

I feel bad for him and don't want him to miss out. So I'm considering cutting the first two nights off the holiday and having 5 nights instead of 7.

I haven't even suggested it to dh yet but I don't think he'd be keen.

Wwyd?

I'd let him go to the events, stay with a friend then travel to meet you he will be fine on coach/train.Our teens have sacrificed so much and it's important for their social skills development.

Or cut the holiday to 5 days.we cut our holiday back to 4 nights from 7 to support a teen revising for uni exams.

we don't regret it.do nice things on those 2 days at home and eat and drink nice things.you will also miss a lot of traffic ! our son didn't ask us not to go we made the decision and were glad. we were meant to be on holiday with the 15 year old and our 19 year old at uni came home to revise

What sort of important social event? They’re 13 so presumably if isn’t a leavers prom or a wedding or his best mate’s 18th birthday.

His best friend’s bar mitzvah or something, I might rearrange my holiday. Much less than that and I’d be going - there’ll be more sleepovers, cinema trips etc.

Holiday is not far off 300 miles away so just too much for him to be able to get to or come back for him. Only one car so no way of me travelling later either.

It's a scout camp and a friends party so ok perhaps not that important in a grand scheme of things. But it's been such a crappy time socially for him I hate him missing out on time with friends.

Dh isn't keen on shortening the holiday because it's so far away which I can understand.

Accommodate the teen. They need good times at the moment.
Bit of a pain but 5 great days are better than 7 with a sulking teen !

Couldn't you and DS get the train/bus together to the holiday site, or a nearby town and get collected by DH? All drive home together.

At 13 he is old enough to know he can’t have both

So events/stay with grandparents
Or holiday

At 13 I would be surprised if your DS would want to miss a family holiday to stay at his grandparents . Given you have another holiday booked as well I would say just go on the holiday for 5 days so you can all go together and your DS can do his other activities

Can he stay with friends and then get the train close to where you are staying. You and DH get a few nights to yourself, and your DC gets his days away

@harknesswitch

Can he stay with friends and then get the train close to where you are staying. You and DH get a few nights to yourself, and your DC gets his days away

Was just about to type that very thing @harknesswitch. We had to start making these adjustments because you are right, they have missed out a lot this year and he will enjoy the family holiday even more because he's also not missed out on his social groups. It will help his independence. Is there a friend's parent who might drop him to the station and you meet him at the other end? Presumably he will have his phone with him.