To think family days out are mis-sold and wish to complain?

[JustAnotherManicMunchie]

Planned a lovely day out yesterday for my DC aged 10, 9 and 3 months. DC1 has ASD so takes some encouragement to get out of the house.

I spent ages planning and packing a picnic and headed off backpack in hand with visions of sunshine and the DC and I skipping through the meadows…

The reality was the DC bickered all the way to the venue, by the time we got there, DC1 was in a mood and dragging his sorry face along the ground ….

DC2 was fed up of DC1 and his endless rules.

Picked the baby up out of her car seat to find she’d had an explosive nappy all over her car seat . Cleaned up the baby whilst simultaneously trying to stop WW3 breaking out between the older two.

We carried on with our day and thought never mind, even Mary Poppins herself has blips … we can still skip in the meadows hand in hand al la perfect family style ….

We get to the playground at the venue and the DC are still bickering; before I can get to them , DC1 wallops DC2 under the wooden bridge like a troll clubbing the Billy Goats . The pair of them scrapping whilst the world looks on like they’re at a paid for title fight.

So embarrassed, I hauled them out of the park and we went for a walk. I’d paid £35 to get in, we were not leaving until we had at least some fake happy family photos ….

DC2 then tripped over a tree and skinned his knees , cue screaming like an injured wild animal. We left.

Today …. Is another day I thought…. Again , bundled them in the car and I promised myself today would be better and true family day out.

Twenty minutes in to the journey, I was screeching like a deranged lunatic over the pair of them ducking fighting and arguing again. I told them they were ruining family days out and I was so sick of their selfish bickering. I really lost my shit and told them they were making family life miserable and I wanted to go home and forget the day out ….

We went on to the seaside and had a fabulous time … before getting in the car and enduring a meltdown for the whole journey home.

I think I’ve been mis sold family days out and I’d like a refund on all the family days out we’ve ever had which follow the exact same pattern ….

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

AIBU ?

YANBU..... I am secretly glad we’re not going on holiday with the kids this year as invariably they take it in turns to ruins it with sulking, whingeing and endless bickering.
However recently my dad recounted the story of how I ruined a family holiday to Malta once by refusing to leave the hotel and one day I apparently refused to walk around another church, so I sat on a wall outside for 2 hours. I was very very surprised to hear this, as I actually remembered it as I’d had a perfectly lovely time, and didn’t remember being in trouble or arguing with DSis but did have a very very vague memory of sitting on a wall in Malta ..... 🤣

My boys are 13 and 8.no baby, no special needs and the age / size difference means the oldest knows better than to get physical, so it's literally just two kids bickering constantly and does my head in. Is there anything to be said for staying at home but trying to spend some time with each separately rather than go on a day out - obviously not every day forever.

Tried an orphanage?

I mean, to deposit them. Then you'd have a lovely day out. Mine mostly sighed and sulked. So did I.

@Mumtoone39 that’s so funny! Not your experience but your post! Hope you can relax now home.

This is all soooooo reassuring! I was beginning to think it was just us.

@Mumtoone39

Not day out but holiday. I have just posted my fake happy holiday snaps on Facebook. The reality -- both children had a vomiting bug, only one day was vomit free. The one year old also added in explosive diarrhoea just to up the stakes a bit. The scene for this extravaganza? A f**king camping pod. It was like "Tenko" only without the humidity.

Tenko 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hope you are home and dry now.

Firstly you need to manage your expectations, it's always going to be hard work with three kids. Secondly headphones are your friend here, if both older kids are absorbed in their own activity eg music, downloaded cartoons etc car journeys are better. Thirdly wherever possible don't pay for activities unless it's a real banker eg theme parks because they as much fun in free parks.

I only have 1 child ….. dad and child bicker lol

This thread has brought back a memory of a rail journey into London. Packed carriage included a father taking his small son (4?) on a day out.

At each and every stop the child would excitedly and loudly question his father “Dad, is this London? Dad do we have to get out here because it's London? Are you sure it's not London, Dad” etc, etc.

After an hour's journey the train finally pulled into Waterloo. As it drew to a halt a weary little voice cried out “Dad, can we go home now?”

this is standard! im already thinking our week away will be carnage after the first 10 mins in the car never mind what to do to amuse 3 kids of different ages !Kids sabotage most things!

Just get rid of them

Urgh OP feel your pain (& everyone elses!)
My 4 DC who are older now so family days out not so much of a thing.
However, back in the day....DS2 has ASD, PDA & sensory processing disorder, youngest DD very complex medical/physical issues.... Between the 4 of them over the years, I have lost my 💩 more times than I care to count & recited through extremely gritted teeth "You WILL enjoy this over either mine or each other's dead bodies!" .... it's been a close run thing at times 😂
Despite trying to pack for every eventuality, they'd all invariably finished their snacks before we'd even hit the motorway (about 10 mins from house!)

I really needed this thread, for the laughs and the head wobble.

It's also made me rethink my plans for the day, instead of a Day Out we're going to a massive Home Bargains and then to Macdonald's for lunch .

Welcome to the reality of days out. Those picture perfect images on SM have taken 23 photos and have been filteredIt’s all bollocks

I was just being very irritable with my children at the self-scan in the supermarket and could feel judgemental looks from the other shoppers. Honestly they should give taking them out a go and see how limitless their patience is!!

@MyShoelaceIsUndone

Welcome to the reality of days out. Those picture perfect images on SM have taken 23 photos and have been filteredIt’s all bollocks

bit sad to have such low expectations and be so judgmental. Not everybody has negative or bad experience with days out. Quite the opposite actually. Bit weird to assume that any happy photo you see is a fake.

it's the same with holidays.
Some posters think it's hell to travel abroad with children, others need to do it at least a couple of times a year and thoroughly enjoy themselves.

Oh, I've LOVED this thread!
Mercedes519 I'm just back from a trip to London and my (grown up) dd couldn't believe I'd looked up to the top of an old building just after a heavy shower and said "OOH, PIGEONS!!" because the birds were all sheltering from the bad weather.. ;-) Great mum, she said, we come to London & you're excited about PIGEONS..
moofolk turning the family 'off and on again'.. :-)
BunTooti, Home Bargains & Mickey D's sounds the PERFECT day out for kids! :-)
I remember my late DH being in hospital over a Bank Holiday, and thinking ours would be the ONLY family not going anywhere (I don't drive) and feeling very sorry for myself. Until I noticed all my neighbours & their kids getting ready & into cars and snapping & snarling at each other.. :-) I felt BLESSED after that!

As for me when I was little.. there couldn't only have been me who wouldn't use any other loo than ours at home because others were all 'dirty'? My poor Dad.. having to drive home at a rate of knots.. ;-)

My oldest at 12 just moans all the time. He has ASD. That seems to be a bit of a theme.
His 5 year old sister is much easier and it’s enjoyable if I only have her. He is a total pain, and generally then tries to ruin it for everyone else. There are very few acceptable activities for him these days, and there were never very many. Doesn’t matter whether it’s cheap / expensive / local / far away - whatever it is, he will find a way to spoil it.

I think children are overrated. That's the crux of it!