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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Ungrateful to be dreading going on holiday with my (very nice!) dad

124 replies

amiungrateful · 03/12/2023 14:04

So my dad lives abroad and whilst I do occasionally come to visit him or he visits me in our respective countries, it's easiest in terms of flights to meet at a beachside holiday destination. My dad is paying for me to come on a 3 week holiday with my 2 year old daughter at a 5 star luxury resort, sandy beach, beautiful. I should really be grateful.

BUT I’m really dreading it. My daughter is hard work, as are most 2 year olds. My dad doesn’t help much, he’s very much a loving grandad who will pop in for a quick game of chase with her, might read her a book or two, but not someone keen to do more. His stance on it is he’s older, he’s done that with his own kids, grandparents’ roles are to enjoy grandkids. Plus he feels by taking us to luxury resorts he’s already treating us. And he is. Every time he sees us I can tell he adores my daughter, looks thrilled when she runs to hug him, and she loves him too!

At least at home I’ve got my husband who comes home in the evenings and after work he can help out. Here my dad will go out with his girlfriend for dinner whilst I have to stay in as no way would my 2 year old sit still in a restaurant, she’d want to be running around and exploring. At home I could meet up with mum friends for a play date. Here it’ll just be me and my daughter playing in the sand all day, whilst my dad comes in for a quick play from time to time, but mostly will be relaxing on the beach like a grownup. Just feels like the holiday would be very tiring and lonely. I know my dad would be quite surprised if I didn’t go, he’d think I’m ungrateful and it would definitely create tension.

My husband would join for the first week but after that he’s got to go back to work due to limited holiday allowance.

Boo hoo first world problems, i know. Am I just being an ungrateful spoilt girl?!

OP posts:
DisquietintheRanks · 03/12/2023 21:42

JanglingJack · 03/12/2023 21:39

And her 2 year old will not remember a thing about this holiday. Pointless really.

That's such a bizarre way to look at things. As if only the things you remember are fun or have value.

regularmumnotacoolmum · 03/12/2023 21:50

Summermeadowflowers · 03/12/2023 19:29

you are free to do as you please

You must know different two year olds to me!

🤣 do as you please within the parameters of parenting. You know what I mean!! Fill your time in the same way you would at home except without the mundane tasks of everyday life. If the toddler is too young for kids club, use it as a stay and play. There's so much you can do on a nice resort for 3 weeks. Explore the local area with your child too. The resort is not a compound.

regularmumnotacoolmum · 03/12/2023 21:52

If you're not already flying business/first then I'd suggest upgrading as it takes out so much of the stress of travelling with a toddler.

GreatGateauxsby · 03/12/2023 23:44

amiungrateful · 03/12/2023 17:19

For people saying to enjoy it as a break from house chores - I have a full time housekeeper who cooks and cleans, so at home my only job is to look after my daughter. On holiday it would also be my only job to look after my daughter. So it isn't really a break...

Not in a shitty way… just in a laugh out loud way I read this and thought “fucking hell mate… Your life is a break.”
😂😂😂

What a lucky position to be in (seriously) and I am in what I consider to be a fairly privileged position myself…

there are a plethora of options suggested, you don’t seem to like any of them so I can’t offer anything more than good luck on your 5 star “work trip” 😜

Ladyj84 · 03/12/2023 23:51

Why is your 2 year old hard we have twin ones and a 3 year old and because hubby got covid I had to take them alone on holiday this year since is was all booked and paid for and we had a great ten days. Get out, go walks,beach, trips. Aslong as there getting exercise and interaction ours stay happy and calm. Then once bedtime in an evening I got to chill on balcony. Thoroughly enjoyed it with them

KenAdams · 04/12/2023 00:02

Get a nanny now and take her on holiday with you?

SammyScrounge · 04/12/2023 01:42

amiungrateful · 03/12/2023 14:04

So my dad lives abroad and whilst I do occasionally come to visit him or he visits me in our respective countries, it's easiest in terms of flights to meet at a beachside holiday destination. My dad is paying for me to come on a 3 week holiday with my 2 year old daughter at a 5 star luxury resort, sandy beach, beautiful. I should really be grateful.

BUT I’m really dreading it. My daughter is hard work, as are most 2 year olds. My dad doesn’t help much, he’s very much a loving grandad who will pop in for a quick game of chase with her, might read her a book or two, but not someone keen to do more. His stance on it is he’s older, he’s done that with his own kids, grandparents’ roles are to enjoy grandkids. Plus he feels by taking us to luxury resorts he’s already treating us. And he is. Every time he sees us I can tell he adores my daughter, looks thrilled when she runs to hug him, and she loves him too!

At least at home I’ve got my husband who comes home in the evenings and after work he can help out. Here my dad will go out with his girlfriend for dinner whilst I have to stay in as no way would my 2 year old sit still in a restaurant, she’d want to be running around and exploring. At home I could meet up with mum friends for a play date. Here it’ll just be me and my daughter playing in the sand all day, whilst my dad comes in for a quick play from time to time, but mostly will be relaxing on the beach like a grownup. Just feels like the holiday would be very tiring and lonely. I know my dad would be quite surprised if I didn’t go, he’d think I’m ungrateful and it would definitely create tension.

My husband would join for the first week but after that he’s got to go back to work due to limited holiday allowance.

Boo hoo first world problems, i know. Am I just being an ungrateful spoilt girl?!

Yes.

Wibblebits · 04/12/2023 02:16

He sounds very sexist and incredibly selfish.

coxesorangepippin · 04/12/2023 02:53

More hassle than it's worth, lets face it

FedUpMumof10YO · 04/12/2023 03:32

I think you've just realised like every other parent that there are no such things as holidays with kids. Doesn't matter where you are, it will be stressful.

Though I do agree that 3 weeks is too long.

It sound like you are struggling to use your voice and speak up with what works best for you.

Itwasafterallallaboutme · 04/12/2023 05:02

Oh dear, your DF isn't coming across as the lovely person you first mentioned him to be @amiungrateful. He sounds like he is being "older person selfish", which I feel ok about saying because I am an older person too, and I know the "draw of being more selfish" now that my next big birthday will be my 70th - if I am blessed enough to live that long. I hope I am not being too sexist when I say that, especially for my generation and older, many Dads and Granddads who have lived in a more traditional way, just don't understand the needs of Mums and their young children.

I do think you are being rather unreasonable and unfair to yourself, your DToddler, and your DH, by not having a (probably) long and frank discussion with your DF, about the parental pressures he is still putting on you as an adult and parent, in your own right! I can't help but wondering if that is because he has some sort of financial hold over you? I don't mean ro be rude, but you are a stay at home Mum, who can still afford to have a housekeeper, you can afford what help you want on a holiday, and you can afford your plane ticket back home if you wanted to go home early. All of which suggests to me that you maybe followed in your DF footsteps, and were able to make a lot of money before you gave up work to become a SAHM, or maybe you inherited a lot of money, or won the lottery, or perhaps your DH has a very well-paid career, or your DF highly finances you? If it is the latter, I could understand (if not personally agree with) why you feel you have to keep him "sweet" by never standing up for yourself or your immediate family.

However, if my last suggestion that you may (all) depend financially on your DF, is anywhere near the truth, then please take this old woman's view on board, which is that unless you are going to be left very poor and struggling without your DF's money to enhance your life, then the freedom to be yourselves, and make your own decisions, is worth far more than continuing to live a fairly luxurious life - in comparison to most of us anyway.

If you don't have to take your any of your DF's wealth into account, then please just explain to him - in great detail - how and why you feel the way you do, just like you have explained it to us here. You could also ask him if he would be happy to leave his girlfriend for two or three weeks when he goes on holiday with you, and if he wouldn't be happy to do so, why does he think you and your DH would be happy for you to do so, and it would also mean your DH not seeing his DT for two or three weeks too. Please just tell him that two weeks is your absolute limit, and only then if your DH can join you for at least one of those weeks, and again, only then if the week you are without your DH, your DF babysits your DT for at least two evenings, while you go and have a nice dinner with his girlfriend, and during the day he plays on the sand with his DGC for 20 minutes to half an hour, so that you can have a proper swim in the sea yourself.

On top of all that, please consider slackening off your brilliant DM mantel while you are on holiday, and just be willing to be a reasonably good one instead - if you can keep your DT happy in a restaurant if she can watch your mobile phone's screen (not loudly of course) then please do that. You also don't need to stick rigidly to the same routines that you have at home, most little ones can adapt, and then adapt back again once at home, quite easily. I hope you end up having a lovely holiday OP, and that you can come to a much better understanding with your DF 💐

garlictwist · 04/12/2023 05:38

Three weeks?! That's an insanely long holiday. Most people would t be allowed that much time off work in one go. I don't think I'd want to go either.

NorthernAttitude · 04/12/2023 07:45

If your dad lives in another country and you only meet him in this 3rd country for a holiday surely you'd be flying alone with your child anyway? Bringing that flight forward by a week makes no difference?

dhxxx · 04/12/2023 07:50

It honestly does sound a bit like your looking for problems and not really sure what solutions you are looking for. Plenty of good advice (babysitting, fly home early, say to your father it's too long) which is being shut down with excuses. My 2 year old is hard work too so 3 weeks would be too long but I'd also say that to my dad and say I'll come for 2. And I'd have no issue using screens occasionally to go out for dinner, and probably use a babysitter once she is asleep one night. I'd also fly alone with my toddler so book my own flight home. So it does sound there is a few issues going on here which makes the holiday worse for you than it would be for others.

Finlesswonder · 04/12/2023 08:16

A lot of these problems are coming from you. You don't work and have a full time housekeeper so you can raise your daughter, but your daughter isn't well behaved enough to take to a restaurant or leave with a babysitter? You don't feel comfortable getting on a plane with her alone?

People have twisted this thread to make it sound like your dad is a bad person, really it's about you stepping up.

If you set your daughter boundaries nothing about this holiday would be a problem.

DisquietintheRanks · 04/12/2023 08:42

The world is full of toddlers who can't sit still for more than 15 minutes and no amount of "boundaries" is going to change that, nor should it. I do think the OP is making (or finding) things harder than they need to be but not sitting nicely for long meals, or settling for a stranger are quite age appropriate behaviours for a 2 year old, not a sign of poor parenting.

TulipCat · 04/12/2023 08:54

Sounds like your dad basically wants you and DD as an accessory to his beach holiday. He isn't interested in your preferences or needs, and thinks that paying for it gives him carte blanche to ignore them.

onesleepyma · 04/12/2023 09:13

Finlesswonder · 04/12/2023 08:16

A lot of these problems are coming from you. You don't work and have a full time housekeeper so you can raise your daughter, but your daughter isn't well behaved enough to take to a restaurant or leave with a babysitter? You don't feel comfortable getting on a plane with her alone?

People have twisted this thread to make it sound like your dad is a bad person, really it's about you stepping up.

If you set your daughter boundaries nothing about this holiday would be a problem.

My daughter is "well behaved" enough to take to a restaurant. She's a well behaved 2 year old. Who is curious and energetic and wants to explore. That doesn't make her badly behaved

Summermeadowflowers · 04/12/2023 10:17

Is ‘sit in a high chair being ignored for a couple of hours’ a reasonable boundary? I mean, seriously, is it?

Dixiechickonhols · 04/12/2023 10:58

You obviously have a very different life to most with a cook, housekeeper, dad paying for luxury holidays. In a way it’s a gilded cage as you don’t feel able to say no.
Your DH seems to be viewed as a distant addition to her life by both you and your father eg dad can’t put her to bed so can’t look after her (what happens if you are in hospital or away), dad spends large chunks away from her. That’s perhaps how you were raised too so it seems normal. Doesn’t your dc miss her dad? Him miss her? They change so quickly.
I’d be clear what works for you and doesn’t. As she gets older it will change she’ll want to play with children in the kids club and be able to sit longer at table. Presumably you’ll have her in a private nursery from 3 to get her in a private pre prep at 4 so you won’t be able to travel in same way.

Towerofsong · 04/12/2023 11:00

Since your dad is covering the holiday maybe use some of the money you have saved to arrange a babysitter, even one who will play with your child under your supervision so you can relax?

Runaway1 · 04/12/2023 16:06

It doesn’t sound like a holiday you want to go on for pretty good reasons. Can you just say it doesn’t really work for you and your toddler at her current stage and you look forward to holidaying abroad when she’s a bit older?

Snazzysausage · 04/12/2023 16:20

I'm not sure what else anyone can suggest really,you've shot down or found a problem with every solution proffered.

You're going to have to either have a week with your husband and a week on your own then fly home or suck it up for the 3 weeks as planned.🤷

Blue444 · 04/12/2023 19:42

Have a conversation with your Dad, say what you have said here. Can you do that in an open way? I'm much better if my daughter explains why things won't work with her toddlers, I would rather know and make it work for both

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