Holidays with grandparents

[TiaBow]

Talking to a friend today and jokingly asked how she could afford so many holidays (4 a year, 2 haven, 1 centre parcs and usually somewhere abroad like centre parcs/euro camp). They aren't high earners so while I was joking I was also curious.

She told me that

• Her parents take them to Haven in the October holidays every year
• Her husbands parents take them to centre parcs in the February holidays and her husbands nana always pays for their flights for the summer holiday.

She went on to say she thought everyone went on holiday with grandparents and her childhood was the same.

In your circle is this normal? AIBU to think this absolutely isn't normal and if anything puts them in a tiny minority?

We apparently went on holiday with each set of grandparents once (I don’t remember either time)

My parents always said they never did it again as they needed a holiday to get over it!

We did some of those when i was a kid we went to one in wales that was 🤩
I was also fascinated with welsh accents which i had not heard before and thought they were amazing

I know people who do and many who dont do this.

My parents have always taken their grandchildren on holiday on a child-centred uk holiday every year. Haven, Butlins, Parkdean, Centreparcs and the like. They were getting older when i had mine so I always went with them, but my older siblings didn't usually go with them, just their children. My younger sibling’s child has had one holiday with them as they are no longer fit. Now my parents are pretty much housebound and instead get joy by paying for the remaining child-aged grandchildren, and me and my sister, to go away in this country to a child-centred holiday every year instead. I said this year that I can get the same price for a last minute week in spain but i was told a firm no, as the children love butlins, and it is for them not me 😂

my mother-in-law also starting taking us away every year, in a air b&b type with lots of walking and sightseeing, but now her partner is no longer fit enough either.

My parents took us away a few times, we also went with them and split the cost sometimes. Not every year. Didn't get as much as a meal at my ex mil's house in my dcs entire childhood!

I've never been away with my grandparents. DH did as a child but not as an adult.

We spend a week every summer with my parents at their holiday home. But we pay for our flights (nothing else though).

I wouldn't take my primary holiday with grandparents - I value our time as a family unit and grandparents probably like different holidays to the kids now. We do have a week with grandparents each year, alternating the family between FIL and my parents.

MIL (divorced) has made it clear she would rather do her own thing which is fine.

We pay ourselves - well, share the cost of the accommodation. So it makes it cheaper but they don't pay for us.

My parents are taking 16 holidays this year (yes more than one a month). They are LOVING retirement.

It wasn't normal for me as a child but it is becoming the normals for us now we have kids.
Last year we went to centre parcs with my parents although I'm sure we split it 50:50.
The year before, my husband's parents took us on a cruise!
This year we are going to a hotel staying in a lodge self catering with my husband's parents, they have paid for the majority of that although we didn't ask them to. And then we are going to centre parcs on June with my folks.

So yes going on holidays with the grandparents is a running theme for us but we usually split the bill for it.

Lol the most I get out of dad is a couple hours at the pub softplay if I need it. My mum will come somewhere if I taxi her about. No neither would ever pay for a holiday for us.

In a way.

We have been on holiday with our kids and my parents and separately with his parents.

Cost was split down the middle.

It does work out cheaper doing it that way so we were subsidized a bit. Cottage holidays in the uk rather than anything expensive though.

Most definitely not for my family, not because I don't get on with my extended family simply because I value precious time on holiday with my own little family.

I also think many people take GPs on holiday because they can't handle dealing with their children on their own without help from others for the entire time. None of my friends have their children a full week without help or household help and not always because of work, most have GPs that take them a day out every week, have a sleepover every week , come and help them get dressed for nursery, take them to clubs or do nursery pick ups. And some of them don't do any laundry, parents pick it up, wash, dry, iron and drop off. It's alien to me as we get no help with any of that and just plod on.

Normal for us. When the children were small, we couldn’t afford abroad - my parents could so they paid and a lovely time was had by all.

Later, when MIL was widowed, she came with us and paid tor herself although we picked up food/car etc.

Now we have grandchildren we go away for smaller holidays with them and split 50/50 even though it’s four of them and two of us

We all had/have separate holidays too but it’s pretty good all round - our children loved it as our grandchildren do too.

I should add we don’t live close by so it isn’t as if we live(d) in each other’s pockets.

We go on an annual 4 generation UK weekend away. Costs are usually split but sometimes the eldest 2 generations fund it between them. If that happens the "youngsters" pay for all the food and activities for everyone while there.

When we go away with just my parents it varies. Sometimes they pay (if it's their choic of destination or timing) but we'll pay for all the food when we're there. Sometimes we book separately but go to the same place. We would never pay for them because my siblings aren't in a position to do so.

I also think many people take GPs on holiday because they can't handle dealing with their children on their own without help from others for the entire time
i take my children on holiday alone and have done every year since they were toddlers. It was always and remains always significantly easier than when my mum and dad have come too. And no they dont do any childcare. They are two extra people to look after. 😂

We went away with my grandparents every summer in their caravan for a week to ten days, mum and dad would come at the weekend if close enough, so they could work while we were off school, pretty sure my grandparents covered our expenses and parents gave us since pocket money (low income). We're going away in the summer to the Netherlands with my parents and DHs parents all together (MN nightmare scenario but I like them all!), but we're all chipping in for accommodation and travel and sharing driving.
I don't think grandparents paying for multiple holidays a year is normal, but I'm not from a wealthy background. We earn more than my parents ever did but have substantial mortgage/outgoings and can't afford to treat 4 extra adults to a holiday but that they'd want us to!
DS is going away for a week in the summer just in the UK with PIL and they won't take any money from us. Well send him with some cash and he'll likely come back with it as he has before with them and with my parents.