To hate family holidays?

[Straitjacketsandroses]

I don’t get them. City breaks - love; short UK breaks - love, but any longer than that and it’s just same shit less conveniences around you.

We’re currently on a week-long UK break with my in laws and I’ve abandoned my husband and kids to come back to our (average, not as clean as my house) air b&b because the thought of another walk makes me want to scream. We’ll spend the day walking aimlessly to find the best spot for some squashed sandwiches and warm apple juice before coming home to sit uncomfortably round a kitchen table whilst my FIL watches EVERY soap back to back. And we’re haemorrhaging money on ice creams and pub lunches and fish and chips. It’s all just so expensive and dull. Take me home!

Anyone else feel like this or am I a one off? I feel the same abroad too if we go anywhere for more than 3-4 nights!

It’s an unfortunate family tradition that the in-laws take the grandkids to staithes every year for a week or so. The first time I went it was over night and I thought ‘oh this is quite charming’ but my god Lord it is dull. Beyond dull. For some bewildering reason it engenders joy in many people who love it like a cult. It’s grim. Both pubs are shite. And for the love of Odin do not swim in that harbour 🤢

It’s so boring I agree. There’s a chocolate shop opposite our cottage that I was fleeced for £18 buying my husband a box of chocolates. They literally are like eating sand: grainy and bitter. It’s like the emperor’s new clothes - charge enough and have a pretty front and we’ll all lose our sense of taste. The seagulls are something else; I have a proposal for the council though: build a big raft 100m out from the harbour, cover it in plastic explosive and then in bacon. Problem solved. We ate an average grilled cheese for lunch in the ONE cafe. I wouldn’t mind but the area we live in at home is renowned for it’s restaurants pubs and cafes 🤣

Drive to Whitby! You don't need Google bloody maps, just keep the sea on your left.

Whitby is my favourite place in all the world 🖤

We’ve been this week already! One day left tomorrow and then we’re home THANK THE LORD

The seagulls are utter bastards and the chocolate shop is twee nonsense. That used to be a mad old ironmongers and general store. It’s life as a chocolate shop is new. The fudge shop is also pretty poor. But the pub by the sea wall that believes itself to be a ‘gastro pub’ is a absolute rip off. Go into Whitby for the day. Much better for kids, the abbey is class.

This. I think you need to woman up about the car. Just go get it and drive somewhere fun!

Straitjacketsandroses

yay!!! To me board game night trump everything! Hope it all gets easier op! x

I hate attending group holidays in shared accommodation. I have managed the odd long weekends with friends but I always feel claustrophobic and unsettled. Would be ten times worse with inlaws.

our family holidays are sun filled city or beach holidays. In the UK we keep to nice caravan parks or lodge places with more things around to do.

how long is left?

We’re home now thank goodness! Was so lovely to get back to my own house where everyone has their own space and I have a tumble dryer 🤣

FWIW I don’t mind family holidays but I think the variables have to be just right; when our kids were small, it was great going away together for the extra pairs of hands or so we could sneak in a child-free pub trip, but now they’re older that doesn’t feel important anymore and it’s more about us all having the space to do our own thing when we want. Lesson learned!

Enjoy the buzz of being back home OP, there’s nothing quite like it!
Reading your posts, I thought two things.
First I don’t think the holiday-with-ILs break needs to be as long as your main family holiday. 2-3 days max, possibly twice a year if necessary. It would be much more bearable if you only had it in short chunks.
Second if you’re going to spend £5-£6k abroad, rent a villa. We are going to Madeira on Friday and it’s £6k including flights & a 3 bed villa, with a pool, sea view, rooftop terrace and in the old town, cue lots of lovely restaurants. Can recommend Villa Plus, their villas are spotless and always spacious.