It's a holiday and the usual rules don't apply?

[Ojjjjnv]

Inspired by the other thread - if you are on holiday, do the usual rules not apply when it comes to food, screens, activities?

I grew up in Europe where our summer holidays were three months long and I was shipped to the coast for all of them. So usual rules certainly did apply, I had to do my summer homework, not go crazy on the treats etc. Currently on holiday with friends and we really don't go all crazy. In fact, just realised my kids haven't had an ice cream in all this time and we've been here a week

So are you a no rules apply family? Or do you still stick to routines? Is it a class thing in england?

Both our DC are ND so we are a pretty routine-driven household and have to be very consistent. On holiday they definitely have more treats than usual (as do we!) so they will probably have an ice cream every day. They do stay up later but we know that if they get too overtired it leads to meltdowns so we if they've had a late night they need a chilled morning/early night the next day.
Like a lot of ND kids, ours can find screens helpful to regulate but we have to put limits on this or they can become fixated. On holiday we tend to be out and about doing things during the day so they don't even think about devices, we will then allow them some screen time to wind down when we get home from an outing, or in the evening when DH and I want to chill with a glass of wine. We don't limit screens or snacks at all on long flights or car journeys though, whatever gets us there with sanity in tact!

Why would it be a ‘class thing’?

We’ve always relaxed rules when on our annual 1-2 weeks holidays.
but as ever with these things, the rules you apply when they’re 3 are different from the rules we apply now they’re 13!
Teenagers: lots more screen / phone time than usual (normally quite heavily restricted)
Bedtimes are about the same to be honest - our kids don’t particularly want to stay up all night -
and same with food. Obviously when they’re older having the occasional day where 2 ice creams are consumed rather than 1 is not something to get panicked over…

I agree with this.

Most of my rules can be summarised by "be a holistically pleasant person, not an antisocial nob".

That covers most things from sitting still while eating, look around you while you're walking, don't have an ice cream bigger than you can eat sensibly, clear your own mess, look at the person you're talking to, be polite, ask intelligent questions, help with chores, quiet reading in bed by 9ish so I can have adult peace and quiet.

I think the time is key here.

If you only get to go away for two weeks out of fifty two weeks you're definitely more inclined to relax rules, let your hair down, have an extra ice cream, later bed times, Fizzy drinks, etc. It's a giant two week treat.

If you're going away for three months, that's different. Three months of late/no bed times, multiple ice creams, and Fizzy drinks a day isn't great. But one to two weeks isn't a big deal.

If I was going away for months then no apart from normal treat days but for a 2 week holiday it's a part of it surely to indulge and fully relax? Part of the escapism from the daily rules of every day life for the other 50 weeks. Though my kids get less screen time as they get loads at home but have more to do on holiday!

it's no rules apply on our holidays !
Get up when you want (unless trip/activity planned)
Eat when you want. Breakfast can be at 12/1pm and DC can have what they want, even if that's ice cream (it usually isn't though)
Go to bed when you want
Any food/drink goes anytime of the day and regardless of the accumulated cost
Alcohol for breakfast (glass of fizz, not pints and pints of beer or endless glass of wine as that is not us)

I get up at 7am and am on the sun lounger with a book and/or swimming by 7.15 leaving my lot to get up whenever they want.

My DC are 15 & 17

Not sure about class but as long as we have basic manners and people are pleasant to eachother most of the time and not causing a disruption to anyone elses holiday then we have always had very few rules on holiday.
DC are teens now so we have even fewer but they always seemed to adjust back into more of a structure when we got home

At home most usual routine applies as she goes to holiday club so don't want her up too late and being tired, meals and treats as usual.
Away on holiday she stays up late for the entertainment and we're not fussed about what she eats, though thankfully she's a great eater and generally goes for the steaks/seafood over pizza and chips.
Screen time we don't have any restrictions anyway as she self regulates. On holiday she's in the pool all day or we're sightseeing then at the entertainment in an evening so it gets very little use.

There's a difference between the holidays and "on holiday".

During the holidays, if my DC are not at camp, I'm probably more strict than I am during term-time. I expect help with chores (at least from the older one), we read everyday and I do limit snacks, though we might bake cakes or other treats or make ice cream as something to do. I impose (fairly generous) screen time limits whereas we don't have any when DC is at school (DC is usually too busy with after school activities and homework, or trips to the playground, to watch much TV anyway, and weekends are taken up with parties or trips out.

On holiday, limits are largely relaxed in that DC can try most of the (age-appropriate) things available. We usually go to a resort or somewhere with lots to do. So I do let DC have snacks or ice-cream within limits - if there were doughnuts, for instance, I'd let them have one but would advise against a second if they also wanted an ice cream later, and I wouldn't allow snacks just before meals. But my DC are normally in the kids club or crèche or swimming or doing other activities like mini golf for most of the day, so actually don't have all that much opportunity for uncontrolled gluttony, poor things 😂!

I think this might depend a bit on how the parents view holidays. For some it's an opportunity to 'let their hair down' and eat / drink things they wouldn't normally. If that's the case then I guess that might extend to the kids too. I think for me i'd be very relaxed about bedtimes as I would prioritise new experiences etc. I think food wise I don't eat much differently on holiday so I don't think I'd change their diet either. I guess they might get a couple of ice creams. I would expect less screen time, not more, becasue I would imagine we'd be busy doing things. For me screen time (I have young children) lets me do chores rather than being something they are desperate for more of.

We haven't done AI but usually get a villa with friends and go to the beach or forest for the day. Dc haven't really had any screen time or fancied ice cream.

Sounds like us (except the bedtime thing- ds is 10 and has adhd so we have learned the hard way no one has a good time if he isn’t asleep by 10ish most days on holiday).

Im up with a brew and a box of nice chocolates for breakfast by 8 every morning, everyone else sorts themselves out.

I think it depends whether you mean "in the holidays" or "on holiday". When my children were young I could never have more than 2 weeks leave in the Summer holidays so they'd go to some kind of childcare/playscheme in the other weeks which would mean getting up at normal school/work time anyway, so normal bed time etc were required.
But on actual holidays away most normal rules were suspended. DH and I have never had more than one week off work simultaneously since we met over 30 years ago and there's no way I'd spoil that week by trying to get children in bed at a set time or arguing over the odd extra ice cream.