Ungrateful Teens on Florida holiday

[WatermelonWaveclub]

I brought my 3 teens (18, 16 and 13) to Florida to celebrate my eldest's 18th. Honestly it has been a nightmare. Every morning they refuse to get up. We end up leaving for the day's activity hours late. At least one usually refuses to come. Then we end up rushing around with the youngest upset we don't have time to do everything they want. When we get home late and I just want to sleep I am expected to sort food for whoever stayed back at the hotel. Then they stay up late keeping me awake. I'm exhausted!

The main thing they seem to want to do is stay in bed on their phones! Noone seems to worry about wasting a lot of money on activities they don't attend or any thought to making the most of a holiday they are very lucky to be on! No care about me missing out on things I'd like to do or their sibling would like to do. They were fully aware of what the holiday would involve and said they would like to go on the holiday. For example they knew there would be a lot of swimming. One has point blank refused to swim and the other 2 will swim hypothetically but have not once been in the hotel pool with me in almost a week and both just layed on sunloungers on their phones at the water park yesterday.

How would you deal with this situation?

Have I recently??

You have spent a lot of time on mumsnet op

but have you actually done anything? Taken any of the suggestions on board?

Read what I wrote and you may understand better!

So all the kids wanted to go, in fact the eldest (who is an adult) spear headed the entire holiday and infect made loads of plans.

None of the kids have ever been like this before and this is a “complete shock” to their mother

does it occur to you op that they have some personal stuff going on that they haven’t shared with you?

👆👆👆👆🎯

Home educated

OP? You have posted >70x

Have you done anything?

That is so kind, thank you

It's not for the oldest 2 - they have plenty of their own money

She is autistic so struggles with plans changing. I'm not dictating - the activities booked and paid for were what they chose!

You are just making yourself look idiotic now. Are you bored or something?

Surely I’m not alone in thinking there’s a beautiful irony in the crux of the thread… and the fact the OP seems to have spent an inordinate amount of time on mumsnet

To be fair I think my eldest is struggling a bit with the heat. The rest of us are ok, though.

Sounds like they're a bunch of ungrateful, spoilt brats. Yes teenagers can be sully, but this is not acceptable behaviour, especially from the 18 year old. They're supposed to be an adult now ffs.

Sit all three of them down, get them to put their phones away and fully concentrate on what you're saying. Do a rough calculation out on paper in front of them. Watch their eyes widen as the thousands rack up. Then make it clear that they are ruining it and wasting your money, and lay down rules for the remainder of the holiday. Tell them you are disappointed in them and you won't be paying for another holiday again. They should know by now that actions have consequences.

Focus their minds a bit by telling them they either buck up their attitudes or you’ll all go home and you’ll be signing them up for the shittiest local comp available as soon as you’ve unpacked.

Mine had a smart.phones from age 12. It is how you as a parent manage and control. Educate them about the use and the potential pitfalls. I was totally opena nd honest and mine have not been and are not addicts. Children at any age when they first get their phone may get addicted to it especially if they believe they have not had one for 3 years whst their friends have.

On holiday mine would not be on their phones all day and wp
would make the most of anywhere they went.

Depends how you start and continue on BUT I suppose it also depends on the child. Parenta need to parent their child, tough love along the way and see it through. The moment somw.childrem see weakness they will play on it to wear you down so you jusy leave them to it to take the easy way out.

It was the 18 year olds choice. As said many times before

DH and I are just back from a week with our two DD’s (20 and 18) in beautiful Sicily, and they saw practically none of it except when they emerged each evening in their finery to go out to dinner (because we were paying). We have agreed it’s the last time we take them on holiday…and we mean it. No drama, we’ll just quietly make our own plans from now on. What really surprises me is that I’ve heard them both tell other people how beautiful it is and what a fantastic holiday they had!

Yes it was but he could have just been going along with what mum and dad wanted and threw in a few suggestions. Something he may now regret and certainly won't do again in a hurry.

The whole thing sounds ridiculous to me anyway, far too much organised, never mind all of them sleeping in one room. I'd hate that.

Nice reach there 😂

I find this bizarre- of course he is paying it. He's 18 - why wouldn't he? Do you pay your adult children's bills? Does your mum pay yours??

She's autistic and very close to her siblings.

There is no dad. But I suppose we are very close. We like doing things together in general! I don't know just thought it was normal to have family time. I've not organised it for them, though. And while if we were in Europe them finding their own fun would be ok, I wouldn't be happy with it here, tbh. It's not very safe to walk about for a start.

OP you’ve been glued to your phone it would seem for the last couple of days. Maybe they’re following your example?!