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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To tell DS17 he shouldn’t come with us to Florida next year.

157 replies

Kickinthenostalgia · 02/12/2025 17:16

as a family 4 we booked to go to America in April but I’m hugely regretting it now. Ds17 has asd and is somewhat getting harder and harder to deal with whilst out. He’s absolutely fine at home but whenever we go places it’s just so much aggro, he didnt fancy our caravan holiday so didn’t come with us this year and I feel guilty in saying this but it was so much better. No issues, no arguments, no meltdowns, no stepping on eggshells. We thought he’d really want to go to America and he was really excited, until he wasn’t but is still talking about going. He absolutely hates trump, keeps saying he’s not eating American food because it’s full of chemicals, he complained when we did our Estas, about them having all the information on him etc. I’m wondering if he doesn’t want to come but doesn’t want to tell us in case we are mad about the money.

The last 2 days have been a nightmare for me and DP as well as my sister who’s bearing the brunt of it. as he’s currently over in Belgium with my sister and he’s barely left the hotel. I called him earlier to ask him if he’d like to come home early and he told me he didn’t feel safe and now my sister has said he hasn’t even gone for food this evening . I feel bad for her because she’s having to cut her holiday short( for which I’m reimbursing her) also she’s been doing everything solo which wasn’t was she thought she’d be doing.

I honestly don’t think he will manage in America as he’d most likely feel more unsafe over there. I also don’t want him ruining it for dd13. If we cancel the whole holiday it’s one not fair or DP or dd as they’ve never been, and we stand to lose a lot of money, where as if it’s just him then the hit won’t be too bad. I feel guilty as he’ll even thinking about this but I don’t want him distressed for 2 weeks because it will make everyone else feel awkward. But he absolutely loves rollercoasters and has been talking about the Florida ones for years. I want to sit him down and make all the points very clear. I’m really not sure what to do for the best 🙁

OP posts:
Sartre · 05/12/2025 09:04

It’s probably unfair on the rest of you if he does go because it sounds as though he won’t enjoy it anyway and will make it miserable for you, as he has for your sister.

You need to have a frank discussion with him. Explain that you won’t be mad or bothered about the loss of money, that you want everyone to have a great time but if he’s uncomfortable going and thinks it won’t be fun for him then it’s probably better he stays behind.

Glamba · 05/12/2025 09:08

magentafox · 05/12/2025 08:12

When did we abandon the notion that parents need to raise children who can both enjoy fulfilling lives and be useful members of society. I despair.

I know, what's the world coming to? My friend's son has cerebral palsy. I've told her she needs to raise the child to walk but she insists on giving him a wheelchair. He'll never learn that way. Lazy, feckless parenting.

Viflax · 05/12/2025 09:55

Glamba · 05/12/2025 09:08

I know, what's the world coming to? My friend's son has cerebral palsy. I've told her she needs to raise the child to walk but she insists on giving him a wheelchair. He'll never learn that way. Lazy, feckless parenting.

So the OP's DS isn't accountable for his actions and behaviour and how he treats others?

SilverPink · 05/12/2025 11:03

Viflax · 05/12/2025 08:03

The USA is a perfectly normal country to visit on holiday. I went this summer.

Me too. The hyperbole around visiting the US
is insane on here sometimes.

Workingwell · 05/12/2025 11:13

Viflax · 05/12/2025 09:55

So the OP's DS isn't accountable for his actions and behaviour and how he treats others?

Yes he is, but his behaviour won’t be that of a neurotypical person and society needs to stop expecting it to be. Anxiety and fear regarding the holiday seem to be huge issues here, and you can’t just make them go away easily.

It will affect the wider family because he struggles with things they don’t and that will obviously have an impact.
Autism isn’t poor behaviour just because it’s impacting on others.
I think people get confused about that sometimes.

(There may be poor behaviour as well, but a lot of what OP describes above is anxiety about things others find straightforward and that is very typical of autism.)

Workingwell · 05/12/2025 11:27

Actually, reading back OP’s posts, everything she has described is autistic behaviour and overwhelm. She has wondered if he doesn’t want to go on the holiday now but is worried about telling her because of the money lost —that does not sound like an inconsiderate, badly behaved person to me.
He is trying/deciding to do things and then finding them too much for him it seems. That is the issue. OP says he’s okay at home. I think the holiday plans might have been over ambitious for the family tbh.

Burnnoticed · 05/12/2025 14:56

He might decide the food, journey etc are worth it for the rollercoasters. You can sometimes get special assistance at theme parks too, to help with queuing

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