Daughter didn’t enjoy holiday

[Personil]

DH and I went on holiday with my DD (11). When asked if she enjoyed the holiday she says it was ok but was ruined by being left on her own for 2 hours every day. What she’s referring to is when we went for a siesta. Months later she’s saying she wouldn’t want to go again. WWBU?

Can you name some of the solo games she could play?

“(Albeit Spanish)” doing a lot of heavy lifting!!

Well we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

I think 2 hours in a strange place with only a choice of a couple of books is a long time for a child to be expected to be left alone. Reading, for 2 whole hours, would not be something I could do.

Maybe some kids could do it, but obviously it was a struggle for her DD, who didn't enjoy it, and this is what this thread is about.

As an only child, just because she always has to entertain herself and should be used to it, doesn't mean she should have to all the time.

If she were my child, and an only child, I would be making the effort on holiday to spend as much time with her as I could. Family time is more important to me than getting some afternoon kip.

Oh get lost with the would have been a good way to learn the language. She’s on holiday and wanted a bit of company with her parents. Play a card game with them or something.

I also think that, as your post suggests, this is not her father and you should be spending some 1 to 1 special time with her on holiday. You say her grandmother does things she likes with her. I am sure she would like it if you did some of these things she likes with her.

What would you plan on doing with that two hours every day?

Good for you that as a child you were more than happy to entertain yourself with a book for a couple of hours.

But the OP's DD found it difficult and struggled with boredom. Nothing wrong with that. We are all different. Some would be okay and others would be as bored as hell. I would have been the latter and so would my DD's at that age.

👏 Exactly.

@Agrumpyknitter

why resign yourself to being in the pool/beach all day every day if neither you or your husband like that? Do a pool day then a day out doing something more cultured if that’s more your thing, then alternate. Holidays should be for everyone in the family not just the kids

@SALawand again, when you have children who have no clue how to entertain themselves then you end up with kids like this. My ds who is 10yo is able to think for himself. He takes a backpack - new books that he hasn’t read, some sketching supplies, a puzzle book, he takes his game console, and various other stuff.
it’s not that difficult to understand is it?

2 hours every day, not 2 hours total.

She clearly can’t entertain herself though, I would have just expected her to have the capacity to do so.

She has the rest of the day and evening to spend with her parents.

Sounds like you spent most of the holiday in the room .BORING!.Also the kid had to go swimming in her own while you watched from the balcony ,that in itself is sad.

Yes, I was able to comprehend that it was 2 hours per day.

She can and she did, she just didn’t particularly like it on holiday.

It does sound a bit rubbish when you've explained it all....who does 2 hours nap everyday while on holiday?!?!

But you can’t comprehend an11 yr old not wanting to do that every day on holiday?

do you have a concept of hours of the day? How is 2 hours most of the time?

So she was on holiday but cooped up indoors all afternoon with nothing to do while you slept every day? Yeah, not surprised she didn’t enjoy it.

As for saying ‘She reads at home so what’s the difference’ - well, exactly. She wasn’t at home. She was on holiday, but doing the same thing she does at home but with less choice and variety. So why would she want to do that again?

Poor kid just dumped lol! Maybe if she had something to entertain her? Most people put their kids in a kids club if they need a siesta.

If you read what they did all day you will see most of it was spent in the room.

If you are both in your 70s, fair enough. If not, wtf 😂

At that age she should understand that she had the rest of the day with her parents - it was 2 hours a day.

I only said about the language because apparently there was a tv

I can’t comprehend a child if that age lacking the resources to entertain herself for a 2 hour period daily. She wasn’t locked in a cell!

“I’m going to bed, you sit there and learn Spanish by yourself.”

What a lovely holiday 😂