to never go abroad on holiday again until the kids have left home...

[liath]

Have been out of the UK 3 times since having the dcs and even when it's gone relatively well there has been the unpleasantness of flying with small kids, endless queues, dodgy weather etc. We've had endless delays, missed flights, gastroenteritis & broken bones. I get back more knackered than before I left.

AIBU to want to spend every holiday between now and my youngest's 18th birthday at bloody Centre Parcs - at least I know the chocolate ice cream there is good.

Just wanted to pop back and totally agree with hatwoman about the value of going back to the same place year after year - as children we went to the same place in the IOW and met up with the same families year after year and it was great - we had the freedom of knowing the area intimately and just went off all day and we had friends to do it with.

I dont do it now as I cant coordinate work/holidays/exdp's needs etc in the same way but if I could then I would.

YANBU if it's not for you, but we love our holidays abroad and have had some lovely family experiences.

taffetacat - but AIBU is usually about people passing judgment on other people's parenting styles, isn't it? And I did try to say 'personally' and 'IMHO' rather than just say a blanket 'i'm right and you're wrong'. I guess i'm coming across as a bit of a twat to some people, for which i apologise as i'm generally not very twattish, honest , but travelling widely with kids is one of the things i really believe passionately you should do as parents if you are in a position to do so, and i wanted to get that view across as at the start at least it didn't seem to be the prevalent view on this thread - more people have joined later with similar views. i guess it's as important to me as organic food or private schooling or never letting kids watch tv is to some other parents.

hatwoman - interesting point. i do understand that, and how necessary that stable basis is from which kids can grow. but i guess i see day-to-day life as being that and holidays as the time where you do something new and different and exciting and challenging, however briefly, rather than it being another opportunity to do the same sorts of things. but again, just my opinion

and of course there are tonnes of ways to give your children new experiences - i hope i didn't imply that travel was the only way of doing that, as i really don't believe that. but i do think it is a really valuable way of doing so.

right i'm off to plan my next holiday, maybe to cornwall (which is lovely by the way!)

meg - for the record I think its great you feel so passionately about it and obviously want the best in this area for your kids. I certainly don't think you're a twat.

I do think that one of the great privileges of parenting is that you are able to inflict pass on your passions to your children. And we all have different passions.

Had to respond after littlemisshappy's post.
WE too have been on a £9.50 sun holiday, that cost us £38 for the week. plus food and days out.
Recently given a caravan. is stored in dorset. we had the best time last year. so holidays in dorset for the next few years.
have had many holidays abroad. florida, russia, egypt, ibiza. on average, cost about £1000 -£1500 for 2 weeks all inclusive.
Moral of story. We have fun wherever we go. Never had a bad holiday. Dh and I can have 'fun in a phone box'.
Still maintain my original point. Travelling is no problem. whether that is travelling re flights to oz, majorca or going down the road to a caravan.
Am shocked at saddened by how many people on this thread can't seem to realise this.

oh and i don't go on holiday to broaden my mind. or my children's mind.
I travelled for 2 years prior to going to uni.
i go for the sun. for someone cooking for me. coz I like it. I don't care if ds's like it ( they love it), i do it because i want to and dh wants to. and we have fab holidays as a family.
none of this broadening the mind ribbish.

yep same here oblomov.

I see nothign wrong in mixing up the type of hols as well - some times we go camping - sometimes we go to CP, sometiems we do something more adventurous - as long as its not the normal work/school run stuff then it doesnt really matter.

I dont think travel really does broaden the mind either. Its not a 'proper' experience (like having a baby or losing a loved one) its just more consumption...

Cheers everyone, interesting debate.

I agree with whoever mentioned personality affecting things. I tend to get stressed very easily so I think that's why the whole travelling with kids thing can be so unpleasant for me. I overheard DH chatting to a mate yesterday and he was telling him what a fantastic holiday we'd had - despite the broken arm/nightmare journey back.

To anyone concerned that my poor deprived kids are only going to see the inside of the center parc perimeter fence for the next 15 years - don't fret! Dd starts school this year so I doubt we can afford it at school holiday prices. We've had 2 lovely cottage holidays in Wales with the kids & the ice cream was almost as good as the center parc stuff.

TBH I don't think I'll get away with never going abroad again unless I divorce DH, he travelled a lot as a kid and loved it. I think I need to work on pursuading my mum and dad to come with us next time.

We went with my parents to France before we had DD when DS was 18 months.

Never. Ever. Again. It took our relationship two years to recover.

Just come back to this thread - some interesting views!

Wanted to clarify - we love travelling and will definitely travel with our boys (have a list already!) but no way with a baby and toddler as they won't get anything out of it.We'd rather save our money and go at an age when they'll remember the experience - and when we no longer need pushchairs, nappies, travel cots, etc,etc.

Can't wait - Grand Canyon is top of the list!

In spite of all my views on this thread, my main reason for not travelling is money, I would dearly love to travel. I do cherish a fantasy of when the DCs are a bit older buying a campervan and travelling round Europe with them and all having a jolly time.

Right now though I don't want to force myself to do travel with DD at the risk of it being stressful just to prove I can. My big wish is that we had friends to go on holiday with as I can imagine that it makes things more fun, but we don't seem to have that sort of relationship with anyone.

Do you want to do a timeshare on a camper van? We'd love one!

Now I need a 'smug campervan owner' emoticon...we're just finishing converting a camper, it is the coolest thing. It isn't a VW, as much as we wanted an old classic we also wanted something more modern that can sit at 80 on the motorway, is reliable, fuel consumption isn't huge, has air con etc etc. So we got a neat van that is 3 or 4 yrs old, have lined it, floored it, wired etc etc and have just had furniture put in.

Back to topic! We bought this because we reckoned that with our respective career changes/retraining and our first DC on the way we wouldn't be able to afford our normal holidays but we wanted something so that we could be a bit adventurous, or just be able to go away when we want to! For the next yr or so this'll be in the UK, but we do harbour grand plans of taking it off to Europe for a few months...doggy passports and DC (fingers crossed, he/she isn't here yet...)in tow!

MrsC... That camper sounds fab! What van is it that you converted? Sounds like a labour of love!
Have some great adventures!!!

People feel differently about stress. Dh and I quite enjoyed taking dd (23 months) on the train to Berlin (17 hours each way); it was a different kind of stress to the everyday being stuck in the house and in toddler groups and to me that made it almost relaxing. And though she doesn't remember it, the stories of what she did and said are part of her. Accidents can happen to children anywhere: ds split his finger open on the first day of our holiday in Herefordshire- didn't spoil the whole week and wouldn't if he had done it in France instead.

I do remember being very excited about my first ever trip abroad. It was to the UK, and it seemed such an exotic place, full of people, full of strange noises and smells- and so dirty!