Page 3 | What age did they keep holidaying?

myotheraccountsa · 2026-01-31T14:19:49+00:00

Feeling a bit down today at my DSs getting older, not long until empty nest. What age did your older children keep coming on holiday with you until?

HerbertVonDoodlebug · 01/02/2026 18:45

Last one for all of us was when DC were 16 and 18, post GCSE / A Level exams.

The older one (now 19) is working and prefers to spend his annual leave chilling at home. He is a home bird and not fussed about travel for its own sake.

The younger is more intrepid and I suspect will keep coming as long as we keep paying 🤣 I don’t mind at all, he’s good company.

TeenLifeMum · 01/02/2026 18:48

Dd1 is almost 18 and last summer announced she wants to keep coming on holiday with us. I’m assuming that she’s wanting her girlfriend to come too so rather than getting less expensive it’ll be more 😆 dtds are 14 and want to come with us on holiday “until they are at least 30”! We’ll see.

Makingsenseofitall · 01/02/2026 19:10

LoyalMember · 31/01/2026 18:58

I think any adult children holidaying with their parents past the age of 18 are freeloading oddballs.

What a sad post. I’m sorry if this really is your view.

Maryberrysbouffant · 01/02/2026 19:12

Ha - as long as we were paying they’d be tagging along now in their late 20’s/early 30’s!

We hired a villa last year and they all came along with partners (paid their own flights)

Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride · 01/02/2026 19:31

My youngest would have happily scrounged joined us on holiday for a good few years after school, but thankfully she got friends and boyfriends, but she did crash our holiday let after Glastonbury last year.

Coffeegro · 01/02/2026 19:51

Off the back of this.... How long does one's son need to be dating his GF for before she ought to be invited on all of the family hols?

DS is nearly 19.

helpagal · 01/02/2026 20:41

I’ve never stopped going away with my parents and siblings! I have lots of holidays with my own family but we used to often stay at a villa together in the summer and go skiing in winter. Most of my friends are like this with their families too. Parents are getting older now and for various reasons it’s more tricky these days and I’m so glad I have all those memories to look back on. I do feel a bit sad how I took it for granted as a youngster because we just had the best times and I didn’t really appreciate that one day it would become difficult for us all to go away together

Planner2026 · 01/02/2026 20:52

Mine (and their other halves) are coming with us to a villa this summer - all in their thirties!

Smartiepants79 · 01/02/2026 20:53

I never really stopped holidaying with my parents and I’m in my 40’s with my own family. They chose (and could afford) to continue to pay/subsidise for us to come along so we did. We holiday as a whole group of 10 now once a year.

notacooldad · 01/02/2026 20:56

They still do and they are 26 and 29 now.
Only difference is, they pay for themselves, sometimes they pay for us and girlfriends come to.
Not every holiday though only once or twice a year.

2chocolateoranges · 08/02/2026 18:30

My youngest is 22 and still enjoys coming on holiday with us. Shes welcome to come with us on our summer holiday for as long as she wants. (We holiday as a couple in December).

I love that our children still love hanging about with us.

Twoshoesnewshoes · 08/02/2026 18:56

they all do (21,25 and 30), if they fancy where we’re going, they just invite themselves often with a partner.
we have had to be very clear that they are NOT invited to our big dream
longhaul adventure next month - the only reason we can finally go is it’s just us two!
my mum takes me and all my family on holiday every year (she pays)

SingtotheCat · 08/02/2026 20:55

Our eldest is 22. DH and I need a holiday just the two of us this year. I’ve been waiting for the youngest to be old enough and he will be 18 soon.
I can’t wait to just do what the two of us want to do without considering the Dkids.

theleafandnotthetree · 08/02/2026 21:17

I think some people are a little naive in thinking that it's because their family is so close and loving and they are such fantastic company that their adult children want to come on holidays with them. I think the opportunity to have a free but high end holiday just might have something to do with it also 🙄. My 19 year old will come with his sister and I to Italy this summer for a week but I don't kid myself - it's mostly about getting to go somewhere warm with great food and drinks. As with most things from turning 18 onwards, I have zero obligation to provide or pay for a holiday for him. I am choosing to do so this year but was not especially bothered if he did or didnt come. Hopefully we'll all have a nice time but life and relationships happen 365 days a year. I see people here and in IRL practically bribing their adult children to come on holidays and am perplexed by it.

PatsFishTank · 08/02/2026 21:45

We book a UK self catering place for a week each summer and DC 19, 21 and 23 are welcome to join us if they want to. So far they always have done. The accommodation is often fairly basic so they're not coming for a high end or expensive holiday.

They can obviously take other holidays without us and DH and I also do our own thing separately.

2chocolateoranges · 09/02/2026 09:28

theleafandnotthetree · 08/02/2026 21:17

I think some people are a little naive in thinking that it's because their family is so close and loving and they are such fantastic company that their adult children want to come on holidays with them. I think the opportunity to have a free but high end holiday just might have something to do with it also 🙄. My 19 year old will come with his sister and I to Italy this summer for a week but I don't kid myself - it's mostly about getting to go somewhere warm with great food and drinks. As with most things from turning 18 onwards, I have zero obligation to provide or pay for a holiday for him. I am choosing to do so this year but was not especially bothered if he did or didnt come. Hopefully we'll all have a nice time but life and relationships happen 365 days a year. I see people here and in IRL practically bribing their adult children to come on holidays and am perplexed by it.

Im not naive at all, our adult children (both still living at home) do genuinely love spending time with us. We make arrangements and they end up tagging along, both have their own friends and go on holiday with friends too but dd still likes a holiday with us too. They both pay their own way too,

dont hate on families who do things differently from yours.

theleafandnotthetree · 09/02/2026 10:07

2chocolateoranges · 09/02/2026 09:28

Im not naive at all, our adult children (both still living at home) do genuinely love spending time with us. We make arrangements and they end up tagging along, both have their own friends and go on holiday with friends too but dd still likes a holiday with us too. They both pay their own way too,

dont hate on families who do things differently from yours.

Show quote history

Not hating at all, only mildly bemused. And if your children pay their way, then that is of course entirely different and means that they genuinely want to holiday with you. Which is wonderful! I think my daughter will be the same, my son, not so much 🤣

Cankerousa · 09/02/2026 10:12

I never stopped!

My parents just started adding people as we went along. DH started coming when we began dating, then the children came along and my inlaws joined in too!

We all go at least once a year and they are my favourite ones!

eclecticwalls · 09/02/2026 10:14

LoyalMember · 31/01/2026 18:58

I think any adult children holidaying with their parents past the age of 18 are freeloading oddballs.

Strong response!
My DCs are late 20s. We all holiday separately and together. Two are away without us parents at the moment, we’ll probably get away all together next Christmas new year. They’re not freeloaders, there’s no expectation either way. Some families enjoy each others company 😮

AvonCallingBarksdale · 09/02/2026 10:17

LoyalMember · 31/01/2026 18:58

I think any adult children holidaying with their parents past the age of 18 are freeloading oddballs.

Ha ha, we have two freeloading oddballs then 🤣. They holiday with us and friends and we love it.

Runnersandtoms · 09/02/2026 10:23

My kids all get on really well. Dd1 will be 20 this summer but will still come on holiday with us. She can't afford a holiday with friends and not interested in a relationship at the moment. I'll be really happy for them to all come on holiday with us for as long as they want to. We don't do particularly expensive holidays though. We're going to France for a week and might do some short camping trips in the uk too.

Runnersandtoms · 09/02/2026 10:24

theleafandnotthetree · 08/02/2026 21:17

I think some people are a little naive in thinking that it's because their family is so close and loving and they are such fantastic company that their adult children want to come on holidays with them. I think the opportunity to have a free but high end holiday just might have something to do with it also 🙄. My 19 year old will come with his sister and I to Italy this summer for a week but I don't kid myself - it's mostly about getting to go somewhere warm with great food and drinks. As with most things from turning 18 onwards, I have zero obligation to provide or pay for a holiday for him. I am choosing to do so this year but was not especially bothered if he did or didnt come. Hopefully we'll all have a nice time but life and relationships happen 365 days a year. I see people here and in IRL practically bribing their adult children to come on holidays and am perplexed by it.

Nope mine genuinely enjoy time with family. They'll come camping half an hour from home because it's fun.

AmberDreams · 09/02/2026 10:27

I stopped going on holiday with my parents when I was about 12. I used to go on separate trips such as adventure weekends or residential sports courses instead. I never went on holiday with GP.

Now I have a young DS we go on holidays with just the 3 of us. It wouldn’t cross my mind to go with my parents and/or siblings.

Nevermind17 · 09/02/2026 10:31

Ours stopped late teens, because we were obviously far too uncool to holiday with. They started coming again around 22, when they began to really appreciate our scintillating wit and sparkling company. Though we do have holidays with and without DCs now, which is nice.

TooTiredToType77 · 09/02/2026 11:34

Mine are 20 & 17 - finishing uni and in college. Neither earning and bith v happy to holiday with us...not sure when they'll stop but probably when working and have less time off