Holiday dilema

[goingroundthebend4]

I have the 4 dc .16,14,7 and 5 .With my 16 yo being at collage

What do people do about holidays when you have older dc.Am feeling guilty as looking at disneyland Paris to take the younger 2 for a small break but feel bad as

Cant take ds2 out to go and ds1 wont want to share one room with us.

But do know over the next few years ds2 has couple of school trips abroad coming up tied in with his subjects so he needs to go

But what do you do if you cant afford a holiday in summer for everyone abroad but can take little two out for small break

How would you handle it or broach with your teens .( there not missing out totaly as planning a Cp break over new year

I wouldn't do it

I wouldn't go in the school term

I'd save until we could all go in the holidays

even if one of the dc will have school trips coming up

trouble is will take me a extra two or 3 years to save that

we would still be going away over xmas holidays

You could ask them how they feel about it? If they get upset and want to go then I'd find it very hard to go ahead. But they might not mind. Call a family meeting

yes think i might have to will wait check what school trips ds2 has coming up know he has Germany coming up

downside to balancing two age groups

Yes they did used to go to Haven.Never really thought of it like that .Thank you

im aware ds1 wont be wanting to come much more anyway and ds2 has got Trip to Germany this year with school . And my mums offered to come stay so theres adult in the house with them .(single parent ).

Am going to sit down and talk with Ds1 and Ds2 see how they feel and explain that they went away fair bit when was younger.

I would try to work some way of having a family holiday with all of them. It's only a couple of years before they either won't want to come with you at all, or will be possibly at university and trying to work a job through the holidays to raise money. There will be plenty of years to come to holiday just with the younger two, but fewer opportunities for the whole family to be together.

But it depends how your kids feel about separate holidays.

Damdydan

we will still have family holiday .Were of to Cp over the new year for a week.Older two love all the activties there

But it's wanting to do a Mon-Fri holiday im talking about where Its about dd and ds3 doing what they want.younger kids stuff.I'm fortunate as they all compromise pretty good but am aware that they don't have the same attention as my older two did when was younger

Big two do still get my sole attention too,took ds2 to the tower as he really wanted to go so took him on his own as knew not place for younger dc and wanted some 1-1 on time

I'm going to sit down talk with my older two see how they feel about it .Was just wondering how others deal with it especially when such age gaps and differnt needs

Last year ds (then 15) flew alone to the states to stay with his friend and his friend's older brother and he enjoyed it hugely, it also helped his development to manage without adults for 3 weeks. DH and I had a lovely holiday by ourselves.

This year we're tailor making our holiday to please DS as well as us by going to California for 3 weeks, partly in San Francisco for ds, partly in country houses for us, with scope for ds to cycle into the nearest town to mosey around by himself when he gets bored with us, or to go airsofting, rowing or whatever.

It's going to be expensive but I think we all know that it's likely to be our last family holiday together, next year he'll be almost 18 and will want to do something with his friends, so I don't mind paying through the nose for a one-off holiday to rememb er.

Mary

The food bills at home make me want to cry there cboth on high fat diets to.

Am sitting down with them tonight .I know ds2 would love to go to Romefor couple of days without the younger ones he is bit of history geek so am going offer that as option at some point.

Ds1 we talke dthis morning and he is like mum take them .We did loads when we was younger and btw will it be ok if i go away with my friends in the summer to festival

mumbelchum

If it was just the two older dc that be fine .Im pretty laid back and holidays centre around the kids on the bases if im happy they are happy

but its balancing the two younger dc as well

opps and that should be if they are happy then im happy

Only once in the last 17 years have i ever been away on my own without any dc and had a break that was just about me and except thats going to be a long time till can do that again

Best thing for teenagers (from my experience): a week at summer camp (if it's a good one). I was happy to do anything with the family so long as I got my own holiday as well. My favorite was colony holidays (now www.ate.org.uk superweeks). They can even spend New Year together.