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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

When did your teenagers stop coming on holiday?

36 replies

TimeToSleeeeep · 02/08/2023 11:42

I have friends who still take 22 year.old and 19 year old on holiday each time. Can I expect the same when the time comes?

OP posts:
GertrudeJekyllRose · 02/08/2023 11:51

My 21 & 19 year olds no longer come on holiday with us, although the 21 year old comes on some short breaks with us every year. Most of the 21 year olds friends still holiday with their parents but she is a free-spirit that prefers an independent backpacking type adventure.

lemonyellows · 02/08/2023 11:52

I think it depends on who is paying and if they have better alternatives 😂

WhyOhWine · 02/08/2023 12:01

My DC are coming on holiday with us at the end of the summer. They are 19 and 20 and both just finished their first year at uni. It is for 2 weeks. They have more than 3 months off so they have also both been away with friends and also earned some money. We paid for them to come on holiday with us, they paid to go away with friends. We have also been away without them since they went uni.

I am more than happy for them to come on holiday with us from time to time for as long as they want, and to pay for them. We really enjoy their company and they like hanging out together (they are at different universities so see less of each other). We choose places where they can go off and do their own thing for part of the time. Plus they get to stay at much nicer places than when they go backpacking with friends!

BlowDryRat · 02/08/2023 12:12

Oh gosh, I never even considered having the DC come on holiday with us at 19 and 22! They're only 13 and 10 now and DH and I already have a list of places we're saving for when they've toddled off into adulthood.

Seeline · 02/08/2023 12:17

Mine were 18 and 20 last summer and both came. The 19yo came this year, but 21 yo was away so much with mates he couldn't fit us in 😆
That said, DH and I are hoping for a week away late September, once 19yo has started uni. First time holiday as a couple for 22 years (apart from a few weekend breaks). Really looking forward to it.
I'm sure both will come next year if they can fit it in though.

Beenhereforever1978 · 02/08/2023 12:20

lemonyellows · 02/08/2023 11:52

I think it depends on who is paying and if they have better alternatives 😂

Yes I was talking to an older friend about this (mine are 14 and 23) and she just said "if you keep paying they'll keep going" 😂

Eldest travels a lot on her own now, youngest and I still love a trip together but I'm now organising to take a favoured cousin also so he has company his own age.

mumonthehill · 02/08/2023 12:23

Ds came with us last year at 22 for a family wedding but do not think he will come with us again as he now goes with his gf. Ds 16 still coming with us.

Parky04 · 02/08/2023 12:25

15 & 14. The 14 year old was a right miserable git on holiday!

cptartapp · 02/08/2023 12:34

DS are 18 and 20. DS1 has had two foreign holidays with his friends this summer and DS2 is currently in Italy for a month with his.
They are both also coming with us on a short European city break next month before uni.
We're at the stage now where DH and I will probably be travelling alone going forward, but tbh, family holidays have been the best times of my life and I'll miss them.

warblingwater · 02/08/2023 12:48

Just got back from taking 19yo DS and his friend on holiday. Had a great time!

JudyP · 02/08/2023 13:03

lemonyellows · 02/08/2023 11:52

I think it depends on who is paying and if they have better alternatives 😂

This 100% - our 19 year old has holidayed with friends but also will come with us if he thinks he will enjoy the trip and also if we are paying😁 so we are happy to pay as long as he is at uni so we get time with him - next question will he will we pay if he is working (?) 🤔

aintnospringchicken · 02/08/2023 13:04

The last time my DC came on holiday with us they were 32 and 29.It was a whole family holiday and include their partners and our grandchild.Before that ,they were 28 and 25 and came on a big holiday to celebrate our anniversary.They also went on lots of holidays with their friends but were happy to come with us depending on location and particularly if we were paying.

Deadringer · 02/08/2023 13:09

lemonyellows · 02/08/2023 11:52

I think it depends on who is paying and if they have better alternatives 😂

This exactly. Dd 19 came with us this year because we paid and she loves the sun. She is off interrailing around europe with her friends now. Dd 25 came too, but she paid for herself and goes on lots of other holidays too. We have 2 older ones though who wouldn't come with us for love nor money.

CaramelicedLatte · 02/08/2023 13:16

I'm going on holiday with my DM next year. I'll be 35! Grin

We're splitting the cost though, and taking DC, who will be 16, 12 and 10.

PuffyShirt · 02/08/2023 13:17

It depends on their own plans and where we’re going. Ours are on holiday with us now (well, one is and the other is on his way) because we’ve come to the USA, which they love. They might not bother if it was a UK break.

We pay for them.

TruthRevolution · 02/08/2023 13:28

We have a tourer caravan that we site around an hour away for a month over summer. Nearly 13 yo DS went for 3 nights this year and hasn't been back, he's at that funny age.
I have been with DD 15 for a couple of nights and she is there just now with her Dad and friends.
DS has stayed in the house with whatever adult is there are the time (me, his Dad or big brother)

We do still all go away as a family sometimes though (DS21 and his GF included) if we were going abroad they would all come!

AlanJohnsonsBeemer · 02/08/2023 13:31

DS 20 still comes, but I suspect he wouldn’t if he had to pay for himself

justaweeone · 02/08/2023 13:41

Our still do and they turned 20 and 25 this year. Might be because we pay, although youngest is still at uni so would pay for him due to this.
Enjoy our summer family holiday together!

justaweeone · 02/08/2023 13:41

*ours

Twoscotcheggsandajarofmarmite · 02/08/2023 13:48

Not long back from a holiday with the 27 year old, the 25 year old and his girlfriend, and the 21 year old. We all had a fabulous time. Last week my husband and the eldest two went away for a few days to watch the Ashes.
We all get on so we’ll and they are such good company and so much fun.
We are going away just the two of us for a week later in the year and that will be lovely too, but I do like going away with all of them at least once a year.

Theredfolder · 02/08/2023 13:55

ds is almost 18 and dd 15.
We have a touring caravan and if we just went as a family of 4 (ie like last year), it would be bloody awful, the dc would bicker and constantly moan they are bored so this week we are going to take the caravan to a massive holiday park with everything on site (swimming pools, entertainment, a fun fair etc). Dd is bringing her 2 friends and the 3 will stay in a tent next to our caravan. Ds drives and is bringing his 3 friends and they will stay in a tent nearby, they will go off exploring over the 4 days we are there.
And with our crazy rescue dog that makes 10 of us - wish me luck!!

Neverseenbefore · 02/08/2023 13:57

Mine still come -early 20s.

AuntieMarys · 02/08/2023 13:58

At 16

Theredfolder · 02/08/2023 13:58

Should add that the only way I think dc would come away with us in their late teens/early 20’s is if we go abroad somewhere.

WhyOhWine · 02/08/2023 14:16

i think it will change when they start work and only have a few weeks leave a year. Then i suspect we will be lucky to get a long weekend! But for now while they are at uni and have vast amounts of leave a year, we will make the most of them being happy still to spend a week or two of it away with us.

Maybe it will then change again when they have their own DC and want the childcare help on holiday. We only very ocasionally went away with family when th DC were little (maybe twice in 12 years), but i know others who did it fairly regularly.