College students & family travel

[Anonymous]

We do a week in summer with my extended family (grandparents, my siblings and their kids). The college kids come as they can, which most of them have been able to do around summer jobs.

We don't try to do a family trip beyond that but the last couple years have taken a trip over winter break. Next year, DD will be taking a college study trip over winter break so we'll have to skip that.

[Anonymous]

We continue to do a big summer trip together. That said, dome years it doesn’t work for all of them sll the time, so they may just join us for part of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No they are adults they have jobs and should have jobs oh wait maga idiots don’t want their kids to go to college hum guess that means no summer breaks for them
Ie no vacations

Why is this necessary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 in college and yes they both come on summer vacations. We no longer do spring break together since everyone has different schedules but we do a summer vacation together.

That was the same for my family, too. And we continue to still take summer vacations together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After high school, my parents no longer included us in family vacations. They live in a beach town and we were always welcome to visit them- but it was never a planned, everyone come to the beach together for a weekend. Just ad hoc.

I wish they had continued to have a family vacation with my siblings and I when we were in college and after. Even if it had changed from big, expensive vacations to smaller, more affordable options. I think my friends who continued family vacations during that time period have a closer bond to their families now, and continue to prioritize those vacations to this day. At some point, most of them began to pay for their own way, and some even cover the cost of their parents now. But it isn't about the money- it is about prioritizing family and having those shared experiences throughout life. And once you stop doing that, it's hard to pick it back up later in life.

We included our kids while they were still in college and generally tried to make it fit with their summer work commitments. Also, these were often some "bigger" trips like Europe, so they were motivated to come. After they college finished college, DH & I started taking some trips further afield on our own because the kids were in new professional jobs and in serious relationships. Once they married and had kids, we started taking some (not all) vacations together again as an extended family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No they are adults they have jobs and should have jobs oh wait maga idiots don’t want their kids to go to college hum guess that means no summer breaks for them
Ie no vacations

Blood free periods are your friend.

[Anonymous]

Mine worked in the summers of college, although several of those jobs were in our beach town.

We’ve taken vacations in the fall and spring since kids graduated from HS since we are at the beach most of the summer. We take a big family ski trip at Xmas and the kids did that in college. Kids are now several years post college and we do at least one big trip a year together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have kids in college, do they still come on your family summer vacation? My oldest is halfway through high school, and I’m feeling bummed about all the places I haven’t yet taken my kids. Just wondering what’s “normal” once kids graduate & leave home, in terms of family travel.

Every family is different, but yes, our college kids come with us on vacations (esp when we go places they are interested in)

[Anonymous]

My oldest just finished their junior year in college and they still vacation with us each summer and during winter break. They said they’ll continue to vacation with us as long as we pay, and I intend to do just that. We have a handful of kids, and it would be really sad to take a trip without the older siblings.

I suspect things will get more complicated when they have a serious partner who can’t be left behind. I imagine I’ll just need to pay to bring them along (when it’s serious enough that a ring is imminent).

I’ve also begun floating the idea that our family tradition will continue to be winter break in the Caribbean. As long as we pay, I’m hoping it won’t be an issue.

Spring break is tricky given different school schedules. We’ll have kids in 3 different schools next year, so I’m planning to travel with just our younger ones while the college kids do their own thing.

My best advice is to create a family tradition that everyone buys into and then host your kids and their families as time goes on. Most families I know do some version of this.

[Anonymous]

Mine are rising 12th and 9th but I plan to include them as long as I humanly can do it. Eventually spouses too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No they are adults they have jobs and should have jobs oh wait maga idiots don’t want their kids to go to college hum guess that means no summer breaks for them
Ie no vacations

Are you physically able to respond to any thread without this, no matter the topic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My oldest just finished their junior year in college and they still vacation with us each summer and during winter break. They said they’ll continue to vacation with us as long as we pay, and I intend to do just that. We have a handful of kids, and it would be really sad to take a trip without the older siblings.

I suspect things will get more complicated when they have a serious partner who can’t be left behind. I imagine I’ll just need to pay to bring them along (when it’s serious enough that a ring is imminent).

I’ve also begun floating the idea that our family tradition will continue to be winter break in the Caribbean. As long as we pay, I’m hoping it won’t be an issue.

Spring break is tricky given different school schedules. We’ll have kids in 3 different schools next year, so I’m planning to travel with just our younger ones while the college kids do their own thing.

My best advice is to create a family tradition that everyone buys into and then host your kids and their families as time goes on. Most families I know do some version of this.

+1

Our daughter got married during college, and has been married for 10 years (it's normal in our religion). We schedule several trips a year and all of our college-aged and older kids go on at least one of the trips, with various sibling groupings depending on schedule. We pay for everyone. The only time my DD and SIL didn't go was when she was pregnant (we had already planned a cruise to the fjords in Norway). If you don't apply pressure and are going somewhere fun, they will want to come if they can. Of course, treating your SIL or DIL as part of the family is absolutely necessary. We also encourage them to do date nights and separate excursions during a couple of days on the trip, so they feel like it is a good use of their vacation time.

[Anonymous]

We've been going on some pretty cool trips while the kids are in college. We have a sense that, before too long, life will get too complicated to make the family trips happen, so we've been making an effort to find soft spots in all of our schedules and go somewhere interesting.

[Anonymous]

I only came home the first two summers. Had campus jobs the others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was in college, my parents went on vacation and I could either join or not. I kind of think that’s how I’ll do it with my own kids because I had internships and stuff so sometimes I couldn’t come.

This is my kids. They need to make their drinking money in the summer!

We do our family vacation in the winter since they were all on school break. They know this so now the working ones plan on it and can take the time off it they want to join. Working ones get themselves there then we pay for everything.