Vacations with other families

[Anonymous]

Friend vacation is limited to one family and just the mom and kids go. Usually it’s someplace local like Great Wolf but we’ve been doing it for a few years now that we’re discussing London.

The other mom and I have very similar parenting styles and we joke that we co-parent beautifully. It’s nice because the kids each have a friend of the same age and we are very comfortable parenting the children that aren’t our own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We vacation a lot with close friends. The key is to vacation with people with similar vacation styles. Once did it with a very sedentary family and never again. They slept the morningd away and were such a drag. The family we primarily go with likes to run, ride bikes, swim in the ocean, eat healthy and is very active and likes to explore. Our kids are the exact same age too and same gender. It works out great

There are very few families we would do this with though.

x10000

[Anonymous]

We have a group of 5-6 families that get together every 3 years. It is among DH’s friends from college and started before we were a couple. We found places that had small cabin clustered together. My first was when our eldest was 3months old, he is now 21. Only one of all the children is still in HS, the rest are incollege or beyond. This summer will be the first without all but one of the kids. We now rent 3 houses and two “couples” share. There is one single person. We will be in Glacier this summer. We all live around the country, so it is nice to get all together.

[Anonymous]

Growing up, we often vacationed with my cousins and their family and occasionally with my dad’s friends who had kids close to our age. Those vacations were so fun.

It makes me laugh when people come on here all like “VACATIONS are FAMILY TIME!!!!!!” Like any other way of vacationing is sacrilegious. How about, don’t stuff your day to day lives so full of nonsense that you must force your children to be around no one but you for a week straight? Having other people there is fun and builds awesome memories. Having mom wipe my face with her thumb and dictate dinner 24/7 is really not that fun for most husbands and kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the vacation is with kids then we always try to go with friends. It doesn't always happen but we always try.

Yes, god forbid you spend alone time with your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We vacation a lot with close friends. The key is to vacation with people with similar vacation styles. Once did it with a very sedentary family and never again. They slept the morningd away and were such a drag. The family we primarily go with likes to run, ride bikes, swim in the ocean, eat healthy and is very active and likes to explore. Our kids are the exact same age too and same gender. It works out great

There are very few families we would do this with though.

You sound body obsessed, yo should relax on vacation. Eat healthy on vacation? You sound boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We vacation a lot with close friends. The key is to vacation with people with similar vacation styles. Once did it with a very sedentary family and never again. They slept the morningd away and were such a drag. The family we primarily go with likes to run, ride bikes, swim in the ocean, eat healthy and is very active and likes to explore. Our kids are the exact same age too and same gender. It works out great

There are very few families we would do this with though.

You sound body obsessed, yo should relax on vacation. Eat healthy on vacation? You sound boring.

I don’t consider myself a total health nut but I am active and do count calories. I like to indulge on vacation but after a few days start to feel gross, so it’s nice to be with others who who don’t want to be completely lazy and eat like crap the entire time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
want to be completely lazy and eat like crap the entire time.

This is pretty much my definition of vacation.

[Anonymous]

We invite other families to our beach house in the summer. Since we are there for the whole summer, it feels more like them coming to visit. Technically we are all on vacation though.

[Anonymous]

Yes, prefer to go with friends than family - well beyond my immediate family. Needs to be a family that you can easily get along with - similar ideas on cleaning, cooking and activities. We also go in with the knowledge that we don't have to spend every second together. It can also be a nice time to watch the kids so the other couple can have a night out...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We vacation a lot with close friends. The key is to vacation with people with similar vacation styles. Once did it with a very sedentary family and never again. They slept the morningd away and were such a drag. The family we primarily go with likes to run, ride bikes, swim in the ocean, eat healthy and is very active and likes to explore. Our kids are the exact same age too and same gender. It works out great

There are very few families we would do this with though.

You sound body obsessed, yo should relax on vacation. Eat healthy on vacation? You sound boring.

Eating healthy makes my body feel good. I definitely am body obsessed ifn t means preferring to feel good over feeling terrible. Strange that you are so emotionally invested in my body.

Is this how you relax, eating unhealthy? I do other things on vacation to relax. You sound boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you go on vacations with other families (close friends) who also have kids around this age? We used to vacation as just a family but I think my kids might like to go with some of our family friends. They often ski together, go to the beach together, etc. Do many people do this? We are in a position where we might be able to finally afford it, but don't know if that ship has sailed since our friends kind of have a routine by now. But, before re-opening the subject with them I just wanted opinions from those of you who have experience on (1) how common it is and (2) how well it goes, how hectic it is. Or do most people vacation just as a family?

At least once/year. But they are very close friends. Have tried with others but it hasn't worked out as well. You need to gel very well with those you travel with.


As for "family time", i don't think you need to be with each other 24/7 to have that. We do some things separate. We are also very careful not to over-schedule our regular days so that we get family time away from vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Camping with friends is good.

I grew up with a once a year camping with family friends. We loved it. I have invited a circle of friends to join us at a particular place an hour or so away if they want to or are free. It is low pressure, we are doing it anyways and if they are into camping they can be in another cabin and we hang out for a hike or some fishing, then break off to do our things. Or the grownups hang out while the kids play flashlight tag, come together for smores and scary stories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the vacation is with kids then we always try to go with friends. It doesn't always happen but we always try.

Yes, god forbid you spend alone time with your kids.

huh? We eat dinner together every night and spend hours together each weekend.
We like to vacation with friends. We have a large circle of other families that we'll travel with (both to the beach and overseas to Europe). Last spring we went to Thailand with really good friends and their kids.