My younger girl talks about vacation all the time

[Anonymous]

We do a lot of 3 or 4 day weekend trips (maybe 6?) every year. But we don’t take “real” vacations beyond that. We just go visit family in other parts of the country (my LO still considers this vacation, but I don’t). So I use the 3 day weekends to scratch the vacation itch. My kid is probably in school creating problems for you by talking about how many vacations she is going on, but they are very low key events. As opposed to other families who may take 1 vacation to Europe for the year.

[Anonymous]

Growing up I remember thinking we traveled a lot. In reality, they were short (long weekend) trips a couple of times a year (Boston, Lancaster, Philadelphia, DC...) but I enjoyed them and it felt special.

Trips don't have to be 1-2 week extravaganzas with flying and resorts. Once I was old enough I took bigger trips by myself/with friends, but you can still instill a love of travel with smaller trips and activities.

[Anonymous]

Staycations - stay in a hotel in dc with a pool and do all the touristy stuff. Do a farm / winery out in the country. Baby vacations - kids at that age love it! We’re in Chicago in the suburbs and we’ve done a couple of staycations downtown that the kids loved - but of course their favorite thing was the hotel pool lol

[Anonymous]

A 4 year old doesn't have a true comprehension of vacation.

Vacation can be ant of these isolated things:

* Sleeping away from home

* Pool

* Any new place like a theme park or adventure park

* A long drive to visit a friend or family.

[Anonymous]

Book a hotel nearby with a nice pool and a nice meal out and you have a "vacation" for a 4 year old.

[Anonymous]

Dutch wonderland!

[Anonymous]

Op, at 4 don't worry about this. We had arrived in Paris with our 4 year old. He was crying because we weren't staying in a Holiday Inn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Due to covid, we did not travel for 2 years. She knows about vacation probably because she learns that teachers or kids are off daycare when they are on "vacation". And, teachers may ask kids how's their vacation when they are back.

We have gone to dc museums and baltimore pirt discovery like above. I am not a good driver, so I don't drive far away with kids by myself. She loves "vacation" because she loves hotel rooms with pool, all eating out, all fun everyday and seeing new things and buying souveniors etc..

Both kids have many late evening/weekend activities to take over almost every single week that I have signed them up and they enjoy it. The daycare break schedule is not often same as elementary school, so I do sometimes take random day off to take care of single kid. Long weekend is busy and crowded everywhere, and we hesitate to join the crowd. It is already exhausting for me to do that 1 week vacation/year because I am the main planner/taking care of everyone. If I don't plan anything, DH won't plan it.

Even the 4yo is in so many activities? That sounds like a lot of scheduling and not a lot of family time at that age. She might like more variety in weekends together on short trips etc.

[Anonymous]

The kids are in camps every day they have off school AND they do many late evening and weekend activities? What late evening activities even exist for 4 year olds?

Maybe she keeps saying “vacation” because she needs a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe plan some day trips and call them "vacation days". Port Discovery or the Aquarium in Baltimore. Annapolis. DC Museums. Camping is also an option.

+1
Sounds like she just wants more family time, seeing new things

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I do think it's normal to do a few long weekend getaways. But often times the reason is to visit grandparents. Still, only one week a year seems like sad, and you're missing the opportunity to teach them all the lessons you learn from travel--flexibility, coping with changes to routine, to enjoy exploration, and basic skills for flights and airports. I would try to plan a few long-weekend trips by car.

I don't think never ever going to the beach is sustainable or fair to them. Why does your DH not like it, and why can't you swim?

DP.

The kid is 4…. Lots of time to travel.

And my family hates the beach. We’ve been twice and my oldest kid is 15.

I think it’s important that everyone knows how to swim. Maybe go to the Y on weekends for swim lessons. There will be times where your children will be somewhere that involves swimming.

Boston has beaches close by and some crappy ones actually in Boston. She could at least see ,the ocean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Due to covid, we did not travel for 2 years. She knows about vacation probably because she learns that teachers or kids are off daycare when they are on "vacation". And, teachers may ask kids how's their vacation when they are back.

We have gone to dc museums and baltimore pirt discovery like above. I am not a good driver, so I don't drive far away with kids by myself. She loves "vacation" because she loves hotel rooms with pool, all eating out, all fun everyday and seeing new things and buying souveniors etc..

Both kids have many late evening/weekend activities to take over almost every single week that I have signed them up and they enjoy it. The daycare break schedule is not often same as elementary school, so I do sometimes take random day off to take care of single kid. Long weekend is busy and crowded everywhere, and we hesitate to join the crowd. It is already exhausting for me to do that 1 week vacation/year because I am the main planner/taking care of everyone. If I don't plan anything, DH won't plan it.

Even the 4yo is in so many activities? That sounds like a lot of scheduling and not a lot of family time at that age. She might like more variety in weekends together on short trips etc.

+1. Vacations are special and with little kids the simplest, shortest trips can bring so much joy. I would do more of these if you can afford it and they don’t take much planning. And surely you can pull the younger one out of daycare for a couple days if the breaks don’t line up.

I would prioritize everyone learning how to swim and if needed scale back on other activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP who questions what she means and why at 4 this is something she's noticing or talking about. At 4 is she's gone in 4 vacations and maybe remembers 2 of them, who is telling her she doesn't vacation enough? At that age vacation was exciting to me because we got to bring sugary cereal in a cooler and swim in a hotel pool.

Reinforce your families expectations when she talks about it "we'll plan a nice trip for next summer."

Meanwhile, maybe she does enjoy adventures and new activities. Figure out what those activities are and plan fun day trips - hiking with a picnic, museum with a stop for ice cream, local pool etc.

By 4 my kids were well aware of what friends at school were doing in terms of travel. People in this area seem to travel a LOT and kids come to school with stories about the Bahamas and Disney and Europe and everywhere else.

+1. I suspect it’s this OP. Young kids like to talk. Teachers ask kids what they did over break, etc…

We prioritize traveling over things and realize not everyone can travel. This school year we have traveled more than we normally do. We discussed with DS that not everyone can travel and not to volunteer travel plans, etc.. unless asked. It’s hard though when sometimes the kids miss a few days of school.

[Anonymous]

They need to learn to swim (and so do you). Serious safety issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I do think it's normal to do a few long weekend getaways. But often times the reason is to visit grandparents. Still, only one week a year seems like sad, and you're missing the opportunity to teach them all the lessons you learn from travel--flexibility, coping with changes to routine, to enjoy exploration, and basic skills for flights and airports. I would try to plan a few long-weekend trips by car.

I don't think never ever going to the beach is sustainable or fair to them. Why does your DH not like it, and why can't you swim?

This is silly. Do you think a beach vacation is a human right?