My younger girl talks about vacation all the time

[Anonymous]

Since you're doing so many camps, money isn't a problem? Why not take more vacations instead? You're assuming she's wanting a vacation because she's bored, but maybe your dd isn't into activities. I know that I wasn't- I preferred to travel, museums, explore.

[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?

I don't begrudge other people their beach vacation, but I can't imagine anything worse. Particularly in this area. The water is still cold in August, you're basically just sweating in the sand, there's nothing to do, I have to still cook 3 meals a day, clean, put the kids to bed. I can't lay on a beach and read a book, instead I'm chasing my kids around the beach. And then if I had to do it all with extended family... shoot me. I'd rather have a staycation and organize my garage than go to the beach. Cinque Terre I can get behind. Random beach house in OBX? Not interested.

We travel frequently, but I prefer either cities or National Parks. I love history and art.

[Anonymous]

My kids (ages 5 and 3) talk about our vacations all the time, even months or a year later. They are also in preschool and aftercare all day and camp in the summer. Unfortunately, we haven't found winter camp or spring break options for their ages, so we usually take a vacation in the winter for a week and another week in the summer where we have gaps in camps. We try to time them around days we have off work (like Juneteenth and Christmas/New Years) to minimize the vacation days we have to work.

As some others have mentioned, long weekend trips are a great opportunity to take a "vacation." Assuming you get these days off, try going on a short trip over MLK weekend, President's Day weekend, Columbus/Indigenous People's Day. Good day trips in this area include: Baltimore (aquarium), Annapolis, Richmond (great Children's Museum), Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Williamsburg. Plenty of beaches in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware if/when you decide to do a beach trip (we haven't done the beach yet either). I've also heard good things about Leesylvania State Park, which has a beach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids (ages 5 and 3) talk about our vacations all the time, even months or a year later. They are also in preschool and aftercare all day and camp in the summer. Unfortunately, we haven't found winter camp or spring break options for their ages, so we usually take a vacation in the winter for a week and another week in the summer where we have gaps in camps. We try to time them around days we have off work (like Juneteenth and Christmas/New Years) to minimize the vacation days we have to work.

As some others have mentioned, long weekend trips are a great opportunity to take a "vacation." Assuming you get these days off, try going on a short trip over MLK weekend, President's Day weekend, Columbus/Indigenous People's Day. Good day trips in this area include: Baltimore (aquarium), Annapolis, Richmond (great Children's Museum), Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Williamsburg. Plenty of beaches in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware if/when you decide to do a beach trip (we haven't done the beach yet either). I've also heard good things about Leesylvania State Park, which has a beach.

Adding that you can also make a day of it in DC and hit some of the museums. My kids love our DC days, though they don't think of them as a "vacation" and don't talk about them the same way after.

[Anonymous]

It is something they probably discuss in class. My daughter is older at 6 but talks about vacations other kids take incessantly and often compares or asks me to take her there. For example, Disney World is popular and even though we took her there this Christmas she now wants to go on a Disney Cruise because 3 of her classmates went on one over Christmas. We do vacation plenty though as she begs us to go back to Mexico, Bermuda on the big boat, and Sandals TC all the time. She was kind of upset that we are not going on a big trip this summer but I explained we all have work, and her big sister is in driving school and takes school online so we cannot go away for a long time. WE include her in making decisions to take smaller trips and she is happy.
Maybe plan smaller trips with her like Annapolis overnight or the Baltimore Zoo or some cool places this summer. If I were a kid, I would not like being stuck in daycare or camp all summer with no break.

[Anonymous]

Kids share with kids at presschool with stories of vacations - including we went to Puerto Rico, we are going to Mexico, we are going to Disney etc
More than likely a 4 year old is picking the ideas up from there.

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid we did a lot of day trips from very young until I was about 12. Then we took a week at the lake or the beach. Incredible memories, even back to age 5.

[Anonymous]

OP:
School plus before- care and after -care?? Jeez lady take some time to be a mom. Your kid is missing you and wants time with you. Cut back on your hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Agree! Introduce her to a staycation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP:
School plus before- care and after -care?? Jeez lady take some time to be a mom. Your kid is missing you and wants time with you. Cut back on your hours.

+1 Your kid just wants family time and attention!

[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?

I don't begrudge other people their beach vacation, but I can't imagine anything worse. Particularly in this area. The water is still cold in August, you're basically just sweating in the sand, there's nothing to do, I have to still cook 3 meals a day, clean, put the kids to bed. I can't lay on a beach and read a book, instead I'm chasing my kids around the beach. And then if I had to do it all with extended family... shoot me. I'd rather have a staycation and organize my garage than go to the beach. Cinque Terre I can get behind. Random beach house in OBX? Not interested.

We travel frequently, but I prefer either cities or National Parks. I love history and art.

I always wonder what do people do when they go to ocean city every year for a week in the summer? Do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

I don't begrudge other people their beach vacation, but I can't imagine anything worse. Particularly in this area. The water is still cold in August, you're basically just sweating in the sand, there's nothing to do, I have to still cook 3 meals a day, clean, put the kids to bed. I can't lay on a beach and read a book, instead I'm chasing my kids around the beach. And then if I had to do it all with extended family... shoot me. I'd rather have a staycation and organize my garage than go to the beach. Cinque Terre I can get behind. Random beach house in OBX? Not interested.

We travel frequently, but I prefer either cities or National Parks. I love history and art.

I always wonder what do people do when they go to ocean city every year for a week in the summer? Do

Go to the beach every morning, afternoons fun family activities like mini golf, amusement park etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is something they probably discuss in class. My daughter is older at 6 but talks about vacations other kids take incessantly and often compares or asks me to take her there. For example, Disney World is popular and even though we took her there this Christmas she now wants to go on a Disney Cruise because 3 of her classmates went on one over Christmas. We do vacation plenty though as she begs us to go back to Mexico, Bermuda on the big boat, and Sandals TC all the time. She was kind of upset that we are not going on a big trip this summer but I explained we all have work, and her big sister is in driving school and takes school online so we cannot go away for a long time. WE include her in making decisions to take smaller trips and she is happy.
Maybe plan smaller trips with her like Annapolis overnight or the Baltimore Zoo or some cool places this summer. If I were a kid, I would not like being stuck in daycare or camp all summer with no break.

Your kid sounds like ungrateful and demanding f

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP:
School plus before- care and after -care?? Jeez lady take some time to be a mom. Your kid is missing you and wants time with you. Cut back on your hours.

+1 Your kid just wants family time and attention!

THIS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are 2 working parent parents. During school year, 1 kid go to school with before care/aftercare and 1 kid go to daycare. They go to camps where it is spring break/winter break. During summertime, they both go to summer camps. We only do vacation 1 week/year. We did road trips last year to PA. This year, we will fly to Boston. My younger girl talks about vacation all the time, and is it bad that we only do vacation once a year? On weekend, they sometimes go to activities (dance, soccer etc), and I sometimes take them to indoor/outdoor playground, birthday parties, festivals, pool, little hike etc.

She is 4. We have not gone to any beach yet because it is so far away. No one can swim except DH, and he does not like beach ideas. All grandparents are local, and there's no needs to drive far away/fly to visit them. I tell her that school/camp is more fun than working, but she is too young to understand. Normally, do families often plan mini vacation or long weekend getaway during the year? Any suggestions feel like vacation that could satisfy her wishes? We live in Montgomery county.

She knows that "vacation" means whole family is together and that you spend all day, every day when you're on "vacation.,". She is telling you so listen and adjust your life to spend time with her