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[quote=Anonymous]Just moved from Chicago to Bethesda this year for jobs. It was a good professional step for both of us and we decided that this was the last time we'd consider a move until kids were out of high school -- kids started 7th and 8th when we moved; we want them to be part of the middle school community/make some friends for at least 1-2 yrs so they aren't completely the "new kids" in high school. So far so good.

So the one thing that is striking me and DH bc we hear it from our kids all the time -- it seems like nearly EVERY family of the kids they are friends with goes away on a vacation nearly EVERY time there is a break. I'm talking Hawaii over Christmas; and then just 2 weeks later skiing over MLK; then skiing again over Presidents Day; now kids are talking about spring break plans for next month; and after that I'm sure it'll be a beach long weekend over Memorial Day and then multiple week summer vacations.

Is this a DC thing? Bethesda thing? We lived in a very well to do suburb in Chicago as well and it was nothing like this. And now our kids are starting to "expect" it -- like they'll ask -- what are we doing for Presidents Day/Memorial Day -- and if the response is, oh it'll be nice to have 3 days off, maybe we can see if such-and-such museum is open, we get a "we never do anything" kind of response bc clearly they want to hear-- let's fly off to Fl. or NYC for 3 days, I'll book the hotels/flights tomorrow.

DH and I didn't grow up with money. So when we started making money, we were both adamant that we'd take a vacation every year. So to us, 1 week away domestically is a BIG deal (and I'm talking -- a week in LA doing touristy things staying in a nice but not uber luxury hotel; and the following year checking out Seattle and Portland). And now we're in a place where our own kids scoff at that because they have begun to think that the true vacations are Hawaii, Europe, 5 star hotels with lots of shopping in Manhattan. Is this just the friends they're hanging out with? Or is this kind of common all over Bethesda? And FWIW - I like their friends and friends' parents, and I don't think they act braggy about these things; if anything, it's very matter of fact like if my kid asks to hang out over Presidents day, they'll say "sorry -- I'll be in Vail that weekend, how about next weekend." From what I can tell, these kids have had this kind of schedule since they were babies, so now 13 years later, it's NBD to them.[/quote]

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