Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds good maybe your kids aren’t beach people. 4 is a tough age, but if they don’t like it, they don’t like it. Go to Hershey Park, Baltimore, etc. we never had a week long vacation when I was a kid.

Americans are so depressing.

Americans are so depressing because (some) don't like the beach and would rather go to an amusement park or a cool city? What?

If you want the kids to go to the beach, don’t book a hotel with a pool.

This speaks the truth. Temper expectations.


https://www.huffpost.com/entry/with-little-kids-you-take-trips-not-vacations_n_3787677

My kids LOVE the beach. But part of why is we go in two hour chunks. 9-11. Siesta for lunch and avoid highest UV, then 3-5. They don’t have to have constant sunscreen applications, get to rinse the sand out of bathing suits, cool off.

I think 6 hours on the sand and sun would be exhausting, hence why adults tend to nap and read books.

Sounds like you just planned the wrong kind of vacation for what your family wants to do. If you are trying to make a burned out DH and a non-adventurous 4 year old happy (plus everyone in between), you are going to have to plan differently. Everyone’s priorities are different. I’ve never had a relaxing adult vacation but as a SAHM with a hard working husband, we know this family life is our reality now so we work with it.

We skipped it last year. It was a lot of money to spend for a lot of whining. I mildly regretted it because I love the beach, but we had planned a trip to Disney for the fall so saving the money was a priority. We had more fun on the Disney trip than I had expected. Even DH enjoyed it. This summer we’re going to NYC for a few days piggybackcked on to seeing family. Maybe a weekend to Hershey Park or something as well. I didn’t plan a beach trip this summer either. I hate having to book a place in the winter at the latest and the beach houses around here are always so crappy for the money you pay. Maybe next year I’ll look into renting a big house in Outer Banks with another family or something, but I hate paying thousands of dollars to just change locations for a week with all the prep it entails.

My kids also tire of the beach quickly. A week at the beach would be a waste. We do national park trips and rent a house- not cheap but you can do it on a budget for sure. I think it’s fine not to go back to the beach but you should consider other vacation options.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds good maybe your kids aren’t beach people. 4 is a tough age, but if they don’t like it, they don’t like it. Go to Hershey Park, Baltimore, etc. we never had a week long vacation when I was a kid.

Americans are so depressing.

Maybe they're not beach people. So do a different kind of vacation. Nice hotel with pool and hikes around etc

Anonymous wrote:Sounds good maybe your kids aren’t beach people. 4 is a tough age, but if they don’t like it, they don’t like it. Go to Hershey Park, Baltimore, etc. we never had a week long vacation when I was a kid.

Yup, this. Try more planned activities instead of sitting around at a beach. I need to keep my kid moving or else she’ll resort to screen time. Due to a few scheduled obligations, we’re not taking a summer vacation this year. But we’ll do day trips, maybe a few overnights. There’s plenty to do within driving distance here.

Maybe don’t do the beach? My kids don’t really like the beach for more than a day or so - we did a few Rehoboth trips when they were younger but we did a lot of other things like bike rides, trip to nature center, Funland, and so on. DH and I like the beach but since it doesn’t work for the family we do other trips, cities, national parks, amusement parks - it’s not as “relaxing” but it’s a getaway and great family time.

Why don't you go to a nice resort instead? The pools are really nice, you can order food and drinks, there are often activities and other kids to play with. No schlepping stuff, if you go to the beach for 10 minutes and they don't like it, it is no big deal because it is steps away from the pool. Go somewhere with a kids club so you can have them go there for part of the time. Instead of a week, if you think it will be too expensive, go for 3-4 nights instead. Make it a vacation that you can enjoy too.

We have 4 kids, and we go to the local DE/MD beaches every summer---but rarely for a week. Some of our kids love the local beaches, but others can only handle being on the beach for a couple hours. They love the pool, the boardwalk, go karts, arcades, getting ice cream, etc. I think 5 days at the local beach is plenty, and 3 is just fine.

Our kids prefer calmer water, and can stay on the beach in the Caribbean all day without any issues. They also love cruises.

We've enjoyed road trips and city trips (NYC, Cicago, Cooperstown, Philly, Boston, Montreal, Quebec, etc.). The trick to avoid dragging your kids to museums all day (you need to mix it up). Go to a baseball game or show. Venture out of the city to find nature. Keep everyone entertained, and balance it with downtime/quiet time.

I bet your kids might like staying at an Airbnb in Italy with a pool. Or anywhere with a pool and tv (like most kids).

Why don’t you and DH go for a long weekend alone, if possible?

I’d be frustrated going through a week of that, too. I usually tell the kids they choose the morning and I choose the afternoon and if they complain I choose the whole day because this is everyone’s vacation and we should all have a chance to enjoy it.

FWIW, family misery is half the fun of family vacations.

Can the grandparents watch the kids while you and DH get away? The kids could stay at Grandma's and you get a vacay, everyone wins!