Too old for family vacations?!?!?

[SavvyMom]

Since I am the only one here who has mentioned teen's summer jobs being a conflict, I have to ask "what do people do about their teen's jobs?" QUOTE]

That day is certainly coming disykat. DD14 will have to get a job next year (if she can find one). I guess we could try to schedule our vacation before her job starts. She's going to need to get a year-round job, though. That way, like another poster said, she can make arrangements well in advance. I can certainly see why a family couldn't take a vacation. It was just weird to me that a family wouldn't if they could. Certainly, every family is different. I'm grateful that my kids still want to hang with us old folks .

 

[barbmouse]

MY dd13 and ds 10 are not even close to being too old for family vacations!! They love it and look forward to it each year. I think it is because of everyone's busy schedules that we need to take that time as a family. I know the day will come when it will be more difficult.
DH and his sibs are in their 40s but we all travel together with dmil and dfil. We worry about when the grans will be too old for family vacations more than the kids!

 

[isla bonita]

We have a rental home outside of Disney. We take family and friends all the time. It is great having all of these memories and our family is from 67 to 10 months.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Hi Carrie6466! Welcome to the DIS!

My kids are 12 and 8 and I can't imagine them not wanting to vacation with us, especially at Disney.

 

[tmbrea]

Too old, never. My DS 17 asked to go to Disney this year for graduation...wanted to take his DGF 16 who's never been. It's us (me, DH, & DS), DS's DGF and her parents, and my neice. My DD 20 was suppose to go but decided to change jobs and move several months ago, so can't take time off work. I hope they will always want to take family vacation, as we have taken several over the years with them and DH's parents.

 

[profolly]

My DD (24 ) and I always visit Disney together, usually it's DLRP but this is our first WDW visit, it's our happy place lol

Viv x

 

[carrie6466]

thanks!

As for the summer job, we are going 6/26 - 7/2. My son isn't starting a job until we come back. He is in his last year on a summer swim team, so we decided to give him his last 'fling' before college. He's just going to go to the local Home Depot or BJ's or something....and will be living at home his first year of college so hopefully it won't be just a summer job, but something he'll keep through the school year

Hi Carrie6466! Welcome to the DIS!

My kids are 12 and 8 and I can't imagine them not wanting to vacation with us, especially at Disney.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think as your family gets older the conflicts between jobs and additional responsibilities also grow. It is funny because there was a block of time when my children did not care to change their schedules to vacation as a family. Now they are all adults and the circle has closed once again. We have been able to schedule two family vacations in 2 years and are going to plan one for next year. It is a little bit of a challenge to arrange a date when all can attend, but I believe that my children enjoy sharing the nostalgia of their childhood days with their spouses, and their spouses enjoy the side of the family that a vacation brings out in all of us. DH and I just enjoy having them all together.

 

[vancesmom]

I am turning 30 while we are in Disney this Oct. I still go to Disney with my parents and older brother... Along with my husband and 4 year old son. I will never be to young to travel with my family.

 

[m-0f-thomas]

We leave in 4 days and I'am 37 and my parents are coming with my family of 4. Now does that still count as my parents taking me to Disney . I believe that the value that my parents instilled in me by taking family vacations have spilled over to my own family. I know that I'am looking forward to spending time with my kids but I'am also looking forward to spending time with my parents (they are not getting any younger) .
We found out that the space shuttle launch is the 8th and we have modify our plans to drive over and watch it take off (if the weather holds) this is not something that my husband and I would have done just because we would stay at WDW the entire time. I'am glad as a child (37) that I still enjoy spending time with my parents and that they enjoy my family DH, DS5, DS7.

YOU ARE NEVER TO OLD!

 

[teresajoy]

I had a coworker ask me what we were doing for summer vacation. I told her we were going to WDW . She said she was glad we still took family vacations because so many people stop doing that when their kids become teenagers. I have 2 daughters, 14 and 10. This shocked me. Too old to go on a trip with the family? I asked dd14 if she felt too old for WDW. She said no way!! But, we are willing to do what the kids want to do. For example, dd10 wants to go to Disney Quest and dd14 doesn't. DH will take dd10 to Disney Quest and I'll hang out with dd14 at DTD. Do ya'll think kids can be too old to go on vacation with the family?

I am 38, my brother is 40 and my sister is 32, and we STILL go on family vacations with my parents (and our spouses and our children!) So, nope, i don't think you are ever too old to go on a family trip.

 

[rwrocksme]

No teenager is ever too old for a family vacation...but you CAN be too old to go on a family vacation without being totally convinced that it is lame. Do not fear the "It's so LAME!" years. It is completely normal behavior, and, more often than not, the lamer something is to a teen, the more fun they are having. (This does not include singing. Don't sing. We beg of you!)

 

[wdw_girl_18]

I'm in college and I still go on family vacations

 

[SavvyMom]

No teenager is ever too old for a family vacation...but you CAN be too old to go on a family vacation without being totally convinced that it is lame. Do not fear the "It's so LAME!" years. It is completely normal behavior, and, more often than not, the lamer something is to a teen, the more fun they are having. (This does not include singing. Don't sing. We beg of you!)

WHAT!??! No singing? Okay, I've already been told I can't sing/hum/whisper It's a Small World . But, the Pirate song? Come on, yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me... That's got to be an exception!

 

[WAHMto5]

That is sad that people would think they are too old for family vacations. You are NEVER to old for family vacations This year we are actually kind of sad since our oldest is starting college and will not be coming on our family vacation this year Our 16 year old is and can't wait! It will actually be her Sweet 16th Birthday while we are there!!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

WHAT!??! No singing? Okay, I've already been told I can't sing/hum/whisper It's a Small World . But, the Pirate song? Come on, yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me... That's got to be an exception!

You definitely have to sing! My kids are coming around on that one. The other day we went shopping for summer clothes at Kohls and we were running around the store singing Yo ho, yo ho a pirates life for me! At first it was just crazy old mom here singing, but my "embarrassed" teens suddenly joined in. We had other people in the store singing with us. Good vibes are contagious. And I'm all for anything that makes people laugh or smile (even if they are laughing at me and not with me)!

 

[disykat]

I'm still confused where people are getting "too old for family vacations" from the OP. The person said "so many people stop taking vacations with teens". Too old never even entered my mind. I immediately thought summer jobs, summer school, sports camps, upcoming college costs, etc. I know MANY people who have to scale back vacations when their kids reach this age and NONE of them are because the kid is whining that they don't want to be with their parents.

My kids are early teens and my friends and I ALL struggle with how to fit in a vacation. Summers are full and expenses are high. We're working around summer school, band camp, and dental surgery. My son is having to get a friend of his to take care of his lawn care business for the 2 1/2 weeks we'll be gone. Expense wise we're working around two kids in braces.

People make such negative assumptions about teens, it bugs me. We're managing to do a vacation, but it took some doing. My kids would be really disappointed if we didn't get to go.

 

[jessica52877]

I had a coworker ask me what we were doing for summer vacation. I told her we were going to WDW . She said she was glad we still took family vacations because so many people stop doing that when their kids become teenagers. I have 2 daughters, 14 and 10. This shocked me. Too old to go on a trip with the family? I asked dd14 if she felt too old for WDW. She said no way!! But, we are willing to do what the kids want to do. For example, dd10 wants to go to Disney Quest and dd14 doesn't. DH will take dd10 to Disney Quest and I'll hang out with dd14 at DTD. Do ya'll think kids can be too old to go on vacation with the family?

Probably from the line, "Too old to go on a trip with the family". No assumptions made here, just going with what the OP asked. I don't assume the worst about teens at all. Tons are great helps, loving, caring family oriented and the ones that aren't so great really just haven't grown up usually or got stuck in the wrong crowd somewhere along the way.

 

[SavvyMom]

I'm still confused where people are getting "too old for family vacations" from the OP. The person said "so many people stop taking vacations with teens". Too old never even entered my mind. I immediately thought summer jobs, summer school, sports camps, upcoming college costs, etc. I know MANY people who have to scale back vacations when their kids reach this age and NONE of them are because the kid is whining that they don't want to be with their parents.

My kids are early teens and my friends and I ALL struggle with how to fit in a vacation. Summers are full and expenses are high. We're working around summer school, band camp, and dental surgery. My son is having to get a friend of his to take care of his lawn care business for the 2 1/2 weeks we'll be gone. Expense wise we're working around two kids in braces.

People make such negative assumptions about teens, it bugs me. We're managing to do a vacation, but it took some doing. My kids would be really disappointed if we didn't get to go.

That really was what my coworker said. She said a lot of parents don't take teenagers because they (the teens) were too old to enjoy a vacation with the parents. That was what confused me. I had never heard anyone say they weren't going on vacation because their teen had grown out of them. According to her (a former high school teacher) some parents quit taking their kids because of attitudes and not getting along. I'm very thankful that my teen is not like that. Sure, there are things she doesn't enjoy anymore, but she still like hanging out with the 'rents . Knowing my girls, I assumed they DID want to go. It was only after my coworker's comment that I asked her if she felt to old for WDW. I guess I should've asked before hand

 

[GreatLakes5]

I just spoke to a DVC member at the ball fields yesterday - not a DIS-er mind you, but she's still a WDW fan (so she must be okay )

She spoke about busy-ness and how all the kids still love going to the World, but the schedules are tough. Between the ball games, then various camps, then college age kids who have to be at school early in August.....it's tough.

But then she said (wistfully)....my dh and I created this....we created the schedules everytime we said "yes" Now we complain (or at least are sad about the fact) that we can't go anywhere - yet I'm the one who wrote out the check for camp and encouraged the sports.... She then wondered aloud if that was the right decision.

Interesting discussion....we're not quite there yet with our kids, but I can see how the schedule thing is really the issue....it's not so much the kids not wanting to be with the parents. DH already claims that if the kids say no because they don't want to be with us they get disinherited ;-)