When do you stop bringing your kids on vacation?

[PollyannaMom]

...So I am wondering. Do families with college age kids still include them in vacations as a rule...

I think if all the children are in college (or older), the expectation would probably be no. The adults can finally travel off-season, while the "kids" are at college.

But I think if some of the kids were younger, and the family was planning a summer vacation, that the college "kids" should be included too.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

My situation is a little odd since I have alot of space betwen my kids.

7 years excpet the last 2 were twins.

So they are Dd23
ds16
and twin ds's almost 10

My Dd only comes now with us sparingly... However since she was about 18 she has typically split up the trip. For example we visted her in FT LAuderdale last year while she was interning there, we did a trip up to orlando and she did not go. But joined us at the hotel. My 16 year old stayed totally at home during that trip with his father. ( My husband does not like to travel)

2 months later The little ones and I went back to Disney for a short stay. 23 year old did not come. 16 year old came for the last 3 days.

Our up coming trip. 16 year old is coming for the duration. I offerred to pay airfare and room for dd 23 and she is coming for the last 3 days of a 7 day trip.
I fully expect that likely this will be 16 year olds last trip for the duration. and that he too will then join her ranks of joining us for a few days at the end of the trip.

its funny they are torn... they don't want to miss out but, at the same time are also doing thier own thing. Its a nice compromise to have then join for a bit of the trip. And yes I do pay for that! Good luck!

 

[a1tinkfans]

In two years my twins will graduate high school. I am thinking that will be our last year to bring them on vacation with us. Honestly, my husband and I (who had our children late in life) are looking forward to being able to travel just the two of us again.

So I am wondering. Do families with college age kids still include them in vacations as a rule (I realize you can always include everyone anytime, we have even had adult trips with my in laws, but that was a special trip, not a constant regular expectation).

I know both my husband and I stop traveling with our families once we entered college, is that common now days too? Or are they usually included like you would a high school student?

Just wondering what the trends are now days.

I don't know the trend but.....
I think I will be very sad when my only child does not want to go on vacation with us...its funny cause we offered so many times to have him take a friend for our upcoming Disney trip and he was like, no, I think just us is better....he likes his space and knows that when there is that Xtra person....dynamics change...so for now.....he is always asked to come...and sometimes, like a gambling trip for a weekend and such, he chooses not to come anymore (HS Jr this year) ...My friends just took their 2 college kids to SPain for 2 weeks before they head back to college...we shall see what our future brings...meanwhile I was one of those moms that cried for like 2 weeks when he went to Kindergarten too funny its almost scary....

 

[Angelhalo]

I'm 31 and married and have never stopped vacationing with my parents. They love having us with them and we love being with them. In college I did trips with my friends but still did one annual trip with my family. DH and I still do our own vacations as well, but as long as the 'rents are still inviting us, we'll always go! I'm going to WDW with my mom, dad, and brother in September. Dh has to work. And DH and I are both going on a cruise with all of them next year. Every once in a blue moon, my parents will go somewhere without us but they say they much prefer going with all of us.

 

[Jennasis]

I am 34 years old and will be vacationing to WDW in October with DH, mom, dad, my older sister (37) and her new hubby and my younger sister (28). I also went with my parents to WDW with DH back in 2008.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I'm 23 and I go on vacation with my mom. The last trip we went on was in April and I plan on taking many more in the future!

But there are places or times when I wouldn't go with my mom or necessarily invite her along.

There's family vacation time and friends vacation time.

 

[Luv2Camp]

My kids are DS23 and DD17. I was struggling with trying to figure out when to plan our next vacation, and if DD would want to go since she'll be in college then. It finally hit me...I'm going to plan the vacation when it suits DH and myself, and if the kids can go with us, great, and if they don't want to go, that's fine too. That way, everyone should be happy!

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

My oldest and working on his maser's degree. He is invited to join us for disney in january. otoh, dh and I have always taken time away together, too.

 

[landshark]

I'm 26 and I think my last family vacation with my parents was when I was in high school... By the time I was in college, they weren't really going anywhere anymore and still only do a weekend trip about once every other year. It's not that I don't want to go with them, it's just hasn't really been an option the last few years.

I am trying to convince them to go to WDW in 2011 with me since they haven't been since we went when I was a kid. A lot has changed and I want to share that with them, too.

 

[pittypat]

I will have my children (and someday their families) join DH and me on vacation as long as I live. And as long as they care to go. They'll always be included.

 

[PaulaSue]

We travel with our parents (mine and ILs) together (all 9 of us) every few years so I'm sure our girls and future ILs and GCs will do the same.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We take one vacation with the entire family (parents, siblings) every year, and also go on our vacation or two.

 

[klacey1]

I still go on vacation with my mom (I'm in my mid-twenties)-- since she knows I have hefty loan payments, rent, etc, she says she doesn't mind paying for me. She goes away alone at times to visit friends and DBF and I go away together, but we enjoy each other's company. We'll probably continue to go on vacation together for years to come (although, when I have children and am financially secure, I'd love to pay for her!).

 

[Tuffcookie]

Youngest DS & I were at WDW in April. I was thinking that may have been our last vacation together. He graduated high school in May and is working part time and starting college at the end of this month. I still have some vacation time left over for this year and am thinking of going somewhere in the Fall. I am planning to go back to WDW next April, with or without DS.

TC

 

[daughtersrus]

My daughters are 23, 20 and 16 and they all go with us on vacation. The oldest one isn't too thrilled when we go to the lake house for a week but she comes anyway. She's not an outdoor person but brings a stack of books and some projects to work on.

Memorial and Labor Day weekends are another story. My oldest doesn't want to come (sometimes there's family drama with extended family that she doesn't want to deal with) so she stays home. Of course, this causes more family drama "why doesn't K____ come to the lake anymore" but we respect her choice to stay home.

My middle DD works a lot of weekends in the summer for our park district and it's hard for her to get off holiday weekends. She likes being there but likes having the money in her bank account more.

My DD(16)is disabled so I expect that she will come with us on vacation all of her life as she needs someone to care for her 24/7.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

For our big summer vacation my DS[19] & DD[24] always comes along. We plan during the summertime & work around their schedules so everybody can go. I love traveling with my family along. My other DD[23] & DD[27] are married & plan their own vacations.

We camp alot & everybody comes out to the campground whenever their schedules allow them too. DD[19] is usually the one out there the most though or the grandkids ages 2, 4, & 7.

During the year my DH & I go on several overnight trips & in Dec. have gone on several week trips to Disney. It is just us on those trips. Reasons being the kids can't take off from work & college & it just doesn't work in their schedules.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

We just returned from Disney with DS 20, his GF 21 and DS18. We will make room for them on our vacations as long as they want to go!

 

[MarilIncredible]

We stopped the big summer family vacations after I graduated high school. My sister was still a rising junior, but there were no more family vacations after that.

I didn't go on a vacation again with my mom and sister (dad chose not to go) until a few years ago, when I was about 32 or 33.

 

[stichy]

My DS8 says he doesn't want to go to college because he thinks we will stop taking him on vacations. I assured him that would not be the case. I will probably take him with us if he wants to go until he is married. We plan on letting him choose some of our trips when he is a few years older. When he has a stable job I'll probably make him pay for some of his expenses. Once he is married if he and his wife want to come with us we will most likely pay for some of their expenses. My inlaws love to take family vacations. They used to pay for the whole thing but now there are 4 grandkids so the kick in 1k per family. Which is still very generous.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

My parents took several vacations without me while I was in high school, and many with me. The have taken several vacations with me since going away to college, but quite a few more trips without me. It really depends on what everyone wants to do at any given time. Now, if you're asking about a full expenses paid by parents trip, we haven't done that since I got married. My parents might still help defray some lodging costs or treat us to a dinner out when we vacation with them, but basically we are paying our own way.

Mind you, I'm an only child, we're a close-knit family, and we all love vacationing as much as possible, so it's a pretty specific situation.