@1stjohn0666 We spend a lot of vacation visiting my family. During our trip, we try to leave the kids with my parents for 2-3 days and take our own trip to a drivable destination.
those who don’t live near family: how do you spend your vacations?
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noizyvegan
New member
@1stjohn0666 Pretty much all our vacations have been to see family. We booked a 2025 spring break cruise. I think that’s the first non-family targeted vacation we will have booked.
@1stjohn0666 My husband’s family lives in another country, so we were going there every summer when our kids were infants/toddlers until covid hit. Then we visited after the country opened back up. We decided that we’re going to take a break and do our own family vacations. So we went on a cruise instead last summer. His parents have come to visit us. His brother hasn’t visited us in years, but we feel it’s his turn to come to us as we’ve been doing all the flying to them.
@1stjohn0666 We do a lot of long weekend trips over holiday weekends, like Labor Day or MLK Day. We'll do a short road trip or camping or something similar. Sometimes we visit friends or extended family on these trips.
We do one "visiting family" trip per year for about a week. For awhile, that was visiting my parents, and we lived in the same city as my husband's family. We moved, and now we live in the same city as my family, so we travel to visit my husband's family.
We sometimes do a week of just the three of us, usually in the summer.
I really wished we lived in a country with more mandatory paid time off. I'm never not jealous of my friend who lives in Germany with her 3 weeks every August in a beach house in Greece, plus a week at Christmas, a week at Easter, and another week for whatever. And unlimited sick time.
We do one "visiting family" trip per year for about a week. For awhile, that was visiting my parents, and we lived in the same city as my husband's family. We moved, and now we live in the same city as my family, so we travel to visit my husband's family.
We sometimes do a week of just the three of us, usually in the summer.
I really wished we lived in a country with more mandatory paid time off. I'm never not jealous of my friend who lives in Germany with her 3 weeks every August in a beach house in Greece, plus a week at Christmas, a week at Easter, and another week for whatever. And unlimited sick time.
@1stjohn0666 We don't live near family and haven't traveled to them with kids. It's too much on us to travel with 2 young kids, find care for our special needs dog, and please everyone. Divorced families so it's 2 locations with several different households to visit. They each visit us 1-2x/year instead. We spend most our 3 weeks PTO taking time off when they visit and for sick kid and appointment days. Occassional days off for a family hike or stay home day.
bethwright
New member
@1stjohn0666 My husband is from England, all of his family is there. We currently live in the Midwest of the United States. Any vacations we get we spend visiting England or his family coming to visit us. My family lives in the same town so that isn’t a factor.
Sometimes we meet his family in a different location. Examples: Florida one year and NYC one year.
Sometimes we meet his family in a different location. Examples: Florida one year and NYC one year.
@1stjohn0666 Haha… watch out because I’m probably more triggered by this than I should be. 
Since my MIL did last summer (and FIL died a few years ago) we no longer have to do those visits. They were old and it was too hard for them to travel so we went to see them for about a week 2x a year.
Not clear if / when we will visit BIL. I don’t think it is a priority for anyone.
My parents almost always visit us and I’m very grateful for that.
As for the topic of “real” vacations, these feel increasingly out of reach. With three young kids trying to fly anywhere is expensive and just sucks. But the main thing is that my husband goes into “vacation mode” and decides he shouldn’t have to do anything related to childcare because… after all… he’s on vacation. So I get crushed dealing with everything.
Sorry…. Not at all what you asked about. I guess I’m just venting.
Since my MIL did last summer (and FIL died a few years ago) we no longer have to do those visits. They were old and it was too hard for them to travel so we went to see them for about a week 2x a year.
Not clear if / when we will visit BIL. I don’t think it is a priority for anyone.
My parents almost always visit us and I’m very grateful for that.
As for the topic of “real” vacations, these feel increasingly out of reach. With three young kids trying to fly anywhere is expensive and just sucks. But the main thing is that my husband goes into “vacation mode” and decides he shouldn’t have to do anything related to childcare because… after all… he’s on vacation. So I get crushed dealing with everything.
Sorry…. Not at all what you asked about. I guess I’m just venting.
michelrives
New member
@1stjohn0666 We plan trips with our parents to have help with our kids and we can actually enjoy the trip. It kills two birds w one stone.
diananwshiro
New member
@1stjohn0666 My husband's family is local so that helps but we also sometimes vacation with his parents and sister as well because we enjoy being all together.
We visit my family at minimum 2 x a year and are going to visit a bit more this year because my brother is having another baby and I have some extra time off this summer.
I typically do 4-5 day trips, not a full week, usually for Christmas, and once in the spring. My brother also visits me once a year, and my parents used to visit once a year and would like to visit but honestly are getting too old to travel alone. I have tried to suggest my family do a vacation together but it's complicated in a weird way.
We also do 2-3 weeks a year of our own nuclear family vacation/travel. This is important to me and something we plan for.
Luckily my husband has 5 weeks vacation and I have unlimited, so we have the time to do both.
We visit my family at minimum 2 x a year and are going to visit a bit more this year because my brother is having another baby and I have some extra time off this summer.
I typically do 4-5 day trips, not a full week, usually for Christmas, and once in the spring. My brother also visits me once a year, and my parents used to visit once a year and would like to visit but honestly are getting too old to travel alone. I have tried to suggest my family do a vacation together but it's complicated in a weird way.
We also do 2-3 weeks a year of our own nuclear family vacation/travel. This is important to me and something we plan for.
Luckily my husband has 5 weeks vacation and I have unlimited, so we have the time to do both.