Winter vacation | Imamother

amother

Mayflower

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 5:38 pm

The ages / stages makes a huge difference. I have a high maintenance baby that takes up hours of my day nursing / rocking. Add in little kids and teens with opposing interests and needs. The littles are up by 6. Big ones want to sleep in and stay up late. Baby wakes up multiple times a night. Most of these ideas would be very complicated to execute. Baby & little wouldn't let me make elaborate food or sit and play. My older kids also don't really like baking, or crafts and I really don't like cooking or piles of dishes... Not easy OP I agree.
When my kids were younger, and I didn't have a baby age, it was a lot more doable. Once all my kids are older I'm sure will be easier too. But right now no easy solutions...

amother

Celeste

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 5:43 pm

I don't know if you have any budget for this trip at all but what has worked well for me is to rent a cheap air b and b in the middle of anywhere and do free activities there- we have done tobagging, outlet mall, interesting stores...)Somehow in a different area it is more fun. If you can find one with an indoor hot tub then you have built in entertainment. We just rent it for one or 2 nights toward the end of vacation so that everyone gets excited at the end.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 5:54 pm

amother Cornsilk wrote:

I agree with OP there really isn’t a solution. Especially when the kids get older. My teens have no interest in the library, a walk, or dollar tree. Grocery shopping with me isn’t a novelty and they don’t want to bake/cook. It’s very hard to keep everyone entertained for cheap.

Lazy mornings sound nice in theory, practically my little kids are not hanging around nicely not killing each other or my house from 6am to 1pm. No way.

Making nice big breakfasts also sounds nice, but realistically that means me being busy in the kitchen all morning preparing/serving and left with a huge mess after that I’m trying to clean up while everyone is kvetching that they’re bored.

There really is no magic solution.

Ya thanks I really don’t see how I’m being unreasonable here

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 5:56 pm

amother Celeste wrote:

That’s probably at least $300 for 2 nights right?

amother

↑ Lily ↓

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 6:31 pm

How about you get your kids to help you make a camp for other kids whose parents have to work during winter break? Then, with all the money you've made, you can take your kids somewhere fun on the Sunday of vacation.
Maybe it won't work in your location, but people make winter break camps all the time where I live.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 6:32 pm

amother Lily wrote:

I really don’t have the bandwidth to deal with even more kids.

amother

↑ Lily

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 6:33 pm

amother Celeste wrote:

We did this before also and it was so much fun. Rented a Airbnb in PA with a huge hill and literally went sledding all day and roasted marshmallows.
But this won't work for OP because it's likely at least $200.

amother

↑ DarkCyan

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 6:39 pm

amother Peru wrote:

I never heard of cc giving free hotel unless you mean with points? Can you list actual cc that does this? Thanks

I have an Amex card that says Marriott Bonvoy on it and it gives both me and my husband who is on the same account a free night. We need 2 rooms for my family so it's one free night for us and we get adjoining rooms.

↑ seeker

Yesterday at 12:16 am

amother Buttercup wrote:

No not even close to that.

I stand corrected, I was thinking of Sapphire Reserve , which is 550 per year but then you get $300 of FREE hotel stays. Preferred is $95 a year so you still need to do a little more to make the $50 hotel credit pay for itself.

amother

Snow ↓

Yesterday at 5:05 am

amother OP wrote:

Ya thanks I really don’t see how I’m being unreasonable here

Where are you located?

Sometimes there is a place in driving distance where you can stay at a cheap hotel and just doing stuff in a new place is fun, plus they have what to say to there friends which is the only reason they are pressured to go somewhere cool anyways Wink

amother

↑ OP

Yesterday at 6:00 am

amother Snow wrote:

I don’t want to say, but ya maybe that’s an option. Anyway to find something decent for under $100? (decent meaning obviously clean and no bugs, don’t need fancy obviously )

amother

↑ Snow

Yesterday at 6:31 am

amother OP wrote:

I don’t want to say, but ya maybe that’s an option. Anyway to find something decent for under $100? (decent meaning obviously clean and no bugs, don’t need fancy obviously )

I'd stay stick with a hotel from a decent chain - like a holiday inn.

Id say google weekend getaway from wherever you live.

Then look on booking and make a wide radious - if you can find somewhere a little out of the way its usually a lot cheaper.

If you look at airbnb or vrbo - look at the reviews and for superhosts.

renslet

Yesterday at 7:03 am

OP
If, as you say, it's the expectations of midwinter vs chanuka break that make a difference, would it be possible yo sit down with your kids, explain what you are able to work with and find out what they want.
Yes they will kvetch that everyone is going to Florida but when I did this last year, I explained very clearly that travel was not an option, they made a very doable list of stuff that they wanted to do.
Not all of it cost a lot of money,some required some effort and thinking out of the box and by the end of vacation, they had done most things on their list

amother

Tangerine

Yesterday at 7:13 am

amother Snowflake wrote:

Hate to ruin your concept. Many who go to Florida are spending the least money to entertain the kids.

They get the airfare that is on those deals that you have to be quick to buy, save their points up all year to do free hotel, cheapest car rental or uber , eat peanut butter sandwiches or cereal and milk mostly and take the kids to free places.

Main expense can be saved anywhere by going free places that are new. With a lot of work you can do a staycation for a great price.

Try to make memories and frame it for yourself in a positive way.

My friend does movie night with sleeping bags and major popcorn once a year (they don't watch otherwise), near free and the kids always look forward. Another only spends on a very fancy eating out trip and the rest low-key. Another does every day trips but less expensive places. Another does a mega project (super handy type).

Figure out what you enjoy, do that ,so your kids will feel your joy, and try to be positive.

We go to Florida, but let’s be honest it does cost thousands of dollars between flights hotels transportation and entertainment.