Do most kids go on airplanes and vacations

chocolatecake

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 8:04 pm

I live in NY and have no local family here. My kids are were probably on airplanes the most in their classes - two or three times a year but it is to visit grandparents and cousins. They still complain that we never go to Florida or California so don't worry you really can't win!

small bean

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 8:14 pm

I have taken my kids to israel a few times as well as to cousins that are plane trips away so they have been on planes.

Ive never done any trips for winter vaca and dont plan on. My kids dont ask.

HonesttoGod

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 8:29 pm

There’s no other option so I didn’t vote. My kids have been on planes only because we go visit my family overseas on a plane. Otherwise we went once to florida many moons ago when my oldest was young. So I’d say you do you and If that includes finances to take them on a plane good for you but realistically flying is expensive.

amother

Burgundy

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 8:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Does it make a difference that this is in Lakewood. I have so much pressure from my kids to do this! For the record- they are generally satisfied with what we provide - however this thing about all the kids go on airplanes to florida is making me hyperventilate!

after bribing the school that 'everybody sends to' to take in your kids. Now you have to deal with your kids!

singsong

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 8:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I am wondering what is the standard these days. My kids ages 8-15 keep telling me that all the kids in their class have been on a plane and go on vacations. I will admit that my husband and I are homebodys and do not get out often however we do take the kids on local outings on chol hamoed and vacation. Now once again midwinter is coming up and I feel so much pressure to "do something". I really really don't want to do anything! I want to stay home and relax with activities. Am I obligated to take trips with my kids?
They get plenty of love and attention but this issue of vacations makes me crazy.
We do not have extra money at all to spend - if we'd do something it would be outside of budget. What am I obligated to do this day and age.

You are not obligated to do anything beyond what your finances allow you to do. For years we didn't do anything for mid winter vacatiion because we couldn't afford to take time off work. I honestly have no idea what other people did, nor do I care. I live for myself, not what 'everyone else' is doing.

amother

Cornsilk

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 8:47 pm

my dh got his pilot license so yes he takes my kids flying. Before that no we didn't go on an airplanes, we would drive the 8 hours to see family. My in-laws took us as a family to Disneyworld 3 years ago. Before that my oldest who is now 11 said how she wishes she could go on a plane like her friends and she wishes she could go to disneyworld because her classmates go and talk about it and we were just like that's nice when you are older you can decide to go.

well surprise surprise, her grandparents who aren't wealthy and aren't the type to just decide to take everyone to disneyworld decided to. I told her see, as your mother I choose what I believe is right but Hashem is the one who is actually running the world and if he decides that you should get something you want he is all powerful and he can make it happen.

My brother and his wife don't travel very often. It's probably been years since either of them have flown anywhere. Their kids have gone on vacation with close friends who are only children ( two different families) and parents wanted to bring along a friend for their child so they got to go.

amother

Mauve

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 8:49 pm

Dont like the poll options
My kids were on planes a few times a year
We go visit family in diff country. (Usually twice a year)
We go on vacation. We go away for some holidays.

amother

Periwinkle

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 9:28 pm

I didn't read the whole thread, just the OP

I will say that you don't have to give in to peer pressure and go on an airplane just because everyone else is

BUT there is something very nice about a getaway with family. There is a buildup of excitement beforehand, it allows siblings to bond in a fun way, and it leaves them with great memories.

If you are on a tight budget (as we are) there are still so many options (I think there was a thread recently about winter break on a budget)

amother

Dimgray

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 9:55 pm

I live in the 5 Towns and many people do go away for winter break. We never have, although one year my parents took my oldest with them to Israel. We usually do a staycation for winter break because it's not a good time for my husband to take off from work and I'm a SAHM. We usually do a family road trip at the end of the summer and that's our "yearly vacation" even though it doesn't actually happen every single year.

This year for winter break we're getting together with family and renting a house with an indoor pool upstate for a couple of days. Hopefully the weather will cooperate for some outdoor activities like skiing and snow tubing. If not, well there's the pool and the cousins will enjoy hanging out together. I wouldn't take my family to Miami for Yeshiva Week if you paid me a million dollars. It's far too crowded then.

amother

Cyan

Tue, Jan 04 2022, 10:16 pm

It's peer pressure, don't feel guilty. I think many kids haven't been on a plane.
As a child I went to Israel once when I was 12. That's it till I was married. Nu not the end of the world.
My boys also complain (occasionally) that they've never been on a plane. Dh and I just smile and say maybe one day.
I'd love to give them that experience but there hasn't been a chance yet and tbh it's expensive so we won't just do it for a vacation.
A couple of times we actually looked into taking a local flight just to give them the experience (like NY to Boston) but it hasn't worked out yet (usually the tickets were just too expensive to justify).

amother

Pansy

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:52 am

When I was 14 I had been on a plane twice. Once to visit family that lived several states away, and once to go to the wedding of a family member who lived several states away.

I definitely dont think it's standard to go on an airplane for vacation every year, but I think for most kids, by the time they are 14 "something will come up" once or twice that necessitates air travel. Of course, that perspective is totally based on ME and my experience.

amother

Steelblue

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 6:31 am

Not answering the poll because none of the responses fit. My kids have been on an airplane about once a year every uear (pre-covid) to visit family (yes, to Florida, because that's where our family lives). Never flew for vacations. We've never actually taken a real vacation involving travel.

Notsobusy

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 7:35 am

I live in Lakewood and we never fly anywhere for midwinter. The most we do, some years, is a short road trip.

If you go anywhere in the Lakewood vicinity during midwinter you will be painfully aware of how many thousands of families didn't fly anywhere and are just doing day trips or going out for pizza or ice cream.

I do think that since covid more people are flying to Florida with their kids. A few of my neighbors and relatives who never did that before have done it in the past two years. But it's still far from everbody.

sim

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 7:48 am

We've flown a couple times for family simchos, but to pretty humdrum places (think Detroit, Chicago).
I pointed out to my kids that we have a budget for vacations. We can blow the budget on plane tickets, and the scramble to figure out what to do once we're in that cool location with very little $$, or do something local that's really fun. So for the past couple years we've stayed local and gone skiing, which has been amazing and still way cheaper than flying to a hot spot.

amother

Burlywood

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 8:17 am

Im so happy to read this, my kids are driving me crazy that they never went on a plane or to Florida and everyone in their class goes all the time. Their more embarrassed about never having been on a plane. I live in Lakewood.

amother

Cyan

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 8:32 am

amother [ Burlywood ] wrote:

Honestly if you don't have close family living a plane ride away I don't see how most kids by the age of 14 will have been on a plane once or twice (as a previous poster mentioned).
Dh's family and mine all live in the tristate area. There simply no reason for my kids to fly.

Eta I live in Lakewood area.