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Wild Pacific's avatar

One aspect of it is that modern (western anyway) life involves quite smaller and less involved extended family. Grandparents are not always in the picture, aunts and uncles even less so.

They are likely enjoying their own time for sure, and they have all the right.

Still. What happened is that leaving kids behind is just not an option. So vacations and weekends and any free time for an average adult couple involves bringing kids along.

This is different in cultures where wider family takes care of kids (parents can go on vacation), and also, at smaller scale, in cultures where kids are more independent at a young age (parents can go on dates leaving kids to themselves).

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fuckgirl's avatar

Such a good observation. We had a pretty big extended family and my parents didn’t always take me to Las Vegas, they also went to New York and other big cities alone and dropped me off for a week or two at my grandparents. My mom always says she didn’t sacrifice anything because of me, but I know it would look very different for me. I would have to sacrifice almost everything I built during the last decade.

I also see how my friends with kids don’t have an extended network, and it is as you said: they have to bring the kids everywhere or they can’t go anywhere.

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Sridhar Prasad's avatar

I wish there were a way you could have a family for a little while, then shed the family and be single for a bit. Oh well.

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Victoria Nachos's avatar

It's never even occurred to me to feel guilty about booking an adults-only vacation. The only thing making that decision is whether or not I can afford it and if I can then I'm always taking the childfree option.

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fuckgirl's avatar

No idea why I even wrote the guilt part! 😅

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AverageFelix's avatar

Thank you for participating! I would cut off my right pinky to go on a holiday trip to Sicily's White Lotus, just to escape my neighbors children and this hellscape that is Berlin.

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fuckgirl's avatar

Ah, hello fellow Berliner!

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Ben Passant's avatar

I often see other families with kids at places that have me thinking "why would you ever bring your kid here, are you trying to bore them to death?" which is possibly the other side of the same coin - kids have to go somewhere, and I have too vivid memories of my parents having no idea what to do with me that I would feel uneasy taking children to places where they don't belong, just because I want to be there and have no other options.

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fuckgirl's avatar

my parents brought me to las vegas. nothing more to add!

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Austė Venslovaitė's avatar

Hah, nice topic. I just wondered how often now I see some adults my age and above how they go all crazy in a party, saying “i left my kid at x, i finally can do x.” sounds like a fuckin jail you will have to come back to. I mean, i am not against having kids. Thinking of my habits now and how I like to spend my time, i wouldnt be surprised that in a year or two i will have one myself, but it kinda feels like it should be a lifestyle you understand and want, in other case its just a pure duty to bring an anceator to this earth. Why. Especially for a woman that has to make this huge physical sacrifise.

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