Should I pay for another family holiday?
Anne Robinson on whether parents should always foot the bill for family holidays with grown-up children.
Anne Robinson on whether parents should always foot the bill for family holidays with grown-up children.
We paid for a villa in the Algarve last year and treated both adult children, their partners and our grandchildren to a week’s holiday. Yes, it had its moments – there were some lively arguments about splitting the supermarket bill when our son, who doesn’t drink, realised he was paying for a case of 24 bottles of wine for everyone else – but overall it was a lovely week.
However, our son and daughter are now hinting we should do it again this autumn, that our generation has plenty of money and spending on them now will save in inheritance tax in the long run.
They might not be wrong, but I object to being treated like some kind of cash cow! Am I being childish by not immediately jumping to book another trip?
Whether they mention it or not, our grown-up children are often apt to think we have lots of money, both for them to enjoy now and later. This may lead you to believe that they are being greedy, but I think it much more likely they are struggling financially.
Even if they have good jobs, outgoings such as childcare, holidays, mortgages and food are all so much more expensive and swallow so much more of a family’s income than 20 or 30 years ago.
Your week’s holiday sounded wonderful and we don’t always have a second chance to repeat a magical experience. You have!
Forget being cash cows. But this year why not meet up beforehand and iron out any of the glitches you had last year – such as a non-drinker not wanting to pay for a stack of wine. Then go and have a lovely time all over again.
(Hero image credit: Alun Callender)
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