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15 Year old Calls 911 Because Parents "Forced" her to go on Vacation


TranquilMind
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I didn't even read it, as I can't handle more teen stupidity today. My teen was told two days ago to clean his room. That he starts school on Monday, and I want it clean before then. And that since he's going to his father's house at Noon on saturday and coming back at an unknown hour Sunday, he should do it before then. He nodded, and said he'd do it before going to his father's house. Well..this morning it wasn't done. After asking three times for him to wake up and get to it, I needed my laundry basket out of there. I went in, dumped the contents (not laundry, random things) on the foot of his bed. He flipped out. I told him to either clean the room or I would while he was gone, as I can't have food and drinks and whatever else stinking up the house. He says he doesn't trust me not to break anything, so he just won't go to his fathers. Um..dude...there is another alternative....you could CLEAN YOUR ROOM! He still had time to at least make a decent dent and get the food/trash out. 

 

He held fast to the "not going" line for abut 20 minutes, then started cleaning. 

 

he does have issues...he's not neurotypical. But for crying out loud, he has less logic than the 3 year old. 

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Who are these teenagers who balk at going on vacation.  A miserable time on a European vacation.  Do teens not understand the purpose of 911?  

 

My teenage dds just spent 2+ weeks on a road trip with their parents.  Guess what?  It's been the highlight of their year, and they are planning the next one.  My older, married dd was mad that she couldn't go with us.  Are my teens really that unusual?

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This almost reads like satire.  

 

Our kids still enjoy family vacations.  But my daughter tells me this is unusual among her peers.  Even when I was a teen (long ago!) I knew a lot of people who insisted their parents take a friend along on trips, or let them stay with friends while the parents went away.  

 

There should have been more than a warning over the inappropriate 911 use.   But, I suppose if there was a fine, the parents would have to pay it, unless the girl has a job.

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I didn't even read it, as I can't handle more teen stupidity today. My teen was told two days ago to clean his room. That he starts school on Monday, and I want it clean before then. And that since he's going to his father's house at Noon on saturday and coming back at an unknown hour Sunday, he should do it before then. He nodded, and said he'd do it before going to his father's house. Well..this morning it wasn't done. After asking three times for him to wake up and get to it, I needed my laundry basket out of there. I went in, dumped the contents (not laundry, random things) on the foot of his bed. He flipped out. I told him to either clean the room or I would while he was gone, as I can't have food and drinks and whatever else stinking up the house. He says he doesn't trust me not to break anything, so he just won't go to his fathers. Um..dude...there is another alternative....you could CLEAN YOUR ROOM! He still had time to at least make a decent dent and get the food/trash out. 

 

He held fast to the "not going" line for abut 20 minutes, then started cleaning. 

 

he does have issues...he's not neurotypical. But for crying out loud, he has less logic than the 3 year old. 

 

Ha ha.  I hear you. 

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Who are these teenagers who balk at going on vacation. A miserable time on a European vacation. Do teens not understand the purpose of 911?

 

My teenage dds just spent 2+ weeks on a road trip with their parents. Guess what? It's been the highlight of their year, and they are planning the next one. My older, married dd was mad that she couldn't go with us. Are my teens really that unusual?

My cousins use to go to Europe every few years. They hated it. I have no idea why but they would bitch and moan the second they found out a trip was planned until they were back home. The only time they didn't complain was when my brother went with them.

 

I would have loved to go on those trips and would have happily allowed my cousins use of my room for the week.

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My spoiled bratty kids complain about traveling.  I turn a deaf ear.  Ultimately they find that it's worth it, if only to enjoy checking out new hotels.  They also get spoiled with lots more ice cream and pizza when we travel.

 

Truth is, I'm doing this for me.  I admit it.  I don't want to wait until I can't hike anymore before I go see the world.  Yes, the kids benefit from the exposure bla bla bla, but they would be just fine without it.  But they can just suck it up and be happy I'm not leaving them home to clean the house in my absence.  (Which sounds like a good idea as they get older.)

 

When I hear a report like this, though, it makes me wonder whether the child was in some actual danger but was talked / scared out of telling the truth to the cops.  I hope they made extra sure that wasn't the case.

 

But if it really was spoiled bratitis, maybe their next trip should be to a place where they can see how the other half lives.

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My kids love traveling but we do it very rarely, maybe every three years? And always to see family. I cannot imagine someone complaining about a big vacation, let alone calling 911. It's like the epitome of bratty teen first world problems.

 

That kid needs some austerity measures stat - trim out all the excesses in her life she is taking for granted, wait awhile, and add some of them back in gradually as long as she maintains a better attitude about it. There was a great blog post about this sort of thing that was posted on the hive awhile back and there was a lot of truth to it.

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Dh's former boss spent 50k to take his three kids on a trip around the world on his sabbatical and all three teens did their best to ruin the trip. I don't think this is that uncommon in certain circles. Our older dd was very angry about taking a road trip on DH's sabbatical when she was 15, and after what happened with his boss I took her aside, threatened to destroy her whole junior year of high school if she didn't straighten up and make sure her father had a wonderful sabbatical. She knew I meant it, lol. She did have a good time and get in the spirit of things once we were on the road.

 

Part of the trouble here was noted by the specialist quoted in the article. Sheltered teens have no frame of reference what a real emergency is. We have been having this discussion on another thread. This is one of the many negative consequences of over sheltering kids.

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My cousins use to go to Europe every few years. They hated it. I have no idea why but they would bitch and moan the second they found out a trip was planned until they were back home. The only time they didn't complain was when my brother went with them.

 

I would have loved to go on those trips and would have happily allowed my cousins use of my room for the week.

 

Personally I think it's because it was decided for them. 

 

My kids crab about traveling, especially before we leave.  It's really annoying because they complain to family, who takes their side.  Yeah, what a rotten parent I am for forcing my kids to see the world.  Grr.  Though they are starting to realize the benefits of "having been there" when a topic comes up.  And truth be told, they enjoy most of it.

 

As a kid, I was never even on a commercial airplane (or train or boat ...).  I never went more than 1 state away from home.  I would have loved the opportunity.  As a young adult I began to travel and I would always think how great it would be when I would have kids to show all these marvelous things to.  Ha!  One of my kids cried the whole time we were at the Grand Canyon.  Granted, it was cold and snowing, and she had sores in her mouth so it hurt to eat.  I'm sure it sucked to be her, but I was bummed because I don't plan on doing that again.  I hope she takes her own kids at a better time.

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I think my son was about 15 when we took all 5 kids to Paris for 10 days. We actually rented 2 apartments across the hall from each other so we wouldn't be crammed.

 

By the halfway point, he was in tears from too much togetherness. Fortunately my sister was there and was able to take him out alone and have him spend the night with her.

 

Some people have a high need for quiet and their own space.

 

Also I can also imagine the stress of vacation making the parents more irritable. Maybe they argue about how much money the trip is costing.

 

So calling 911 is insane, for sure, but I don't think that not wanting to go on a family vacation makes a kid a spoiled brat.

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15 is a weird age.  In this society we tend to insist that it is still childhood, and some institutions and families treat 15 year olds more like children than like adults, but it's really more transitional.  I can see how a 15 year old might feel like she had developed a sort of natural autonomy (that will be fully realized in a couple of years) that was violated by being forced to go somewhere for several days.  

 

Calling 911 shows a kind of lack of perspective about what constitutes an actual emergency (she was not in danger, as far as the story relates) but to be honest, I don't know if that's the worst thing in the world - raising a kid in such safety that they have a somewhat skewed perspective about what merits a 911 call.

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I threw a fit about going on a vacation with my family when I was 15. I was not spoiled or overpriviledged. I did not want to spend an uncomfortable week in a small camper with my two middle school brothers and my parents. I had experienced many a similar vacation and had had enough. School was stressful enough and vacations do not always feel relaxing or exciting. They often mean disrupted sleep patterns, disrupted digestion patterns, not enough privacy or alone time, expectations to behave at a higher standard than usual, rapid adjustment to unusual situations, etc. Not to mention a choice is being made for you at a time in life when you are trying to come to terms with your own identity and budding autonomy.

 

ETA: No excuses for calling 911 though.

Edited by Onceuponatime
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I threw a fit about going on a vacation with my family when I was 15. I was not spoiled or overpriviledged. I did not want to spend an uncomfortable week in a small camper with my two middle school brothers and my parents. I had experienced many a similar vacation and had had enough. School was stressful enough and vacations do not always feel relaxing or exciting. They often mean disrupted sleep patterns, disrupted digestion patterns, not enough privacy or alone time, expectations to behave at a higher standard than usual, rapid adjustment to unusual situations, etc. Not to mention a choice is being made for you at a time in life when you are trying to come to terms with your own identity and budding autonomy.

 

ETA: No excuses for calling 911 though.

 

I think this sounds perfectly reasonable.  I wouldn't have enjoyed that either and I wouldn't enjoy it now.

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I hated being dragged on trips with my parents. They were always to places they wanted to go and I very much didn't. The worst was being dragged to Florida--at 18 but totally against my will. Everything about it was awful. Believe me I was no spoiled brat, but teens who don't receive respect are unlikely to give it, you know?

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I hated being dragged on trips with my parents. They were always to places they wanted to go and I very much didn't. The worst was being dragged to Florida--at 18 but totally against my will. Everything about it was awful. Believe me I was no spoiled brat, but teens who don't receive respect are unlikely to give it, you know?

 

My 14 year old was excited to go on vacation with us, but I know him and I know he needs down time and I was sensitive to that.  I also tried to include stuff I knew the kids would like.  I really wanted them to have a good time and not just pick stuff I wanted to do.  I think he'd be willing to go back so I guess I didn't screw it up. 

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My 14 year old was excited to go on vacation with us, but I know him and I know he needs down time and I was sensitive to that. I also tried to include stuff I knew the kids would like. I really wanted them to have a good time and not just pick stuff I wanted to do. I think he'd be willing to go back so I guess I didn't screw it up.

That's the difference.

 

We love to travel as a family, but DS has always been heavily involved in where we go and what we do. At 4 he researched NYC and planned out our activities, down to how get from one place to the next. All our trips keep everyone's needs and wants in mind ad honestly they are always successful and fun. But we listen to our kid, and we don't expect him to do our stuff if it's unreasonable or clearly not his thing. Our parenting style is vastly different than the way I was raised.

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Our kids have always enjoyed traveling, and family vacations are still coveted by those who aren't able to join us. But I wonder if part of the problem is the type of traveling. We all generally like the same type of vacation, which usually means that we go somewhere that has a kitchen, fill it up with easy to prepare meals, and we do lots of relaxing. None of us are much into museums unless it's pretty unusual, and enjoy the beach or the mountains. We usually have one or two meals out, which we all look forward to, but the rest of the time no one has to stop having fun to get dressed up for going out. We are also fine with giving those old enough for the freedom, the options to do or not do any particular activity. I think if I had a dream vacation with a specific agenda besides just hanging out, I would choose the family member(s) who would enjoy that same type of trip to go with me. 

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I didn't even read it, as I can't handle more teen stupidity today. My teen was told two days ago to clean his room. That he starts school on Monday, and I want it clean before then. And that since he's going to his father's house at Noon on saturday and coming back at an unknown hour Sunday, he should do it before then. He nodded, and said he'd do it before going to his father's house. Well..this morning it wasn't done. After asking three times for him to wake up and get to it, I needed my laundry basket out of there. I went in, dumped the contents (not laundry, random things) on the foot of his bed. He flipped out. I told him to either clean the room or I would while he was gone, as I can't have food and drinks and whatever else stinking up the house. He says he doesn't trust me not to break anything, so he just won't go to his fathers. Um..dude...there is another alternative....you could CLEAN YOUR ROOM! He still had time to at least make a decent dent and get the food/trash out.

 

He held fast to the "not going" line for abut 20 minutes, then started cleaning.

 

he does have issues...he's not neurotypical. But for crying out loud, he has less logic than the 3 year old.

I remember when I was 13 and had a messy room my mother came in with a rake. She raked everything on the floor into a huge pile. And told me that whatever I didn't tidy up would be considered rubbish. It actually was a positive thing as I didn't know where to start in cleaning. I kept my room tidy forever after

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I hated being dragged on trips with my parents. They were always to places they wanted to go and I very much didn't. The worst was being dragged to Florida--at 18 but totally against my will. Everything about it was awful. Believe me I was no spoiled brat, but teens who don't receive respect are unlikely to give it, you know?

 

What was so bad about going to Florida at 18 with your parents? 

 

Never had that chance.   We always stayed home and had relatives come stay with us. What a "vacation".  It was fun seeing the cousins though. 

 

My father didn't live too much longer either. 

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15 is a weird age.  In this society we tend to insist that it is still childhood, and some institutions and families treat 15 year olds more like children than like adults, but it's really more transitional.  I can see how a 15 year old might feel like she had developed a sort of natural autonomy (that will be fully realized in a couple of years) that was violated by being forced to go somewhere for several days.  

 

Calling 911 shows a kind of lack of perspective about what constitutes an actual emergency (she was not in danger, as far as the story relates) but to be honest, I don't know if that's the worst thing in the world - raising a kid in such safety that they have a somewhat skewed perspective about what merits a 911 call.

That's a positive spin.  ;)

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I think my son was about 15 when we took all 5 kids to Paris for 10 days. We actually rented 2 apartments across the hall from each other so we wouldn't be crammed.

 

By the halfway point, he was in tears from too much togetherness. Fortunately my sister was there and was able to take him out alone and have him spend the night with her.

 

Some people have a high need for quiet and their own space.

 

Also I can also imagine the stress of vacation making the parents more irritable. Maybe they argue about how much money the trip is costing.

 

So calling 911 is insane, for sure, but I don't think that not wanting to go on a family vacation makes a kid a spoiled brat.

Yeah, I get this.  I can't be with someone 24/7 either. 

 

One of my kids went to visit another overseas and finally sent the visitor away for a few hours, saying solitude was necessary. 

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Yeah, we try to mix it up and include kid-friendly stuff.  They do have to put up with our boring "sight-seeing," but we also make an effort to find them a pool to swim in or a candy factory museum or that sort of thing.  We try to find places where they can climb on stuff and let them have some screen time.  Whatever, it depends on the place.  Everyone likes different things.  It isn't reasonable to expect the whole trip to be 100% delightful to everyone.  That would be true no matter what ages were involved.  As long as everyone's feelings are respected and there's give and take all around, the kids should be able to deal IMO.

 

But my kids are 9, so I might feel differently as they get older.

 

That's another reason we try to do what we can together now.  We know it's only a matter of time before they prefer their friends' company.

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When I was 14, my parents forced me to go on a3 week cross country road trip. I didn't want to go, but it wasn't because of bratiness-- I was a homebody and the idea of being gone from home for 3 weeks was horrifying. Also the idea of being crammed in a station wagon for 3 weeks. But it would never have occurred to me to call 911. My kids are still young but they love traveling. I agree with a pp that I'm traveling for me. We went to Europe, not Disney :)

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A former paralegal's daughter called 911 over a minor issue. She has fairly significant developmental disabilities that aren't always immediately apparent. Thank goodness the police officer who responded was awesome and understood the situation.

 

I didn't love going on "vacation" to my grandparents' house in Florida. I had to sleep on a lumpy couch in the un-air conditioned porch and all we did was sit inside the house while the tv blared and people talked over the tv and one another. Just because it's called a vacation doesn't make it enjoyable for everyone going.

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My 14 year old was excited to go on vacation with us, but I know him and I know he needs down time and I was sensitive to that.  I also tried to include stuff I knew the kids would like.  I really wanted them to have a good time and not just pick stuff I wanted to do.  I think he'd be willing to go back so I guess I didn't screw it up. 

 

Yes.  Maybe that's one of the (few) things we have done right as parents - we involved our kids in the vacation plans as much as possible.  Even when we have to do something that we know they don't want to do - visit disinterested grandparents in a dead town - we try to find something to  make it good for them.  They have also  always understood that we have obligations to their grandparents so that has helped.  But that's different too, and off topic.

 

I remember a conversation I had with a young adult male, son of some friends of mine. We were talking about my family's possible trip to a well-known tourist destination.  He had been to it many times, but he had bad memories, because his parents had insisted on going to museums and such and ignored the amusement parks, beaches, etc., nearby.  According to his memory, anyway, they did not accommodate his interests on trips at all.  I never could get the parents' side of the story (they were not there during this conversation) but knowing them I could totally see that they might be scornful of such silly entertainments and would stick to educational activities. 

 

(Obviously  going to museums per se is not a problem; one of my kids adores museums.  But the point is, the boy's wishes were not considered.)

 

 

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Yes.  Maybe that's one of the (few) things we have done right as parents - we involved our kids in the vacation plans as much as possible.  Even when we have to do something that we know they don't want to do - visit disinterested grandparents in a dead town - we try to find something to  make it good for them.  They have also  always understood that we have obligations to their grandparents so that has helped.  But that's different too, and off topic.

 

I remember a conversation I had with a young adult male, son of some friends of mine. We were talking about my family's possible trip to a well-known tourist destination.  He had been to it many times, but he had bad memories, because his parents had insisted on going to museums and such and ignored the amusement parks, beaches, etc., nearby.  According to his memory, anyway, they did not accommodate his interests on trips at all.  I never could get the parents' side of the story (they were not there during this conversation) but knowing them I could totally see that they might be scornful of such silly entertainments and would stick to educational activities. 

 

(Obviously  going to museums per se is not a problem; one of my kids adores museums.  But the point is, the boy's wishes were not considered.)

 

Yeah my kids aren't too thrilled with most museums.  I like when we take them to museums generally because then we are forced to go through them more quickly.  My husband goes through them slowwwwwwly.  He'll stand there and stare at this or that forever and read every single thing.  Ugh.  Just get on with it.  LOL

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And don't get me started on stinky old churches.  Seriously every time I go to Germany people insist on dragging me to one church after another.  I'm surprised I haven't burst into flames.  My BIL is especially annoying about this and of course this past time he took me through a church that he already took me through before and he repeated the same BORING stories as he repeated the last time. 

Edited by SparklyUnicorn
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And don't get me started on stinky old churches.  Seriously every time I go to Germany people insist on dragging me to one church after another.  I'm surprised I haven't burst into flames.  My BIL is especially annoying about this and of course this past time he took me through a church that he already took me through before and he repeated the same BORING stories as he repeated the last time. 

 

LOL!  You would not have loved our first Kiev tour guide.  She insisted on telling us the whole history behind every layer of every painting on the walls of the St. Sophia cathedral.  My 9yos were dying.  They said they needed to go to the toilet so I was glad to take them, but the guide said No!  She would take them so the adults could continue to study the paintings on the walls.  Blah! :P

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LOL!  You would not have loved our first Kiev tour guide.  She insisted on telling us the whole history behind every layer of every painting on the walls of the St. Sophia cathedral.  My 9yos were dying.  They said they needed to go to the toilet so I was glad to take them, but the guide said No!  She would take them so the adults could continue to study the paintings on the walls.  Blah! :p

 

ugh..

 

My BIL's English is rough so he speaks extremely slowly.  And he loves to talk.  So he goes on and on and on slowwwwwly about dumb crap I have no interest in.

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When I was 14, my parents forced me to go on a3 week cross country road trip. I didn't want to go, but it wasn't because of bratiness-- I was a homebody and the idea of being gone from home for 3 weeks was horrifying. Also the idea of being crammed in a station wagon for 3 weeks. But it would never have occurred to me to call 911. My kids are still young but they love traveling. I agree with a pp that I'm traveling for me. We went to Europe, not Disney :)

That is the point, I think.

None of us would have ever dreamed of calling 911 because our parents were taking us on vacation.  It was unthinkable.

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Well, my view is skewed.  I LOVED family vacations.  Each year after Christmas my family would start planning the family vacation.  My sister and I were always included.  I have wonderful memories plus many scrapbooks.  Dh never had a vacation other than a 3 night camping trip when I met him so he was excited to to see some of the country.  We have always included our children in the planning.  I mean, it's a FAMILY vacation.  Family is what we are. Sometimes we have to nix something due to finances or time constraints, but we all get a say.  In fact, we're more apt to plan around our children's wants than our own, but they usually line up.  All our children have loved our trips.  We had a blast on our road trip this summer.  I can see how it wouldn't be that way for everyone, though.

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That is the point, I think.

None of us would have ever dreamed of calling 911 because our parents were taking us on vacation.  It was unthinkable.

 

Well yeah.  I wouldn't have dreamed of calling 911 even when it was warranted.  I was taught to follow authority and was discouraged from thinking for myself.  I treat my kids very differently.  Not that I think they'd call 911 for something dumb though, but I don't have a problem with the fact they have opinions or question authority.

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Well yeah.  I wouldn't have dreamed of calling 911 even when it was warranted.  I was taught to follow authority and was discouraged from thinking for myself.  I treat my kids very differently.  Not that I think they'd call 911 for something dumb though, but I don't have a problem with the fact they have opinions or question authority.

 

Really?  I wasn't discouraged from thinking for myself at all, and I grew up with someone who was chronically ill, so I was well aware of when you called 911. 

 

I have no problem either with having opinions or questioning authority when warranted.  I've spent my life doing that and you can bet my kids do too.

 

But calling 911 on your parents because they want to take you on vacation and you don't want to go crosses the line into blatant disrespect (and possibly a criminal violation, depending on where you are), in my view, based on the limited facts we have on hand. 

Edited by TranquilMind
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Really?  I wasn't discouraged from thinking for myself at all, and I grew up with someone who was chronically ill, so I was well aware of when you called 911. 

 

I have no problem either with having opinions or questioning authority when warranted.  I've spent my life doing that and you can bet my kids do too.

 

But calling 911 on your parents because they want to take you on vacation and you don't want to go crosses the line into disrespect, in my view, based on the limited facts we have on hand. 

 

My parents had a mental illness so that might just be a very different situation.

 

I'm saying I didn't speak up every time I was mistreated.  Not that I didn't know how to call 911.  The vibe was more I'm just a kid so what do I know.  Except the fact I had to take on a lot of responsibilities very early on. 

 

Yes, I guess I'm a bit bitter about it.  Maybe the girl in the article is a spoiled brat, but who knows.  Maybe she is tired of nobody listening to her.

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Yeah, it's so hard to know. Even my initial reaction is that she was just being bratty, but I was in a situation when I was 15 where people assumed I was being a brat, but I was actually terrified. My dad told everyone that I was being a complete brat about him getting remarried and moving to another city, and everyone just accepted that my weird behavior and reluctance to move (I begged a relative to take me in) was the result of me being difficult. The truth was that I was afraid my dad's violent tendencies would become even worse when we moved away from all our friends and family. It turned out that I was right. There was no one to see the bruises.

 

I don't know why I didn't say as much. Partly fear that people wouldn't believe me, I guess, and partly because I sort of felt ashamed--like I really was the problem and if only I changed my behavior, my dad wouldn't hit me anymore. If there is some sort of abuse going on, being alone on vacation with them would be a situation where the abuse might escalate.

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I can't imagine. We did all sorts of vacations when I was a kid. We were military and moved all over. (As I wrote my post I realized this might have a lot to do with why we get along well. We moved a lot and probably spent more time than most with each other cause we didn't know anyone else. So take the rest of my post with that grain of salt.) Mom and dad thought we should take advantage of each new location to tour all around and of course we had to travel back to see family. I do the same thing with my kids. We love traveling together. That said, we try to avoid museum overload and we carefully plan our food. Hungry people in my family are angry people. We also have down/personal time planned in.

 

Someone earlier mentioned respect and I think that is key. My parents respected me and my sister and we respected them. I try to do the same with my kids (You'd have to ask them to see if I succeed). That respect meant that we politely did what each other wanted as much as possible.

 

And of course they let us get dessert a lot more on vacay - as we do with our kids- and I think that helps. ;)

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Yeah, it's so hard to know. Even my initial reaction is that she was just being bratty, but I was in a situation when I was 15 where people assumed I was being a brat, but I was actually terrified. My dad told everyone that I was being a complete brat about him getting remarried and moving to another city, and everyone just accepted that my weird behavior and reluctance to move (I begged a relative to take me in) was the result of me being difficult. The truth was that I was afraid my dad's violent tendencies would become even worse when we moved away from all our friends and family. It turned out that I was right. There was no one to see the bruises.

 

I don't know why I didn't say as much. Partly fear that people wouldn't believe me, I guess, and partly because I sort of felt ashamed--like I really was the problem and if only I changed my behavior, my dad wouldn't hit me anymore. If there is some sort of abuse going on, being alone on vacation with them would be a situation where the abuse might escalate.

We were posting at the same time. My comment was responding to the OP not to your post that was immediately before mine.

😔 that's awful. And very eye opening. I'm so sorry you went through that.

 

Thank you and other posters who have shared. Your perspective is very helpful. It's all to easy to rush to judgement without knowing all the facts.

Edited by MSNative
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I can relate to being a misunderstood teen. I was in situations that merited a 911 call but would never have made one. Also, I had a medical issue my parents didn't address that made the one family vacation we had miserable. I suppose I think the girl in the call was a brat because the article made it sound like she was just trying to get her parents in trouble.

 

My oldest tried to get me in trouble once and I was lucky to have a way to put a stop it. While she was at a summer visitation with her mother she made an appointment with our new family doctor and told the doctor that she had asthma and I'd taken away her inhaler. A total lie the whole way. Her "real" mom wanted to sell inhalers so she wanted dd to have a quick prescription. Fortunately she wanted to go to a concert when she got back and dh told her that she would not go until she told the doctor the truth.

 

 

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My kids love traveling, of course they are still so very young, but I always loved traveling too, all the way through my teen years, so I guess I just expect that to continue? But it is easy to see on this thread how parental consideration of children makes or breaks the idea of vacations. A vacation isn't just me - it's for all of us, so we try to plan stuff that will make everyone the happiest. My mom was pretty decent about that too. Sure, sometimes you have to sit through an attraction you don't like, but then you'll get to do a bunch of things you *do* like. Vacations with my family look SO different than ones I would take by myself, but they're nice anyway. :) 

 

It really hadn't occurred to me that THAT many families were dragging their kids on unwanted vacations without considering their wants and needs. We have the most fun when everyone is happy! Who wants sour/angry/overstimulated/tired kids on their vacation? That stinks!

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Calling 911 is obviously a misuse of the emergency system.

 

But not wanting to go on vacation doesn't seem too unreasonable to me, like the article says. I remember one time my sister and I were dragged to Yellowstone when we were around 15 and 13. It just wasn't what we wanted to do right then even though Yellowstone is one of my favorite places in the entire world now.

 

We sent my oldest son to stay with family rather than dragging him with us to see pyramids in the Yucatan. He would have made the trip miserable for everyone else and my middle son really wanted to go- there was no other way to satisfy both of them. Oldest ds also stayed in the hotel/apartment for the entire month we spent in Mexico City while middle son and I explored the city. Everyone's different, but I don't think my oldest is spoiled or bratty for not liking to travel. He's certainly done enough moving to know that the effort of getting somewhere and dealing with the logistics outweigh the benefits for him.

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