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I think I may have stepped in it......

I agree totally - maturity that comes with experience is exactly the way.

Some of us who have been doing customer service since before you were born are mature enough to not take offense when someone your age who worked in customer service for a few years lectures us about proper customer service. Because, you know, part of customer service is dealing with people who lecture us about how to do our jobs.

T_R_Oglodyte is likely the most mature of all TUGgers, and probably IS older than dirt - just look at his picture!

:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:
 
Most weekends we have the oldest granddaughter stay over for a night. She's 5 1/2 and has younger twin sisters, so I think we're her escape.. :D

So we were watching a movie and I told the wife, jokingly, that we should take her to the Royal Sands in May when we go for 2 weeks. She looked at me funny and said she didn't think it would be much of a holiday for her (DW) if we took her. I laughed and bugged her for a bit but wasn't really serious anyway.
I did this a couple more times over the next few weeks and got the same response. Then when she was over the middle of December, the GD was talking to her mom on the phone and I told her to tell her mom that she needed a passport.... which she then did....I was laughing at the time.. It was quite cute..
So I found out this week that she's been telling everyone that she is "going to the beach on holiday with Nana and Poppa". And yes, they have applied for a passport.... :D

I can't say I'm dissapointed. She's a pretty cool kid.

We'll have to do Xplor, Xel-ha, Xcaret and the rest and she's going to love the dolphins.

I was trying to keep my mouth shut about this but I find I just can't. :ignore:

You do realize that you in all possibility ruined your wife's vacation don't you? You seem to think it is funny, but don't you suppose she was looking forward to a few weeks of downtime where she could just relax?

We have our 4 year old grandson every Sat night, and while it is fun, there is absolutely nothing relaxing about it.

So now your wife's relaxing vacation, sleeping in, doing as you please when you please and as little or much as she feels like doing is now 24/7 child care. What kind of vacation is that?

I would just stay home if I had to do that.
 
If I were your wife, I would "suggest" that you all go together and have a great time at Royal Sands for a week. Enjoy your time with your granddaughter 24/7 - great memories for you all.

But since this whole thing was your idea, *you* can take the granddaughter home at the end of the first week and your wife can enjoy a relaxing vacation by herself for the second week. Spa visits, reading by the pool uninterrupted, going to any restaurant she wants...aaaahhhhh. I'm sure one of her girlfriends would be glad to meet her in Mexico to keep her company....

I don't know how many vacations you are able to take each year, but if I only had one vacation I wouldn't want to spend it doing child care 24/7. It's possible that you are able to enjoy your time with your grandkids so much because your wife manages the nitty-gritty of feeding, bathing and laundry.

I don't have grandchildren yet, though. I hear they are pretty great. :) :) :)
 
I don't really get the 'child care' thing, from what i've read this isn't a baby, there's no strollers to lug, diapers to change, bottles to make, naptimes to fight about....a 5 1/2 year old(beyond the height issue on roller coasters) can do ANYTHING that grandma and grandpa can do...She's not a burden to shoulder, she's a companion, spa dates can be more fun with a friend to go with you, restaurants are better when you have someone to talk with over the meal, kids find friends VERY fast in a pool, you can still enjoy a book

Granted i understand the appeal of vacationing alone to shut off the world, but if grandma was already vacationing with grandpa, is it REALLY any different if the little girl is there also? It's like having two best friends with you(grandpa and granddaughter) instead of just one!

Maybe its just the extra ANYONE thing, no that she's a child, but that she's another person, which i kinda get...But an older child like that isn't a burden anymore then a wife or husband is
 
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I have loved taking the nieces and nephews travelling (yes, I seldom mention the nieces, but I have 2 of them who live far, far away, but they are under 26 yo).

The smaller the group the better. The more the under 10 yo set has dealt with the adult relative, the better the time. My youngest nephew drives my sister (his mom) and his dad NUTS, but he has spent 10+ weeks staying alone with me where he is calm, focused, and attentive without the week being "kid centered" at all (no video games or cartoon TV is rule #1).

My 2 sisters have rolled eyebrows at things their kids have done with me: Key West or snorkeling or a black hoodie brought or getting up every AM at 6AM. But every child has returned with a new confidence, new interests, willingness to eat new foods, rode public buses and busting with stories & adventures. A joy of living life and being part of it. A child with siblings travelling solo becomes an individual verses one of the tribe.

As most of us grew up in towns where some of the other family lived just 1-30 miles away, we had knowledge of the aunt who had a soft spot or the uncle who could jump start the car. Now the family stories get told poolside in Mexico verses making cookies on a rainy Saturday.
 
I'll go along with the train of thought here that the OP really had no regard for his wife's thinking on the matter and chose to do what he wanted instead. If the little one was to be taken on the trip, it really should have been a mutual decision.
 
I don't really get the 'child care' thing, from what i've read this isn't a baby, there's no strollers to lug, diapers to change, bottles to make, naptimes to fight about....a 5 1/2 year old(beyond the height issue on roller coasters) can do ANYTHING that grandma and grandpa can do...She's not a burden to shoulder, she's a companion, spa dates can be more fun with a friend to go with you, restaurants are better when you have someone to talk with over the meal, kids find friends VERY fast in a pool, you can still enjoy a book

Granted i understand the appeal of vacationing alone to shut off the world, but if grandma was already vacationing with grandpa, is it REALLY any different if the little girl is there also? It's like having two best friends with you(grandpa and granddaughter) instead of just one!

Maybe its just the extra ANYONE thing, no that she's a child, but that she's another person, which i kinda get...But an older child like that isn't a burden anymore then a wife or husband is

When you get older, you'll understand. There are so many variables involved that it would be hard for you to see it right now.
 
I think its great for you to spend one on one time with your granddaughter and to take her on such a great vacation. I did, just re-read that it will be for 2 weeks, that is a long time....so I would definately check on kids programs during the day to help keep her entertained. As far as all day excursions go... that might be a tough one. Also, make sure "Nana" has a couple spa days and if they have sitter service, you two should make reservations for a couple of nice dinners together.

lee
 
I don't really get the 'child care' thing, from what i've read this isn't a baby, there's no strollers to lug, diapers to change, bottles to make, naptimes to fight about....a 5 1/2 year old(beyond the height issue on roller coasters) can do ANYTHING that grandma and grandpa can do...She's not a burden to shoulder, she's a companion, spa dates can be more fun with a friend to go with you, restaurants are better when you have someone to talk with over the meal, kids find friends VERY fast in a pool, you can still enjoy a book

Granted i understand the appeal of vacationing alone to shut off the world, but if grandma was already vacationing with grandpa, is it REALLY any different if the little girl is there also? It's like having two best friends with you(grandpa and granddaughter) instead of just one!

Maybe its just the extra ANYONE thing, no that she's a child, but that she's another person, which i kinda get...But an older child like that isn't a burden anymore then a wife or husband is

It's only after your children have grown that you'll realize how much of your day is consumed with their well-being. It isn't necessarily the physical burden, although there is that, it's that while they're little your thought processes revolve around them during every waking moment. The mental and physical aspects aren't exhausting while you're living them because it becomes routine and you adjust to it. Once they're grown it's a totally different story.

My kids are grown and out of the house, and I'm patiently (not really, but I don't tell them that!) waiting to hopefully have grandchildren. But I can't imagine that if/when I do have them, I'll be as mentally/physically equipped to deal with them as I could with my little ones back in the day. Simply, those days are over for me. As much as I want grandkids in my life, I'd have to be a fool to assume that it would be a breeze for me to take care of them 24/7. I want the chance, eventually, but in small doses at my leisure. ;)

Plus, once your children are grown you get used to living a new lifestyle and for most of us on TUG that means rekindling a sort of carefree living with our spouses. (No, I don't mean that we've behaving like jackrabbits 23 hours of every day!) We've become used to once again being an adult couple with little restrictions on what we do and when. Introducing a child to our new routine, even for just a week or two, would definitely require a new mindset of responsibility that we let go of once already.

Sometimes, Ride, you like to stir up the old guys and gals here with stuff that it seems you can't possibly believe yourself. That's okay if we're one of your weird playgrounds. But don't be surprised when you hear from us exactly what it was your parents said that drove you crazy: "you'll understand when you grow up."

OP, you owe your wife big-time. :D Now that the die is cast you both have no choice but to make the most of it, which means you're going to have to agree that your upcoming vacation will be different in some ways, and that maybe your wife wouldn't have made the same choice. But you are right that it's a chance for both of you to enjoy some quality time with your granddaughter, and for sure it will be a memory that she will treasure forever. If you're smart you'll ask your granddaughter's parents for helpful hints before the trip so that you're prepared for the 24/7 caretaking.
 
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It's only after your children have grown that you'll realize how much of your day is consumed with their well-being. It isn't necessarily the physical burden, although there is that, it's that while they're little your thought processes revolve around them during every waking moment. The mental and physical aspects aren't exhausting while you're living them because it becomes routine and you adjust to it. Once they're grown it's a totally different story.

This is very true, i've never thought about it like this before...But she is on my mind 99% of my day
 
Hmmm...Some interesting points of view here.
If the wife decided not to bring her, she wouldn't be coming. She knew I wasn't totally serious about it and I was surprised when I found out she would be coming. That may still change depending on the paperwork needed to import her to Mexico...

We have taken her on trips with us, starting when she was 3, so I know what to expect. Roughly.... ;)

The Royals have pretty good activities for kids and a baby-sitting service is available as well.
I fully intend to give the DW all the time in the sun that she wants and plan on spending a most of my time with the GD. I think she will have a blast.

We're in our 40's and have lots more "holidays" ahead of us where it will be just us 2. I like that I can give my grand-daughter this kind of experience.

We actually asked the wifes 18 year old son if he wanted to come as a grad present and he said no. :confused: An 18 year old male who didn't want to go to Cancun??????
 
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We actually asked the wifes 18 year old son if he wanted to come as a grad present and he said no. :confused: An 18 year old male who didn't want to go to Cancun??????

It's not Cancun - it's YOU! :D

It would be totally un-cool, not to mention totally boring, to go to Cancun with your "old" parents. What were you thinking of?
:rofl:
 
It's not Cancun - it's YOU! :D

It would be totally un-cool, not to mention totally boring, to go to Cancun with your "old" parents. What were you thinking of?
:rofl:

Ouch...:eek:

But see how cool the GD thinks we are :cool:
Never mind... That comes back to the "old" doesn't it....
 
Ouch...:eek:

But see how cool the GD thinks we are :cool:
Never mind... That comes back to the "old" doesn't it....

I'm older than you and have already been there and done that with teenagers. As they get older, you will get cooler and smarter!

Enjoy GD which she still thinks you are cool! :D
 
Well, your 6 year old and my 6 year old would have a good time..... :D

I'll have to think about that, Ride.... :ponder:

Insist that Ride give you his bail money before you get on the plane... :D
 
That moneys not for bail! It's for 'tipping' the Cancun police, if you 'tip' enough you never have to worry about bail!

Thanks for the travel tip! :rofl:
 
I'm pretty sure that was written as sarcasm, but i totally agree, i've been through some things in my lifetime, but nothing trumps the experience and wisdom of some of the older generation..there is a wide range of ages here, but nothing i'll run into in my lifetime will compare with seeing first hand the ending of segregation in the 50's the peace movement and/or vietnam war in the 60's and i'm sure something must have happened in the 70's too :) ...those were some of the most amazing times in US history that shaped what america is today.....IMO, nothing i've experienced in my life, nor will i can compare to those times

I do tend to poke fun, but deep down, i know your generations are the life blood of this nation
Desegregation only happened in the 60s and early 70s. We were still in "separate but equal" ( which of course is a euphemism for the opposite)
in the 50s. Eisenhower did very little for desecration. It started with Kennedy's admin and the riots in Selma and DR KING and was finally accomplished with Johnson.
 
Is this something you learned from personal experience?? :whoopie:

Those of us with more experience in Ride's posts know he has legendary experiences. His personal experiences are many and most are not for the faint of heart (or when a parent or police are nearby).

So, Kenie, to answer your post: Most likely. :ignore:

But Ride has shown a much more mature attitude in the last several months in his posts.
 
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