Son tries to organize family vacation, parents take over and disinvite daughter-in-law's family: 'My wife had been trying to include everyone'

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Jun 17, 2026 1:15 PM EDT

Who should have the final say over how a family vacation is planned?

Most of us plan our vacations with the best of intentions, but the fact of the matter is that there is plenty that can go wrong in this planning process. Flights get delayed, accommodation doesn't look anything like the photos, and most infuriatingly of all, the people that you are supposed to be having a nice, relaxing time with seem to be causing problems instead of being enjoyable company.

Some might go as far as to say that we are sold the dream of a vacation being a time to make great memories and have a good time with those we love, but just wind up causing us a level of stress that makes the whole thing seem like it's not worth it. There are a lot of factors to consider when trying to plan a decent holiday.

As we grow older and become more invested in our adult lives, vacations can be some of the only times that we get to spend with our parents. Unfortunately, some parents have a tendency to take this opportunity and make it into something that is frustrating instead of a nice moment.

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A man and his wife were planning on taking a vacation to his home country with their three kids as an opportunity to visit family and relax. When the two of them were planning by themselves, they felt like they were in agreement with where they wanted to stay and why.
However, things got complicated when the man's parents got involved. They disparaged their initial choice of accommodation and seemed to be making plans to exclude his wife's family, whom she had been planning on inviting. Feeling upset with the way they had intruded on their plans, he wondered if he was wrong for eventually cancelling the visit.
Am I wrong for cancelling a family vacation after my parents tried to take over planning and exclude my wife’s family?

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