WHEN ARE YOU TAKING THEM BACK? - The Best Vacations with Grandchildren

Dietmar Bittrich’s collection of stories simply makes you happy - as happy as our grandchildren make us. We don't have to raise them. We have fewer obligations - and more joy. We enjoy their curiosity, creativity, and astonishing progress. We are calmer than we were with our own children. We get to cherry-pick the best parts. And that includes a vacation.

So we thought. Now we are surprised. The little ones are surprisingly impatient with traffic jams, delays, and lost luggage. They are bored by the sights that interest us. They constantly demand only French fries. They lose the doll, the teddy, the ID. They want to go home or somewhere else. They whine. They get sick. They get lost. They strain our travel budget.

But of course, trips with grandchildren are wonderful! They create unforgettable memories! For example, when the granddaughter throws a tantrum in the amusement park because she can't have one more ice cream. Or the older one can’t be pulled away from her smartphone. Things like that stay in your memory.

Of course, we persevere. But a question to their parents: When are you taking them back? (Can you pick them up sooner?)