Real life MMD: What should I do for New Year's Eve?

Fujiko

Having a new baby must surely be the nicest way to start the New Year and while I understand how you feel about meeting up with the rest of your family on this occasion he/she must come first, plus your special time with this new addition, so I wouldn't even consider travelling so far at this stage. I know its cheaper, but for me travelling by coach for any distance is absolute hell, so I would definitely wait until the baby is older before inflicting a house full of strangers on him/her by which time hopefully the cost of advance train tickets will be manageable.
Congratulations on the new addition and enjoy your baby. They grow up very quickly1

mungaman

Be honest & tell them. If its the one thing you do every year surely you could have booked the train months ago on advance saver. It's not like it's just been sprung on you!!
With both of our children, we've travelled to Greece/France when they were both a couple of months old; sure it wasnt easy but kids will go & do as you do. Travelling with youngsters isn't such a big deal. I don't know why people make such an issue of it. We aren't wealthy, just normal people.
Get a grip, tell them your situation & book your train ticket for next years trip in March!!

tinkerbel*79

Depends if you want to go or not? tell them you want to go but not got the money for train and maybe they have whip around or someone will come pick you up and if you dont want to go a newborn baby is a dam gwd excuse, 2 cold 2 far with newborn 2 tired etc.

JSS

While I agree with many others that you shouldn't feel obliged to travel if you don't want to, especially with a new baby, I think you've left it a bit late to tell your family this - it's only 2 days to go! I'd be really upset if my relations decided to cancel a long-standing arrangement that everyone's been looking forward to, at this short notice. We had a family party recently and lots of us were looking forward to seeing the new baby born in October, and were very disappointed when apparently the baby has to go to bed at 7.30pm preventing them attending the party at all - and they only lived 30 mins away, not 8 hours like you.

cazpost

I think it would be a nightmare for you to try to travel with a small baby, apart from the fact you don't have the cash. Explain this to the relatives, and that they are welcome to come to you but only if they are prepared to muck in and 'take you as they find you'. You don't need the stress and cost of visitors demanding looking after! If they have any sense they will have worked all this out already.

robpw2

no contest , ring them friday tell them baby is under the weather and thefore your not going you have your own family now

sandy_may

Don't travel all that way with a new born. Why not skype everyone at midnight

Learning_Curve

Hi, could you not be honest and explain that you can't afford it and Skype each other instead?

Learning_Curve

mungaman wrote: »

Be honest & tell them. If its the one thing you do every year surely you could have booked the train months ago on advance saver. It's not like it's just been sprung on you!!
With both of our children, we've travelled to Greece/France when they were both a couple of months old; sure it wasnt easy but kids will go & do as you do. Travelling with youngsters isn't such a big deal. I don't know why people make such an issue of it. We aren't wealthy, just normal people.
Get a grip, tell them your situation & book your train ticket for next years trip in March!!

...every baby and every family is different. Some people have PND to contend with, or exceptionally difficult babies. Some babies are a nightmare compared to others, and until you have one you will never know what it's like. Likewise, all parents are different and some cope better with a new baby than others. If the lady is a first-time mum, she will have not had any idea what it would be like to have the baby and how tiring or difficult it would be (or perhaps had an 'easy' baby previously), so perhaps at the time thought she'd be able to manage. Money may also have not been so tight at the time she intended to go, but once baby came along it's surprising just how much they eat into your finances (and who knows if there were other unexpected financial drains to deal with, not to mention the current financial situation and prices going higher and higher by the day). It's far nicer to offer reasonable suggestions and support than to judge and gloat about how well you may have managed yourself!

tallgirld

I would just be honest and say I can not afford it this year.

If they are reasonable people I am sure they will understand!