Family vacations are supposed to bring people together, but that gets difficult when everyone has a completely different idea of what makes a trip enjoyable.

Put yourself in the shoes of a teenager who hates the heat and feels bored after days beside the pool – would you hide your disappointment for your parents’ sake, or be honest even if your mood affected their holiday?

Caught between those two sides in this tale is a 16-year-old whose mother feels hurt that he is not making more effort, while he believes the vacation was never planned with his interests in mind.

Can this family find a compromise before the entire trip is spoiled?

AITA I am on holiday 16M with my parents 58F and 60M they are upset at me for not enjoying the holiday.

I have just finished my exams the day we went on the plane.

I had 21 in total.

My parents know I don’t like the heat, so we always go on holiday in spring or autumn.

This teenage boy went on a beach vacation with his parents.

But since it’s cheaper, we went in summer and it is 32 degrees!

All that has been done so far is a 2-hour trip to the beach and sitting on a lounger by the pool for 4 days.

His mom was crying, saying he was not excited and putting any effort into the trip.

My mum has just cried to me, saying I am not putting enough effort in and that I am miserable.

By the way, to be here, I missed the last day of school.

Is his mother right to be upset at him, or is he right to not enjoy the vacation?

Let’s read the reactions of other people to this story on Reddit.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

It’s not cool, says this person.

This person gives their honest opinion.

Here’s a valid point from this person.

Finally, people are telling him to just suck it up.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a woman who got family pushback after gifting jewelry to her stepdaughter.

All things considered, this story feels less like one clear villain and more like a family that failed to discuss what everyone wanted from the vacation.

Some compromise from the parents could have made the trip more enjoyable for their son, but he also might have improved the mood by suggesting activities instead of remaining visibly miserable.

There is a fair lesson on both sides here, since teenagers should not have to pretend they are thrilled, but disappointment does not have to become everyone else’s problem.

In that situation, I would ask for one activity I genuinely enjoyed and make a real effort during the parts of the holiday that mattered most to my family.