Millennials are revolting against the American family vacation

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Jacquelyn Smith/Business Insider

Vacation norms are changing as millennials wait longer to get married and have kids.

How old is too old to go on family vacation?

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As millennials wait longer to get married and have kids, they are also navigating new norms about vacationing with their families.

"Am I a bad daughter if I don't want to go on vacation with my parents?" a recent letter writer asked New York magazine's money advice columnist, Charlotte Cowles.

The 26-year-old explained that while she and her long-term boyfriend were invited on a trip with her family, their vacation days and funds are limited, and they'd rather do their own thing.

The question of when to put the kibosh on family vacation has become a common one in advice columns.

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Baby boomers were typically settled and starting to have kids in their early 20s. At this point, they would theoretically break off and go on vacation with their new family units.

Many millennials, however, are waiting until their 30s to start getting married and having kids, meaning they're living - and vacationing - with their families longer.

Many of the 23-to-35-year-olds also struggle with having a sparsity of vacation time to begin with.

The increasingly competitive job market - and the need to pay off student loans - means many millennials are also valuing work above family and vacation time, according to a study by Project: Time Off.

"Millennials are the first generation to enter the workforce in the era of vacation decline," Project: Time Off, an advocacy group for Americans taking more vacation time, writes on its website. After decades of using an average of 20.3 vacation days, Americans now take an average of 16.3 each year.

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americans vacation days chart

Project: Time Off

Americans aren't taking as many vacation days as they used to.

Millennials' workaholic tendencies are unlikely to let up anytime soon.

"The youngest generation in the U.S. workforce has created an era of work martyrdom, prioritizing work above family and personal happiness," Travel & Leisure writes.

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