Do you ever vacation without children?

[sk!mom]

After reading the thread about feeling guilty leaving a 1 year old at home, I'm honestly surprised that so many people wouldn't leave a baby behind. That has me wondering if it's just a WDW thing or if many of you never vacation without children?

I would not go to WDW without my DD but only because she is the main reason that we have gone 3 times in the past 6 years and we're going back next year. She loves it- DH not so much- and DS22 has vowed to never return unless he someday has children of his own.

However, they have both been left many times when DH and I travel. Couple trips are very important to our 27 year long marriage. DD was also left behind as an infant and young toddler (14 months) so that we could vacation with her then 11 year old brother. Since age 17 or 18 DS has opted to skip some trips if they were geared more toward DD's interests. Even though he's grown we still invite him on family vacations and sometimes he goes.

Just curious- Do you "I could never leave my kids" people ever get away as a couple?

Is it only trips to WDW that you wouldn't leave a baby behind from or all family trips?

 

[Allison]

I think you are missing one of the main choices-people who sometimes vacation without their children.

It's not as extreme as I will never leave my children behind or I never vacation with my children.

We have done both.

 

[brymolmom]

But not very often - MAYBE once a year - and it's usually for a weekend or long weekend (I think we've done 5 nights one time).

I would leave kids behind for WDW if it made more sense to do it that way.

And I do a 'girls only' trip with girlfriends to Vegas each fall (for 4 nights) but kids are with dh then.

I miss them so much while I'm away from them, but I get to re-energize and I KNOW I return a better mom. Not only do I need it, but I like teaching my kids that life does not revolve around them all the time. I like to do things that are non-mommy-ish and show them that I'm a woman and a wife and person too - so that they know how to be as adults (what if they never become a parent and never saw dh and I as anything but?). And besides, the kids have a blast and are totally spoiled by grandparents and aunts and uncles - they wouldn't even want to come with us all the time.

 

[ilovejack02]

I would have to say a big ole HELL YES to leaving the kids behind sometimes.
We were a married couple long before our little one came along and while they are very very very important to us so is our marriage. We owe it to them to stay connected as a couple. Its makes us happier and better parents. Ive watched several of my friends raise their kids and make them the ONLY focus in their marriage and when the kids were gone, the couple were so far apart it was too hard to get back together and divorce came soon.
And heck my other is deal is I just LIKE/LOVE being with DH ALONE, no kids, just us and we dont have to worry about getting dressed for a cpl of days . We try at least once a month to drop DS at grandmom's for about 24 hrs and a cpl of times a yr we get away for along reconnect weekend away to New Orleans or the beach. We havent a full 7 days, but trust me that is prob coming next spring with a week to Mexico.
I also have left one child behind and take the other. We have a 18 yr old and a 4 yr old so sometimes the big one goes and not the little and sometimes its the other way and sometimes both kids go and we leave Daddy home.
The boys and I are going to Destin next week woo hoo Daddy free, can you say lots of shopping will be happening !!

 

[tigger813]

DH and I just returned from our first trip without children on Thursday. Our 2 DDs made life interesting for their grandparents while we were away. My mother told them that mommy and daddy deserve time away too to be together. DD 2 is just plain 2 right now getting into everything and turning on every light and shutting every door. This was our first time away from her for more than one night. We were gone 5 days. DD 7 whined a lot and cried each evening.
We're taking both kids and my parents ( we owe them big time) in early December so that will be their chance.

 

[maymom96]

We never vacation without the kids. We don't even get away for a night without the kids. So much can happen and we are worry warts. We enjoy being together as a family. To do something without the rest of the family feels like main pieces to the puzzle are missing.

 

[Stimpy]

We usually take 1 long weekend a year for adults only. But we are fortunate that my parents are the babysitters so I trust them more than I would someone else. If they weren't available, we wouldn't go.

We also take 3-4 family vacations a year with both kids.

I would say that I couldn't leave 1 child home & take the other because generally that's true. But we did do it for 1 night in May when DH, DS & I went on a cub scout sleepover in MA. DD was just too young and I think DS appreciated have mom & dad to himself for those 2 days.

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

Well... Since I'm a StepMom and my Hubby is a StepDad (we both brought one kiddo to the marriage)- we vacationed at WALT DISNEY WORLD without the kids for our honeymoon! We told the kids we needed to try out all of the rides before they could go to make sure they were fun and safe

Now, I hope for our 5th anniversary, we can go back as a couple. Oh, this trip coming up is our first trip WITH everyone in tow and I'm very excited about it- but I know we won't be able to manage our blistermaking pace like last time- and I know with three kids, there will be meltdowns here and there. So it would be nice to 'get away' once again to the World sans little ones.

Otherwise, we have went to Six Flags without the kids (anniversary weekend), up to a mountaintop to stay in a cabin without the kids (anniversary), and probably a few other trips here and there. It probably equates out to one trip a year or less- and except for our honeymoon, they were very short jaunts and much, much shorter now that we have a very young one (going on 2). We've only been on ONE overnight (for one night) since the baby was born.


I think couples SHOULD vacation together- even if it's just a night at the local hotel. Kids are great, kids are our lives, yet we need time alone together at some point and leaving the house behind seems to be the only way to do it!

 

[jenjersnap]

I've never vacationed without all the kiddos, but we have instituted "mom and me" trips where the boys get some alone time with mom and the others get some time with not-as-Disney-enthused dad.

But a couples only trip is several years down the road. We have no one in our families to entrust with the kids.

 

[mom2aredhead]

I agree with one of PP's - We take my son to WDW and the beach, but there are a few occasions that we have gone to the beach or Atlantic City overnight by ourselves - maybe a long weekend at most - and we will continue to do so.
I don't see anything wrong with doing it - I think couple time is as important as family time.

 

[mjantz]

We try to about once a year go away just us or have my parents take the kids for a few days. We've also gone to Universal Studios without the kids.
What we tell the kids is 'Mommy & Daddy need this time because it makes us a better Mommy & Daddy'. Plus, they're with my parents so I know they're being spoiled rotten & very well taken care of.
I know some people can't or don't want to take the time away sans children but for us, its a must do at least once a year. I know our kids are only with us for a short time but after that short time, I still have a DH & that relationship needs to be nurtured as well. I know too many couples who, after 20+ years of raising children, don't know how to relate to each other in any way other than 'Mom & Dad'.

 

[ilovejack02]

I know too many couples who, after 20+ years of raising children, don't know how to relate to each other in any way other than 'Mom & Dad'.

Isnt that the truth!!! I dont want to think of my DH as my kid's daddy, I want to think of him as my BIG DADDY

 

[bushdianee]

My parents used to take trips without us kids all of the time. Dad always got 2 weeks vacation time in July. The first week was devoted to us kids-zoo, amusement parks, etc. The second week was for them to travel, usually to Maine where my Dad had been with the Navy when they were first married. The kids stayed with grandparents who spoiled us rotten! There were 8 of us kids so family vacations weren't an option. They used to also go away for quick weekend getaways a couple of times a year. Day always said it was cheaper than a shrink! The point is that parents and kids all enjoyed the time apart and we didn't feel deprived of anything. We got to spend quality time with our grandparents and our parents got much needed alone time.

 

[sk!mom]

I think you are missing one of the main choices-people who sometimes vacation without their children.

It's not as extreme as I will never leave my children behind or I never vacation with my children.

We have done both.

The choice "we take adult only trips" was intended to be a sometimes thing. I certainly hope that no one always leaves their children but many have chosen the other extreme- I never leave my children.

Maybe I should have worded it better.

 

[DawnM]

We don't have anyone to leave them with, so we don't go if they can't. I go to the Beach with my girlfriends for 4 days every May, but DH is home with the kids.

Dawn

 

[sk!mom]

I would have to say a big ole HELL YES to leaving the kids behind sometimes.
We were a married couple long before our little one came along and while they are very very very important to us so is our marriage. We owe it to them to stay connected as a couple. Its makes us happier and better parents. Ive watched several of my friends raise their kids and make them the ONLY focus in their marriage and when the kids were gone, the couple were so far apart it was too hard to get back together and divorce came soon.
And heck my other is deal is I just LIKE/LOVE being with DH ALONE, no kids, just us and we dont have to worry about getting dressed for a cpl of days . We try at least once a month to drop DS at grandmom's for about 24 hrs and a cpl of times a yr we get away for along reconnect weekend away to New Orleans or the beach. We havent a full 7 days, but trust me that is prob coming next spring with a week to Mexico.
I also have left one child behind and take the other. We have a 18 yr old and a 4 yr old so sometimes the big one goes and not the little and sometimes its the other way and sometimes both kids go and we leave Daddy home.
The boys and I are going to Destin next week woo hoo Daddy free, can you say lots of shopping will be happening !!

You sound a lot like me. DH and I just LOVE each other and LOVE the chance to do what we want. DD loves getting spoiled by grandma.

Our situations are also similar in that we were married long before kids and our 2 kids are 11 years apart. With that wide a span it really makes sense that we would take some trips with one but not the other. We've taken DD on ballet weekends and to WDW without DS and DH and Ds have gone on many rock concert weekends without us girls. They share a love of classic rock.

 

[LegoMom3]

Well if you count long weekends, then yes we go away without the kids. Every year we take an anniversary get-away for 3 or 4 days. But never too far away.

My DH isn't comfortable doing Disney without the kids so we probably won't do that until they're quite a bit older.

 

[cymomtx]

We would if we had someone to leave the kids with. When we only had one, we used to, but now with three it doesn't happen

 

[cccm]

We have occasionally gone on adult only trips. Usually either my DSister, DM or DMIL would watch DD. We haven't gone away alone in two years though.

DH did ask me to go away with him for a long weekend in September. We just need to decide where. I am thinking either Maine or Nantucket.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I would love an adult only vacation - I just don't have anyone I could trust my kids with for more than one night (my parents will watch them overnight, but not for a long weekend or anything).