First Trip without Oldest DD...guilt?

[Tawnya]

We are planning our first WDW trip without the 20 year old. DH, 17 yo DD and 4yo DS and I will go. She does not have off the entire Mardi Gras week from college and we do have off of school and it is not the President's weekend...so it is hard to pass up!
Anyone else want to share how you deal with the guilt?
Of course, both DDs have been without us on school trips!!!!
Thanks!

 

[graygables]

Our first family trip, my then 17yo could not go (choir obligations). Our solution was to plan a mom/DD trip in January when she could get a few days off. Once DDs passed the adult mark/graduated high school, we let them (and the guilt) go. Of course, it helped that they both did the College Program and the oldest went back to WDW to be a full time CM, so now we get the calls from Wishes or Illuminations or some other favorite attraction just to rub it in...

 

[pweyl36]

we once went to disney with just dd who was 6yr at the time,and ds was 16yrs and there was no way he could miss a week of high school and my youngest ds was 2yrs and he stayed with my mother in law. But we went back and this time every body went. oldest son was a little up set but knew
he really couldnt go and youngest ds was 2 and didnt remember any thing.

 

[PrincessPoohsMom]

I wonder how much guilt my parents felt when I couldn't go for the first time...I'm the oldest, and I think I was about 20/21. My two brothers (one three years younger, one almost eight years younger) had Spring Break a different week than my college did. It honestly wasn't all that devastating...I knew there would be plenty of other trips I would be able to join. Don't feel guilty! This is the time your DD is starting to really develop her own sense of identity apart from the family; it's all a part of growing up! [Easy for me to say, I've got about 17 years before I even have to start dealing with all of this. ] Go! Have a great trip!

 

[powellrj]

by about 15, both of my DSs were begging not to have to go with us!! The dining plan was the only way we got our middle DS to go with us last year and this year his choir is going to be in a competition in the spring and he is the only kid that isn't excited to be going to WDW.

I have no advise other than to say have a good trip and try not to feel too guilty!

 

[duffy]

Well, my oldest is almost 25, the second one is almost 23, and they're not coming with us in February! It's going to be me, my husband and our 12-year old.

I haven't felt the least bit guilty. I think back to how they each got several trips to WDW as kids-before their little sister was born, and when she was a pre-schooler, but I didn't get to go until I was in my 30's-with them!! Not to mention, my oldest had a trip there with her school, that we could not go with them, and my 22-year old has been to Disneyland Paris! And both of them got to travel extensively in Europe during their college years! If anyone should feel guilty, it's them!! Making us pay for them to travel in Europe!!

It's time they plan their own trips, I say, and have a good time without the parents.