Getting Away without kids?

[TravelingJen24]

I was just wondering how many other parents are able to take small little trips without the kids? We have two little ones, 3 and 1, and have only had one small trip without them since the baby was born. Where do you go and do you feel guilty if it is Disney? We live in Cali. so we wouldn't venture all the way to WDW but maybe disneyland. Oh yeah, and who watches your little tikes while your gone? TIA!

 

[npealer]

We are lucky that my MIL does not work and my Mom is willing to take work off. They are usually who watch my kids with my sister filling in sometimes. I love to go to Monterey for the weekend, lake tahoe. We got to go to Mexico for a week 1 yr and Hawaii on the island cruise for one week once. Las Vegas for our anniversary. I love DL and WDW too much to go without my kids. I think I love taking them and spoiling them. That and seeing them get excited at every trip. Hope you are able to get away for a few days. Its nice to have some alone time with the DH

 

[mom*to*2*princesses]

Our kids are 6 and 3 and we've taken two 3-night trips alone. Taking "adults only" trips is a major sanity-saver/marriage-picker-upper for us. Three nights was perfect--not too long or short.

Our youngest was almost 2 the first time we took a trip and it was hardest on her. The older one just treated it like an uber-sleepover. They stayed mostly with my DH's parents, who live in our town. My parents also traveled to our house to spend time with the kids, break up the "long" time that Mom and Dad were away, and give my ILs a break.

As far as picking a place, I know that I could never have gone to Disney without them. I would've been thinking about them and feeling guilty as heck the whole time! I wouldn't pick a family-rific place. We went to Las Vegas and the Dominican Republic and were very happy to be sans kids-there were families there but couples were more prevalent. We used Apple Vacations for the DR and thought it was very reasonable for a quick getaway. Out west you could easily do Cabo or Alcapulco if the budget allows.

 

[java]

sigh... never have done one with dh.. my oldest is 12 so in 12 years!! I did, for the first time, get an overnite in the city with my best friend for my birthday this year. And we had a BLAST! It was a great recharge. I would imagine it would be great with dh except with 4 children it is hard to find a babysitter that could last- my mom doesn't have the patience and my dad can barely survive 2 hours for dinner.

 

[CleveRocks]

I'm absolutely NOT judging anyone who can do it, but my wife and I have talked lots of times that there's NO WAY we could go to WDW without the kids. We'd love to, but we both know we'd feel wracked with guilt every time we turned a corner and saw something that one or both of the kids would love. Call us stupid, but we just can't bring ourselves to do it.

We've gone several other places for a night or two or five, maybe about once a year since our 6 year old was born. No guilt there! There was very little in San Francisco, Quebec City, Marco Island, Phoenix or the Maryland Eastern Shore that made us think about the kids for even one minute!

Wow, from caring to heartless in 3.2 seconds, a new world's record!!!

 

[cinjam]

We took a long 4-day weekend trip to Orlando (no Disney though) this past 4th of July weekend. My mom watched the kids (5 & 2 at the time) at our house.

Yes, I did feel a bit guilty (especially when were at Sea World) and missed them terribly for the first day or two, but it all worked out fine. On day 3 when I called, my older son asked, "Mom, why do you call so much?". The kids seemed to enjoy a vacation away fom mom & dad!! I loved the alone time with my husband and my mom had a great time with the kids.

 

[TravelingJen24]

I never thought about doing something that would require a plane ride, but I guess a lot of places are just as long by plane as it would take us to drive to LA (about four hours). I think three days would be great also. We have even considered taking a cruise. I want to do something this spring, but I am taking the BAR in Feb. and my mother in law will be watching the baby while my husband and son come with me so I feel bad asking again. The BAR is three long days so I think I will have to give her a little break.

 

[leighe]

Ok - I'll be the bad mom here. DH and I have been on two trips (one to Disney for a week and a shorter weekend one) when DD was about 6 months and 8 months respectively. DD stayed with my mom and dad who were absolutely thrilled to get to keep her since they live about 2 1/2 hours away from us and my MIL keeps her when I'm working. We missed her a ton but we had a great time. However, having said that, I don't know if I will be able to go to WDW without her as she gets older. I just posted a thread asking for advice because DH doesn't want to take her on our spring break trip and I really do.

I'd advise you to try it out!

 

[Desnik]

I couldn't go to WDW without the kids either but I think the OP was talking about trips in general, not to WDW. As for me at that young an age I couldn't leave the kids. When DD was about 4-5 we went on an adults only trip to Cape May, NJ which is only about 3 hour drive from us. We went for 2 nights and I missed her so much, but it was great for DH and I. We did that twice. Once we had DS we did leave him once and did the same trip. I felt horrible leaving him! He was about 2 and was with his big sis and my mother and still I felt guilty!!LOL. Now at almost 9(in 3 weeks)and almost 4(in 2 months)I'd go away for about 3-4 nights and leave them with my mom with no problems at all!!!LOL I just have to convince my mom to babysit! I also prefer, and so does she, to have her here so they have their own bed and toys around. It is easier not to have to bring all their stuff to her anyway. I couldn't leave the kids with anyone else for my own paranoia and sanity and I couldn't go out of the country without them. I think I might be able to be persuaded to go alittle further than NJ.LOL DH is dying to get away to an island with just the 2 of us.

 

[MommaPooh]

We have never taken a trip anywhere without our kids (ages 11 & 13). We enjoy doing things with the kids too much to leave them. I don't think we would be able to have any fun and would feel way too guilty. I almost cry when they spend the night off at friends or Grandma's house as it is. Call us geeks, but we do everything together- grocery shopping, doctor visits, ball practice, cheer practice, etc...Plus we homeschool - so our kids are always with us unless they are at a friend's house.

 

[rbork]

We've been traveling since the kid's were 3 and 1 yr old. Our first trip was a 7 day cruise alone! Wooh hoo... yippy, people kept asking us if we missed the kid's, my answer was always no. They were happy and safe with an "adopted mother" of mine. (My parent's are deceased and we have NO/ NILL family around. Now I think the kid's have just as good of time if not better when we leave them with "Aunt Mary"! They are now 7 and 10 years old. So- yes we do travel about every other year alone and every year WITH the boys somewhere. Hardest part is flying without them IMO - I just feel a little uneasy since I've become a parent about flying (simple fear I suppose, and I used to work for the Airlines!
p.s. we love WDW both with and without the boys!

 

[lisaviolet]

I was just wondering how many other parents are able to take small little trips without the kids? We have two little ones, 3 and 1, and have only had one small trip without them since the baby was born. Where do you go and do you feel guilty if it is Disney? We live in Cali. so we wouldn't venture all the way to WDW but maybe disneyland. Oh yeah, and who watches your little tikes while your gone? TIA!

My parents went on short trips and long without us many times. Of course, as a child, sometimes I hated it because I wanted to go. To travel. As an adult I see if as something that our generation has lost. And good for my parents to go despite any wanting from us!!! Separation of parenting and marriage at times. And that is too bad that it is not a priority in our generation. My parents didn't have a lot of money at all. But somehow they went alone and with us. I suppose their time away was a lot of weekends but some larger trips. I think it's so important for couples to have that time.

I don't know if it was a factor but my parent's just had their 50th last year. I honestly think this world is too child centered. I know not everyone's opinion. But I cringe when I hear parent's worrying excessively whether their children will be okay/like their Disney resort. I always want to say, "WHAT?" I can't imagine being given that much thought to when I was younger and honestly I think it produces self-absorbed children/adults.

 

[jodifla]

My parents went on short trips and long without us many times. Of course, as a child, sometimes I hated it because I wanted to go. To travel. As an adult I see if as something that our generation has lost. And good for my parents to go despite any wanting from us!!! Separation of parenting and marriage at times. And that is too bad that it is not a priority in our generation. My parents didn't have a lot of money at all. But somehow they went alone and with us. I suppose their time away was a lot of weekends but some larger trips. I think it's so important for couples to have that time.

I don't know if it was a factor but my parent's just had their 50th last year. I honestly think this world is too child centered. I know not everyone's opinion. But I cringe when I hear parent's worrying excessively whether their children will be okay/like their Disney resort. I always want to say, "WHAT?" I can't imagine being given that much thought to when I was younger and honestly I think it produces self-absorbed children/adults.

ITA! Well said.

We've gone away a few times without DS. I'd do it more often, but overnight sitters are quite pricey!

But our 20th anniversary is in 2008, so I'm already planning a getaway for that!

 

[meandtheguys2]

We take a 2 or 3 days 3 or 4 times a year. This summer I am taking the plunge and going with my husband to Anaheim for a convention. It makes me nervous, but I know we will have a good time! And that they will survive/ thrive, also!

 

[ilovejack02]

I left my little man for the first time when he was about 9 mths old for 3 nights and LOL i had to be reminded to call my mom and check on him. I did miss him, but knew he was fine. We have been away from him a few other times, but usually 4 nights at the most and never more than about 6 hrs away. I get to go on girl trips sometimes for a cpl of nights also, I think ive don that about 3 times since he was born. Hopefully we will go to Mexico this yr and my mom or my MIL will keep him.

 

[LargoLori]

DH and I have gone to WDW without DD10. We like to stay at DTD and go to PI and do "the adult" thing. DD10 is not suffering in any way from this. We live close enough that she goes several times a year. If we were not that close to WDW I don't think we would take a trip there without her. We would still get away alone just some place else. I think it's very important for moms and dads to have hubby and wife times.

Lori

 

[sskem96]

In the past, we've only done 1 night away in a nearby hotel while my mom watched the kids, and that was only once a year if we were lucky. Our trip next month is our first ever real vacation without the kids. I had thought in the past that I'd never go to Disney without the kids, but when I got a flyer in the mail for a conference that just happens to be at WDW, I told DH I was going one way or another. Then we realized it wouldn't cost too much more for him to go along. To help with the guilty feelings, we bought ourselves annual passes so the kids know we HAVE to take them back before our passes expire. We're planning that trip for December. This trip will allow us to do a few things we wanted to do that we otherwise would have had to get childcare for, like the Segway tour at Epcot. The kids will be split between my mom, mil, and sil, so only a couple days at each place.

 

[sl_underwood]

We also have never taken a trip without our kids. They are 13, 10, and 3. Maybe we need a vacation alone, we never even took a honeymoon, figured we would be financially responsible and buy a house with the cost of a fancy wedding/honeymoon. I dont think we could do Disney without the kids either. I would feel guilty!

 

[JamesMom]

We have never taken a trip with or without the kids and my oldest just celebrated his 4th birthday! We have no one to really leave them with for an overnight, so it's just dates. Our in-laws live close but they aren't ready for the rigors of handling toddlers/pre-schoolers overnight, so we have to wait till they are older for that. They are VERY set in their schedules. I would have no problem taking a trip away from the kids for the number of nights they are old, ie - 2 nights away from our 2 year old.

 

[dsjmeadors]

Dh and I want to go to the Beerfest ( cant think of the specific name) So that is a trip will we not take the kids. HOPEFULLY we can make it through.