Q. re: vacationing without your children

[bcla]

Not really. However, the last time we visited my BIL in the Seattle area my wife and I did an overnight in the Vancouver area. We left our kid with them and my in-laws (living with them) took care for that time until we got back.

 

[Poohforyou]

Up until a year ago we didn't have family living near us. We wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving our daughter for an extended time with friends.

We still managed to grab a few vacations here and there whIle our daughter was away somewhere. A few times we just checked into a local hotel while she was at a sleepover.

 

[mom2travel]

Our children spent a week or two with my parents each year growing up. While most of the time it was staycation (or back-to-work with kid-free evenings) for DH and me, every couple of years we would actually go away together. Win-win for all of us. As the children have gotten older, we've done more parent-only trips, leaving them with family (or each other once old enough). We have joked around that we're breaking ourselves in for an empty nest. Throughout the years though, we've also taken more whole-family vacations than periodic just me & DH ones. I don't think we would've gone on trips with just us if we also couldn't have done vacations with the kids. We've also travelled in other pairs like me & DD, DH & DS, etc - even DS & DD have gone away without us at this point; it generally comes down to who is available and when/where we are going

 

[disneyfab]

We set the precedent early in our marriage by always taking at least one vacation a year without the kids. It used to just be a weekend, but has progressively gotten longer as they've gotten older.
We take at least one other vacation a year where everyone comes with us

This is dh and I. We always take a family vacation and an adult only getaway. We love both the family time and the couple time. The adult only trips started as a weekend, but we have added days as the kids as gotten older. Usually on those trips, it's just he and I, but sometimes we go with couple friends.

I love both kinds of vacations, but to be honest there's something a little extra special about running off with my husband, just the two of us. Maybe because I don't have to wear my "mom" hat. Kind of like enjoying an extended date night.

Perfect way to describe it! Plus, we can do something that the kids many not enjoy as much like a fancy multiple course dinner or can't do like enjoy craft cocktails at a bar/nightclub or go to an adult only venue. Bonus, sleeping in the next day with no parent duties!

Every year, every trip is different.

Yep! The kids love their time with grandma just as much as we enjoy our time together!

 

[AuntieMe3]

Our long "official" vacations always include our daughter, we haven't taken one in a couple years now because of scheduling. But we take lots of weekend trips, which I don't consider an actual vacation. On those, sometimes it's just the two of us, or my husband and my daughter will go, or I'll go with my daughter. I also go on weekend getaways without either of them.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

When the kids were little, we always took them with us for vacation, and we tried for once a year (mostly camping, etc.).

Last summer, DS22 (now 23) was working and DD17 (now 18) was gone for drum and bugle corps, so DH and I nearly skipped taking a vacation and then wondered WHY? So we went to the UP without supervision, and we had a great time.

This fall we're going to Scotland for a week (kids are somewhat irked!) with no kids. Now that we're mostly empty-nesters, we've decided to try to get somewhere every year.

Oddly enough, Scotland was the first real vacation my folks took without my sister & I. I had just graduated HS, and sis was to be a junior.

They did take a few fishing trips without us over Spring Break, but we wouldn't have wanted to go (I did join them once when I was about 11).

 

[Klayfish]

Our kids are still somewhat younger...DS13, DS10, DD10. Since they were born, we have taken all vacations with them...except one. For our 10th wedding anniversary, DW and I took a 3 day trip to WDW. We had a live in au pair at the time (what a horrible experience, but I digress). She, and a few friends at the time, watched the kids for us while we were gone. We had a good time, but decided not to do it again.

Once the kids become adults...yeah...DW and I are taking a vacation on our own for sure.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I like my kids company too but sometimes I like to get a little X rated with my SO and it's much easier to do that sans the kids. Keeps the spice alive too.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I voted for the second option - even though we don't always take more than one vacation a year.
Travel can be expensive!

We have generally taken one vacation, with our DS, and then a shorter getaway just the two of us.

We have taken two bucket list trips without our son. Alaska and Kauai Hawaii. It costs a lot to travel and fly that far, and we just didn't think DS would really appreciate it. Maybe feel like a third wheel.
I can see us going again, as a family, maybe in the future.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I had to 'like'... LOVE.... your post that just came in mi*vida*loca!!!
That's almost the whole reason for adult, couples, getaways!

 

[NHdisneylover]

We have never vacationed without the kids, I've never had the desire to do so. I like sharing experiences with my kids and enjoy their company.
Last Christmas was kinda sorta a no kids, but not vacation. DS and his girlfriend flew from Texas to go to her family for Christmas. DH and I flew from Texas on the same flight as DS to go visit my Brother and SIL. My Bro and the girlfriends family live about an hour apart.
DD went to Hawaii with friends and was not with us.
We all DS/GF along with my Bro and SIL did several things together, sight seeing, meals etc. and then also we all went separate ways.
It was definitely a different vacation but I would not say it was DH and I on a solo vacation.

I totally got a giggle reading this right after reading your thread about spouses with seperate bedrooms----between prefering to sleep with the dog over your husband and not having any desire to vacation with just him, your poor husband isn't coming across so well on the DIS today

 

[Wishing on a star]

Not sure if it is the Husband, or the OP??????

 

[Christy702]

I'm 20 and my brother is 17 and my parents travel without us A LOT (unless it's Disney). However, when we were younger it was still easy to travel without us because my grandparents only live 5 minutes away.

 

[SC Minnie]

When DD23 was little the most we would do without her was an overnight trip to the mountains for our birthday or weekend. It was seldom we went anywhere without her. When she was in HS she would go to church camp for a week and also went to Honduras for a week. We went down to HHI while she was gone a couple of those times. While she was in college we did a few cruises without her. She had class and couldn't go. We also did other trips that included her during her Christmas break, spring break, and summer so she wasn't deprived.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

This is making me feel kind of guilty about our plans next year!

I mean... Not guilty enough to cancel or change them, but still.

 

[Disneylover99]

We always travel with our children. Like some others on this thread, we don't have extended family to leave our kids with. Soon enough they will be old enough to stay home on their own. That will be weird though cause we're so used to them being underfoot. I'm sure I'll miss them and not really enjoy myself without them. Crazy talk. I know.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I am lucky to have great people nearby who can/will keep my kids while DH and I go on vacation alone. I also really like the Disney cruise because we get some good adult-only time combined with good family together time.

But, we have found that we also really like to have both kids gone so we can have peace and quiet in the house for a few nights.

 

[DaisyJ]

This is making me feel kind of guilty about our plans next year!

I mean... Not guilty enough to cancel or change them, but still.

I've never once felt guilty about keeping my marriage front and center. You shouldn't, either.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I've never once felt guilty about keeping my marriage front and center. You shouldn't, either.

I think it's the Disney part that makes me feel that way. BUT, they got their big first trip in June and they'll be going again(not to mention they'll be doing fun things too!). This is what DH and I want to do for our 10 year so it's what we'll be doing

 

[jrmasm]

I've never once felt guilty about keeping my marriage front and center. You shouldn't, either.

Exactly.