Should I take my infant with us, or leave her at home with grandma???

[kellera]

This is a hard question and we are really torn. We have been planning this trip for a couple of months, and there was never any question as to whether or not we should take our DD, who will be 6 months old at the time of the trip. However, my mom has now volunteered to keep her, so we could enjoy our time with DDs 11 and 5...

My question is this: for those of you who have taken/chosen not to take your infant, what would you recommend??? I'm not one to leave my child so young, but when I think about how much less PACKING I will have to do (clothes, strollers, formula, BABY FOOD), it is tempting...plus, she won't be the focus of our trip...the older ones will be (especially since this is our first time).

Thanks in advance!!

Amy

 

[MNmom]

I totally understand how much you love your baby and it would be hard to leave her but I highly recommend letting G'ma give her undivided love and attention while you are at WDW with your other children.

We have done it both ways and when my DD's were 4 and 7 my DS6mos stayed home with g'ma. It was the best decision. We had a great vacation and g'ma and baby had a wonderful bonding time!!!

 

[minkydog]

If you aren't breastfeeding this is very workable. and even if you are, if you are determined to do it, it is workable. I think you'll have a much better time without the baby, doing things with the older kids and staying up late. Of course you will miss the baby, but you're not handing her off to total strangers. Keep the trip a week or less and have a great time with the big kids and NO DIAPERS

 

[engle]

You, the older kids and the baby will all be glad you did!!!

 

[robinb]

Take your little girl with you. Not only is 6 months a *great* age for WDW, but you will miss her terribly if you leave her behind. IMO, Walt Disney World is a family destination. That's all of the family ... not just the older kids.

 

[marsha123]

let grandmom enjoy the baby! have a great time with the older ones.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

It all depends on how you feel about leaving her. If you think you can focus on the older girls and have a great trip with them, then I'd definitely leave the baby for Grandma to take care of and enjoy. If the thought of leaving her for the length of your trip brings tears to your eyes, then you should probably take her so you're not missing her and feeling miserable all the time.

When our first son was 21 months old, we left him with my parents for a week and took a cruise. We'd had a terrible year. My MIL had died in an accident and we spent the better part of the year dealing with the aftermath. We really wanted to get away and we had to decide whether to try to bring our son or just go as a couple. We did miss him and called home from every port to check on him, but we were glad we went without him. We were able to really relax and enjoy the trip and each other's company after a tough year.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[mill4023]

It's really a personal decision. But for us, we'd never leave a 6 month old behind. Yes, it will be more work and no, she won't remember it, but she will enjoy WDW. Babies at that age are totally captivated by all the sights and sounds.

 

[theresak]

We went with our 7 month old, had a fantastic time. We're going next month with a 5 month old, and expect more of the same!

 

[Disneymaniacs]

I took my youngest to Disney at 2 months. It was one of the best trips we have ever had! We stayed in a 2 br villa at Wilderness Lodge and took grandma with us. The first night we all went into the park and it was not crowded at all - we walked on some rides. One night dh and I went out alone. Grandma loved it too. She loved seeing the looks on the kids faces and she loved being included in our trip.

 

[Hug the Mouse]

Leave the baby with Grandma.

 

[dogsmom]

Take grandma and the baby with you.

 

[flortlebap]

I couldn't imagine leaving my 6 month old behind whilst I went to Disney!!

How long are you there for? If it's just a couple of days it's probably doable, any longer and I'd say definitely not.

Like everyone else said though, take Grandma!!

 

[millerjudi]

I would leave the baby with grandma and here's why--everyone, including the baby, will be happier. At that age, the baby won't remember the trip to Disney but will be happier with the more regular routine with grandma. If you take the baby, she will need to nap twice per day, I assume. Either you or your DH will have to take the baby back to the hotel to nap (then you will miss a lot of fun on the trip) or the baby will sleep in the stroller (not so fun for the baby). You will be spending so much time caring for the baby (feeding, diapers etc.) you will have less time to share the experience with your older girls. They will surely have a better time if the baby stays with grandma and they have your full attention. You may miss the baby, but grandma and the two older girls (and probably you and your husband) will have a better time without the baby. When my DD was about 5 months old, we went to a wedding in FL and took my DS (who was the ring bearer) and left my DD with my MIL--it was a great choice because we all had a better, easier time.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

We have taken infants before and would do it again without any hesitation.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I vote for bringing both Grandma and the baby if that is possible.

 

[ToTLaugher]

We took our son at 4 months and it was wonderful. My older girls were 10 and 7 at the time and would have had a hard time leaving him behind. They thought of themselves as his mothers too.
How would your girls react to not having the baby there? If they are feeling the need to have you undivided attention then leaving the baby with grandma could really help. If they would have a hard time leaving the baby behind, then bring the baby.

 

[ggeorgiagirl]

I was in the same situation in March! Sally was 5 months old and I really did not want to leave her behind...but I am VERY glad that I did! We all missed her (we were gone for 4 days) but she had great bonding time with Gamma and my "big" guy" (DS4) really had a blast being the only child again!!! It gave all of us a baby break...Sally was in the safest hands...and we didn't have to worry about napping schedules, feeding schedules, diaper changes, etc! If you are brave enough, I would leave her at home!

Good LUCK!

Beth

 

[RandiB]

It's a tough decision... Do you go to WDW often? If you will be back in a year or two I would probably leave the baby with grandma.

I don't know if you will get a chance like this again. As you child gets older Grandma will be less likely to take her for an extended period. Six months is really a great age for Grandma to have her. She not as wearing as a newborn or a toddler.

If you do let her stay with Grandma just try not to feel bad. The first night might be hard for everyone, but I think that your older kids will appreciate it, and so will you and DH.

 

[cleo]

I've done it both ways. We took my son when he was 6 months and had a wonderful time (but he was the only child, and maybe that makes a difference). We also left him with Grandma and Papa when he was 12 months and we had a great time.

Having said that, 6 month olds are pretty easy to travel to WDW with and since it isn't an 'adults only' trip you might find he completes the family. If you have to do Child Swap with your middle child, baby won't interfere much in the big scheme of things. If not, that may make a difference.

Having said THAT, there's no reason NOT to leave him with Grandma. She'll probably love it, your son will be happy not being in the hectic pace of the parks and if you think you'll have a good time and not worry about him (you'll miss him, that's a given), it's a perfectly reasonable decision.

I'm no help at all. Just adding my thoughts since I've done it both ways. The happy news is, you can't make a WRONG decision. Either way, you'll have a wonderful time.