Taking Along an Older Niece

[myrtleturtle]

A little background information: It will be DH, myself and our almost 3 yo twins. We are staying 5 nights at Shades of Green in a suite with a master bedroom, living room, and two bathrooms. DH and I have been 7 times in the last 8 years.

DH and I just took 3 nights without the kids and did a resort only stay, it was fantastic, but after seeing all the stressed out families, I'm worried about taking the twins. Our 16 yo niece is on fall break that week and I asked her mom if she (niece) would be interested in going with us. We would fly her down, pay for her ticket, let her stay in our room, and feed her in exchange for giving us a hand with the kids. We haven't asked Niece yet.

Is this a good idea? Will she be bored? We've travelled with her before to Europe and The Keys (before we had kids), she loves my kids and has babysat them before. We won't treat her like a slave or anything, I'm just thinking of getting on and off the bus, a little help at the pool, that sort of thing.

 

[4under4]

I think it's a great idea. I would suggest you and dh handle bed time so that if she wants to head back to a park or the pool, she's free to do so for a couple hours. We took our then nanny (who is as close to us as family) the first time we went with the kids, and it was invaluable!

 

[BellsFam]

Yeah I agree great idea just arrange some free time for her as well...

 

[dprincessmom]

Would do that in a heart beat. While you are paying for the trip, make certain expectations are clear of what you would like her to help/do on the trip. I would also think a GC for a little spending money as a thank you for the help. As others have also stated, make certain there is a little time for her to do what she likes. Is she a roller coaster girl, maybe you do bedtime one night and let DH/her uncle and niece have a late night go at the parks.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

What exactly are you nervous about? You've got two adults and two toddlers--what do you anticipate being an issue? I could see if you've got several little ones or even some older, some younger that you may want to split up and see different things. But with you and your husband, I would think you could handle the two little ones. Now, if you just want your niece to come along and enjoy the trip, that's one thing. Certainly no reason not to. But it's going to be fairly expensive when you add in tickets, air fare, food, spending money, etc. Have you added all that up? I guess I would just suggest sitting down and really thinking through exactly what you expect her to do and then decide. If you're nervous about what you saw with other families, don't be. People stress. People complain. People have meltdowns. Those same people could have four extra people helping them and they'd still melt down. It happens. Just don't let it get to you.

 

[Thing 1]

If you want to include your niece, I think it would be great!!! I would be very clear on your expectations. Will she be a family member and just help out as you travel together during the day, or do you want a sitter to babysit at night or take the kids back to the room at naptime etc? Either would be fine, but she needs to know going in. If she is comfortable on her own, you might want to assure her she can have a few hours alone in the parks. I can't imagine her being board. I would be sure she has a bit of spending money whether from home or from you guys. We have good friends with three year old twins and while they COULD handle them both at WDW, I can see that taking an extra pair of hand would be quite helpful as they are certainly more than two handfuls!!!!!

 

[myrtleturtle]

Thanks everybody! I can't imagine her wanting to go off by herself, as she is not that independent, but I will make sure she gets alone time every day. And some "walking around money," as my grandma always called it, is a good idea too.

 

[ah1126]

I think it's a great idea! Our first family trip was Me, DH and DD. We had a great time, but I quickly realized that I don't like riding alone! Our next trip we had DS and my brother came along. It was great having another adult to help out with the kids. The adults could take turns riding the big rides together while one person stayed with the kids. It's always nice to have an extra set of hands at meal times too. I'm sure you can handle your kids with no problems, but having help is always nice.

 

[seashoreCM]

I think you should approach the subject this way:

"We're looking to hire a nanny to take care of our children. It will not be full time. The trip will be to Walt Disney World and you will have some free time. We will cover the airfare and room and board and also theme park admission. Since you have taken care of or kids in the past, we would like to make the offer to you first."

Not this:

"We would like to invite you on our vacation to Walt Disney World. We will cover the airfare and room and board and theme park admission but we would like to have you help us take care of our children."

 

[Brancaneve]

And if she doesn't want to go, I'll gladly take her place.......

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I think it's a great idea. When my DS was younger, we would take a babysitter or family member on our trips for the very same reasons. We could have handled it on our own, but it made for a much more relaxing trip - so nice to take an adult-only stroll or have a quiet dinner! As others have said, just be clear on what her responsibilities will be. When we took sitters, they had set daily hours each day so they knew what to expect. Yes of course it's more expensive to take someone along but it makes it more of a vacation!