Telling the kids at the airport? Unsure...

[DLPDreams]

My children have no idea I have booked our visit for Halloween weekend. It's been a bit up and down as my DD1 (9) has just started a new school and has been invited to two Halloween parties and one birthday party that weekend with her new friends - I have had to tell her she can't go as we are going to visit DH in London that weekend (my DH works down near there and we've been saying we are going to have a trip). She adores Halloween and is upset as thinks we won't be able to celebrate or do anything spooky etc and wanted to spend time with her new friends! Although she is also happy to be visiting DH! I am hoping that once she knows we are going to DLRP that she will be OK - she's a very easy going, lovely girl so I think she'll be fine! DD2 is easy either way tbh as she had nothing planned!

Anyway, brings me to telling them. DH is getting the Eurostar and meeting us over there in the evening on our arrival day, but we are getting the 06.25 flight . So, should I just stick with the 'visiting dad in London' line until we get to the airport and see how long it takes them to figure it out (DD2 wouldn't get it until we get there I'm sure , but I'm sure DD1 will click when she sees where we are checking into). Or, would you tell them in advance just in case it goes horribly wrong?

We have surprised them with past DLRP trips (mainly at home though, never done it at the airport!) but DD1 was getting to the age where she was guessing tbh. This time though, I am fairly sure she has no idea as we are saving for WDW and we've said 100s of times that there will be no Disney trips until Florida in 2015. Lots of Disboarding has been overlooked in the premise of planning Florida etc .

Anyone any ideas please?

 

[noodlesmum]

I would wait and tell them at the airport I'm a sucker for a good surprise and if your dd1 hasn't cottoned on then I would go for it! As the kids get older it gets harder to do so I would make the most of it

 

[DLPdaft]

I would wait and tell them at the airport I'm a sucker for a good surprise and if your dd1 hasn't cottoned on then I would go for it! As the kids get older it gets harder to do so I would make the most of it

I agree - if you think you can keep schtum until then, do it at the airport.

 

[DLPDreams]

Thank you both

I am coming around to the idea - DH thinks it's great (but he won't see their faces sadly!). My Mum thinks it's a bad idea and that it would be nicer to see their faces at home?! She says it could be quite stressful trying to get checked in on my own at the desk and have two potentially squealing children next to me?

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I really can't think of another way to tell them atm! I've never been able to tell them literally at the airport before as DD1 would guess!

 

[micksn]

I'm assuming you'll be leaving home at about 4 am for flight so waking up ridiculously early! If you think the airport might be too stressful you could wake them up by telling them they're going to Disney

 

[ericstac]

we did the airport one year.. it was pretty awesome lol..

it was a school day and we had a flight at 6am so we told the kids they were riding with their mom to take me to the airport because I had a business trip. We made it all the way through baggage and security and we were just sitting waiting for the plane and then when they called our flight for boarding we told them..

poor kids were excited and confused at the same time.. We got them up at 3am to get to the airport so you can only imagine how out of it they were already lol..

 

[hannahplummer]

Our flight is at 6:30pm so we are picking our eldest up from school at 3:15 and going to the airport. She won't have a clue till we are there! Eeee.

 

[kizzabel]

I think the airport too! Its a fabulous way to surprise them. Good luck with it guys and please come back to tell us all about it

 

[RoseBug]

We are hoping to surprise Rosebug (and her friend) at the airport, they are meeting up the night before at the airport hotel, but we are just telling them we are having a stay in Scotland. Not sure yet how to actually tell them - will get together with N's parents before then and figure out a surprise - so any ideas gratefully accepted!