Would You Vacation Without Your Kids? (inspired by Snoopy)

[cgcw]

The only night we left our DS8 with someone else was the night the DS3 was born. We didn't have much choice -- he went to spend the night at my mom's house. My DB was also there that night. DS8 stayed up most of the night because he wasn't comfortable.

Both of our mother's are not well and are not able to take care of little children. We do not have a strong support of family to care for our kids when we go out or away overnight. We have never done it because we haven't had anyone that could care of the boys.

I'm sure things would have been different had we had the opprotunity. Someday, our time will come.....much sooner than I'm ready for it to be here.

 

[Blondie]

My sons are 12 and 13, and DH and I have never been away anywhere without them!

We live too far away from family to just drop them off, and I don't feel comfortable enough with their friend's parents to ask if they could spend several nights w/them so we could go away.

So....we wait until they are mature enough to leave at home by themselves, which at this rate will be a very very long time!

 

[RUDisney]

My DH and I have been to so many places together before the kids arrived. We were to the point that we really wanted to share our vacation experiences with kids. They have stayed at my Mom's house and my sister's house on many occasions, usually because we have to go out to a function for the bank or out with friends for dinner. It makes it easier for them to just keep them than for us to pick them up late or for my parents to stay at our house until we get home.

At this point, we don't want to vacation without them. The hardest part is picking out where we all want to go. I've been talking up Disneyland, a Disney Cruise, or a caribbean island. No one else has been giving much input. The kids want to go everywhere (like me) so that doesn't help much.

 

[yasuern]

Well in 17 days DH and I are going to be on a long wknd away from the kids - the 1st time in 5 yrs - I am a little nervous about being away from them but I am so looking forward to some time alone with DH.

 

[Jeafl]

Last year when my kids were 12, 9 and 6, DH and I went to Las Vegas for 5 days. There really isn't much for them to do there, so they went on their own vacation to stay with my parents. They are all VERY close to my parents and really looked forward to spending some time alone with them. I think any marriage needs some adult/alone time to really thrive. In twelve years of parenthood, that was the first time we've gone without them, so I don't think it was out of line. It worked out great and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Another NO here... we could never leave the kids.

Other people do and that is fine for them.

DH and I find plenty of alone time.

 

[Laurabearz]

My husband and I had started taking what we call "Who are you" trips! LOL SInce our girls were close together in age (17 months) all we had done was be parents of little ones for 3 years.....

Our first trip was an overnighter to a Casino boat here in the area, then the next month we went to Vegas for 2 nights, the month after that NYC for 3 nights and our last trip was WDW for 4 nights.

It was wonderful. So wonderful that in NYC we got pregnant again! ROFL

It was hard to leave the girls and the 4 nighter to WDW was too long to be away from them (for us, not them) But I am sooo glad we did it. We really got back in touch with each other.

This last baby is due in May and I must admit I am taking a trip to WDW with a girl friend (who is also due in May) in Novemeber, without our kids or our Husbands...... I am a bit nervous about this, since the baby will be barely 6 months old, but I need time to chill with my friend.... and just be..... wake up when I want, sleep when I want, eat when I want, DRINK a bit! LOL It will be good for my soul. The November trip will be 3 nights..... not too long, but long enough to decompress a bit and come home refreshed.

 

[allshookup]

It's a NO for us too! DH and I rarely leave DD 8 and DS 5 even for one night, but when we do we spend the whole time thinking and talking about them! Not very romantic I know but they are both growing up so fast and we'll have plenty of time alone when they are adults. Plus we have much more fun experiencing things through their eyes. We would spend the whole time away thinking "gee the kids would've loved this"! I hope I can handle it if they decide to go away to college!

 

[Kallison]

I've gone twice with DH on conferences (no kids at these conferences) once to San Francisco 3 years ago and recently to Vegas for 3 days. It's nice to get away occasionally and my kids are getting older and don't have a problem with it. Heck they go on vacations for a week with their friends or to grandma's house. I don't want my kids to grow up, move out and have my DH and I look each other and say "Hi - who are you?"

Dh has had many trips to ORlando, I asked the kids if they wanted to go this October and oldest DS who is starting middle school said no way will he miss school. I told DH I am GOING this trip, so we are taking them for 10 days in August so I don't feel guilty (which I'm sure I will anyway). DH never goes into the parks without us, but we will definitely go in together and probably fib about it! I've decided DH and I need to reconnect a little bit more now that the kids are hitting their teen years.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

We do now, but my kids are 20 & 22 Our first vacation without them was a weekend in the Poconos. They were 11 & 13. They stayed with my parents who ended up taking them down the shore for the weekend. It was weird not having them there (we kept thinking we left them somewhere!). Our last family vacation was in 1999, they were 16 & 18...I call it our trip from Hell...my son (the 16 yo) made the entire trip miserable for all of us.