First time stay overnight with G/parents?

alanalea

My parents are having our daughter (2 years) for a week whilst dh & I go to the Glastonbury festival. They live a good 3.5 hours away from our home, nearly 5 from Glasto. It's going to be the first time that I've ever left her, and I'm worried witless- not that my mother wouldn't be able to look after her, i'm just panicking.

I'm taking Tabitha to stay with them for the week before so everyone can settle into a routine.

bylromarha

Gparents live 2 hours.

DS stayed with Gparents 2 hours away when he was 16 months old for the weekend. He has since stayed for several weekends with them. He is 3 in August.

DD was going to stay next weekend, but had to be cancelled. She's 10 months old.

I feel completely fine with this as Nanny is more than able to cope having raised 2 kids herself and she loves having quality time on her agenda doing things nannies should do with their grandchildren without mum butting in!

I can completely appreciate your fears. Try to think through what could happen and what would you do in tht situation? Then replace you with grandma, and in your mind you can be assured that you both love and care for your LO.

To make it a little easier, why don't you stay in a hotel nearby for the first weekend, so you are on hand if needed?

What I do is take them to nans friday night let nanny put them to bed, but give them goodnight kisses, so that way they're acclimatised to the different location and I can be assured they're settled without me. I leave friday after they've gone to bed and nanny brings them back to my house on Sunday.

Hope it all goes well.

Delilah

I suppose it depends on the G/Parents. But the fact that you are even asking means you have doubts. I would wait til you were comfortable with it, if you do it and you afterwards you think no i wasn't ready for that they may expect it again and won't understand any hesitation. Or the other way the kids may love it and not want to come home then they have made the decision for you. maybe put them off for another couple of months then re-think and/or discuss it.

Good Luck. My DD is going no where til she's 21!! :rotfl:

belfastgirl23

I think it's good for kids to bond with the wider family and to have a sense of other people who care about them and look after them. I agree with others, go there with her for a day or two, let GPs put her to bed etc, then maybe have a night out nearby or stay overnight at a hotel or something (would give you and OH some time together too). That way you'll know that you can get there if she wakes up missing you etc.

It is nice that your parents want to be involved so much but it is also worth being there for the first little while - a friend ended up taking her DD to hospital when she found grandma's pills (luckily in the end she had only eaten one but spat it out) - poor old grandma wasn't used to having toddlers in the house and had forgotten the need to keep handbags zipped up and out of reach!