Would you go on holiday without your children

notanewuser

FBaby wrote: »

Are there many families don't have any extended family who would welcome looking after a child? Obviously not forcibly close by, but then you consider the issue of distance in working the arrangements.

I don't think I know anyone amongst my friends who doesn't have a family member to look after their child, if not regularly, as a one off situation.

I didn't for the first year of DD's life. Even now they're back home they would probably rather not have DD for more than a night or 2. She's lovely, and they love having her but mum doesn't sleep well with anxiety and is exhausted after 36 hours.

(They're the only family within a 200 mile radius.)

Of my 5 closest friends, none of them have (or would) leave their 3-4 year olds to go off for a week on their own.

happyandcontented

I don't think the OP is really about holidaying alone as a couple. That is a short term fix, it is more about ways of fostering an improvement in the behaviour of the child. I think as parents we have all had holidays where the kids have played up, but you have to deal with it firmly and not just put a sticking plaster over the wound.

missbiggles1

happyandcontented wrote: »

Is there that type of paid for overnight/weekly childcare?

If there is I am not sure I would be comfortable with using it.

I'm thinking of activity holidays for children as well as summer camps.

ETA

Except, as someone has already mentioned, a live in nanny would offer this as well.

notanewuser

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I'm thinking of activity holidays for children as well as summer camps.

For the OP's 9 year old, fine. They are no good for babies and younger children!

moomoomama27

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I'm thinking of activity holidays for children as well as summer camps.

ETA

Except, as someone has already mentioned, a live in nanny would offer this as well.

That is a good option as long as it is what the child wants. It would also be for alot older children.

It's a shame that some people would put their needs above their childs to get some alone time, fair enough if you have family nearby that loke having the children for extended periods, and the children enjoy it, but not everyone has that privaledge, and I am of the opinion that unless a holiday is unsuitable for a child it's a shame not to want to spend family experiences with them!!

FBaby

(They're the only family within a 200 mile radius.)

Of my 5 closest friends, none of them have (or would) leave their 3-4 year olds to go off for a week on their own.

I was thinking more in terms of OP's DD age. 200 miles radius is still manageable if you really want to go away for a week. Could drive to parent and fly from there and back if abroad, or pick a holiday in the same direction.

Mojisola

moomoomama27 wrote: »

It's a shame that some people would put their needs above their childs to get some alone time

The OP has spent years putting the child's interest above everything else and that's a shame as well.

Balance is what's needed. If the parents have spent every holiday pandering to DD's wants, a trip away without her might put things in perspective.

Toto

FBaby wrote: »

Are there many families don't have any extended family who would welcome looking after a child? Obviously not forcibly close by, but then you consider the issue of distance in working the arrangements.

I don't think I know anyone amongst my friends who doesn't have a family member to look after their child, if not regularly, as a one off situation.

I've never had anyone to look after my kids. My mum died when my older ones were little. I hadn't seen my dad in almost 18 years and around 2 years after we got back in touch he developed early onset dementia. My husband's family are in Canada.


I seriously needed to be careful crossing roads when my lot were young because without me they were at the mercy of social services.


At least the little one has older siblings to take over if both the husband and I are struck down.


I'm not too unusual though I didn't think. I know a few people who have no real extended family for support and certainly none who can act as any sort of child carer.

Spendless

The only people I know with kids who can go away for a week without them, are the ones where they are no longer with their children's biological parent who has them in holidays, making it so they are able to go away.

IL's had my niece for a week when sis-in law married her 2nd husband and went on honeymoon, but they were younger then, in better health and Niece is an only child.

For us, we have no-one we can leave kids (aged 14 and 11) with for longer than 2 nights. I had to keep pointing this out to hubby, because he wanted us to go to Las Vegas for his 50th next year. I kept telling him it wouldn't be possible because the trip would require more than 2 nights and the ages of the kids at that point would mean we needed overnight care for both. It took me months before he could see it wasn't a possibility.

hunnie

I was widowed early and so became a lone parent. I did take our two boys (10 and 7) on a weekend to London leaving our two year daughter with my parents.
Apart from that it was only when those boys thought they were too old to come/had other plans that I went alone with my daughter to the USA.
When my husband was ill, but in remission, I would have cherished the opportunity to go on one last holiday together without the boys, but no-one suggest it! (daughter wasn't born at that point)


As an only child myself, I was left with an Aunt for two weeks every summer and I missed my parents so badly that I wouldn't leave my own children for that long.
Regards
Hunnie