Going without the kids?

[BelleNJ]

Have you ever gone and left the kids at home? DH and I have the bug to go on a long weekend alone, but I feel awful thinking about leaving our DD home. We were just there in January for our DD's first trip. But wait, it gets worse...when we go our DD will only be 18 months old. Are we awful for leaving her with grandparents. It will be our 5 year wedding anniversary and we want to stay where we honeymooned.
I feel bad now thinking about it, can I do this?

 

[luvmy2sams]

DH has had the same bug since our trip last December. Since I'm currently 7 months pregnant, we're putting our solo trip off for a little bit, but it has been booked. We're taking the kids (DD will be 5 and DS will be 15 months) in October 2004, and then DH and I are heading down alone over New Year's 2004 to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. This will help my guilt since the kids will have just been there. IMHO, I'd go for it...if you can get past feeling bad about leaving your DD with her grandparents. Otherwise, you'll spend the entire trip feeling guilty. Try looking at it this way...if your DD has grandparents like my kids do, your kids will LOVE spending the solo time with them .

 

[house_of_princesses]

We're looking to go solo, too. Yes, I cry when I first leave (but I cry at Hallmark commercials.), but I get over it. Leave the 18mo w/ gram and gramps. Enjoy! It gets harder as they get older. Why is that? I know! I have FOUR!!!

 

[dahess]

I would feel soooo guilty if we went without our kids, besides the fact that they would never talk to us again.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We were recently faced with the same choice. Our 10 year aniversary is Aug 14, 2003. We wanted to go to WDW since we have the annual passes this year an can use DVC points. Our DD will be 2 1/2 and has been twice before. SIL offered to take her for the week, but when I considered being at WDW with our her I just knew every 2 year old I would see would put me in tears. We decided if we were going some palce else we would leave her with family, but not WDW. While adults with our kids can really enjoy WDW (we did many times before she entered our lives) it isn't the same once you have the kid. I am considering Fairy Godmothers for a night out.

We are planning a weekend get away this summer just the 2 of us, it will be the 1st time she has been away from me over night since she was born. I like to start of slow and be close by just in case. If you do go, you will not be hurting your baby, it probually will hurt you more, but you will get over it and enjoy yourself anyway.

If you really need the time away, and think you can do it with out missing the kids too much go for it. It depends on what feels right for you and what you are comfortable with.

 

[Noelle]

We just got back from 7 days at Port Orleans Riverside with our 2 daughters, ages 2 and 10. It was a long week. But overall we had alot of fun. But my husband and I both agreed that it's hard for us to remember the "magical" memories of our honeymoon when they've been replaced with diaper changes and quick bouts of preteen moodiness.

So we've decided to go back to WDW and treat ourselves to the Grand Floridian. Just for 3 nights, but just so we can relive some fun grown-up things we did.

I'm looking forward to it. Plus I think that when we go back in June of 2004 with my kids and my parents, we'll have a better time because I won't be longing for that "alone - adult - me" time (like going on Tower of Terror 3 times in a row!) and I can focus on "family fun".

But if you do decide to go, take advantage of Fairy Godmothers! We had them come to our room one night. It just happened to be one of the more difficult days with my kids. I was really scared that they'd call us as soon as we got down to Pleasure Island and want us to come back. But NO! I was amazed. When we got back, both kids were happily asleep. In the morning, both girls couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had with Vera. (our sitter). I think it was actually one of the highlights of their trip!

 

[Sammy]

DH and I will be going to Disney in early June....without our 3 kids for the first time. They are 13, 11 and 7, and the only one who is having a really hard time is the 7 year old. The older two are miffed that we are going to disney without them, but they are ok with it because they know we are all going back in September as a family.

At dinner last night, the 7-yo was asking us "but what will you DO in disney without us.....it won't be the same, you know!!" LOL! We explained to her that we were going to spend 4 days relaxing and doing some of the things we enjoy about Disney that the kids don't necessarily enjoy (we love World Showcase, they don't, etc). When she heard that we would be relaxing at Disney, her reponse was, "Ohhhhh..... I thought you going down to have fun without us! Relaxing is ok then!" She cracks me up!!

It was hard decision to leave them at home with the grandparents for 4 days, but our decision was a little easier knowing we would be going in 4 months as a family.

Sammy

 

[Sue & Co.]

Hi,

We've never done Disney without kids (from the UK it would be impossible) but we have made a point of regularly having breaks (short ones) without our children ever since our first one was a toddler. It does us good to be a couple and they get spoilt rotten by their grandparents/godparents whilst we are away. I think you should go for it and remember that there will be other opportunities to take them another time.

 

[crisi]

We haven't done Disney without our children since we had them, but they "get to stay at Grandma's" quite often. Usually only for an overnight while Mom and Dad go out to dinner and a movie, sleep in, etc., but we did slip away for a long weekend to SF. I've also traveled for business and pleasure leaving my kids with my husband (he has done the same).

At 18 months, you may want to make a bigger deal about her trip to Grandmas - and not bother to mention the whole "Mommy and Daddy are going to Disney without you" thing.

Our kids think staying at Grandmas for an overnight or long weekend is a real treat - they love to do it. That they like it helps a lot with any guilt I might feel otherwise.

 

[Madi100]

Our first trip was taken without any children (we only had one at the time). I think everyone would agree that Disney is just as much fun for adults as it is for the children. I know that when I was a child my parents took many trips without us. I also have many fond memories of the trips that my parents took me on.

I'm not one of those parents who has any problem leaving my children with Grandma and Grandpa. They have a ball, and I think it is very important for a marriage to be able to do things without your children. So, if you are a person who doesn't have a problem leaving your children behind with Grandma and Grandpa, I'd say go for it.

 

[welovedis]

Dh & I will be taking our first trip to WDW without our DS in about 16 days. He knows we are going without him and is ok with it-especially since we will all be going back in July & again in January. He is 6 and we were very up-front about having him stay with grandparents while we went away. However, he does stay overnight with his favorite grandpa every 4-6 months (we live about an hour away) and he LOVES going there. So this is as much of a treat for him as it is for us. We are looking forward to seeing WDW thru our own eyes this time instead of planning as a family--it will be a neat change.

BTW-we also took a week long cruise when our son was about 17 months old and he was great while we were gone and enjoyed those he stayed with. I am also a firm believer in treating my marriage with great importance. DH & I want to still be married when our child is grown and independant!

Good Luck with your choice!

 

[kfeuer]

Last May DH and I left our then 18-month old son with my parents while we went on a 4-day Disney cruise. He adores his grandmother and had a wonderful time. At 18 months, he had no clue what Disney was, so it wasn't like he was jealous we went somewhere without him. We had an absolutely wonderful time, and I don't regret going one bit. It really allowed us to reconnect, and while we missed our DS we completely enjoyed having some adult time.

I'm also glad we went because I got pregnant last June and we now have a 2-year old and a 4-week old. It'll be a *LONG* time before we get to vacation by ourselves again. That's okay, though. We're planning our tenth anniversary trip to DW for this fall, and both boys are coming with us

 

[Jordan's MOM]

A 18 mo old will have no clue where you have gone unless you tell him. He will just know mommy and daddy have got off for a couple days and he gets to go to grandma's house. Even if you bring him back a mickey mouse doll. he still won't get it. If you are ready to leave him for a week-end anyway, might as well go to WDW. I think our DS was about 2 the first time we went off alone for the week-end and he did fine at grandma's. We have promised him we won't go to WDW without him but of course at 10 that is much different. We do of course go other places alone.
Have fun!!

Jordan's mom