Do you vacation without your children?

[gladhands]

I grew up in as an only child in a single-parent household. My mother exposed to me a lot of culture, and we did a fair bit of domestic traveling, but every couple of years, she took an international vacation without me, and I'd spend a week or two with the grandparents. I'm sure this is partially due to her need to get a break from being a single mother, and partially due to financial constraints.

My wife's parents, on the other, hand never took a vacation without the kids. Partially to do with the culture, but also because they had no family members on the continent. I personally,believe it's okay to take a vacation without the kids. My wife, on the other hand would never dream of it. We have a newborn, and she's slightly depressed at the thought of not being able to have another carefree vacation or another five years or so.

Do you travel without the kids?

 

[darnelled]

We usually do at least one with and without kids a year. We'd do more short trips without if I wasn't afraid of burning out the grandparents.

 

[globetrotter]

we do a weekend every year without the kids. when all the kids go to sleep away camp, we will take vacations without them. until then, not. but even then, I think that we will do one vacation with the kids and one without them.

 

[Kent Wang]

What is the point of taking a child under, say, the age of eight to a trip? They won't remember it. Well, if you don't have anywhere else to put them, ok, but I'd imagine the cost of sending them to, um, a kennel, (sleep away camp?) would be equivalent to bringing them along, not to mention you'd have a much better time.

I think the youngest age that I remember having a fun trip on is when I was ten or so and went to Disney World. Still I remember very little of it, but I do recall it being fun.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

What is the point of taking a child under, say, the age of eight to a trip? They won't remember it. Well, if you don't have anywhere else to put them, ok, but I'd imagine the cost of sending them to, um, a kennel, (sleep away camp?) would be equivalent to bringing them along, not to mention you'd have a much better time.

I think the youngest age that I remember having a fun trip on is when I was ten or so and went to Disney World. Still I remember very little of it, but I do recall it being fun.

I can understand going away for a couple of days but I am not comfortable leaving my kid with relatives for so long. Too much pressure on them, I think.

And though the details of the experience may fade the role it may play on a child's development is still significant. My kid, now 8, has been to numerous cities and countries and I am certain that those experiences have influenced who he is today.

 

[Kent Wang]

In Asian cultures, it is quite common to leave your children with their grandparents. My cousin in New Zealand sent his 2-year-old son to stay with his wife's family in China for an entire year.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

In Asian cultures, it is quite common to leave your children with their grandparents. My cousin in New Zealand sent his 2-year-old son to stay with his wife's family in China for an entire year.

A year? That's not babysitting, that's abandonment.