DH doesn’t think this is a bad idea

[Anonymous]

I would go, and take the baby to outings.

Be aware that if you wait a few years, the other kids will be tween/teens and the vacation spot will likely not be "Maine + parents' friends"... the age gap will not get any smaller, OP. Many people have made that mistake.

[Anonymous]

It is a great trip idea and if you start thinking of "it's so hard with a small one" when are you ever going to do anything? People travel all the time with babies, and for vacations too!

[Anonymous]

I think it sounds kind of awful. Lovely in theory and terrible in practice. I have a 1 year old as well who becomes impossible by 7:30pm and no way could we just “put her down” in the main house in the evenings and easily transfer her back to the guest house at the end of the evening. There would be so much screaming and crying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re both right.

The trip will be super fun for the parent who gets to supervise the 5 year old - AND it will be super lame for the parent who has to supervise the 1 year old.

This!!

[Anonymous]

How would you handle bedtimes/naptime at home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d also go. But then we were/are the type of family that never really slowed down for the baby. I would hate for my older kid to miss out on fun times.

Same here. My kids took most naps in the stroller/carrier/car seat. They are older now & no worse for the wear. This is actually a very low key, relaxed set up compared to other trips you could take with a baby. Don’t put life on hold for baby naps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some good friends invited us and a another family (we are all friends) to join them in Maine the week before Labor Day. Their family has a massive house there. The friends who invited us have a 7 year old and 5 year old. The other family has 6 and 8 year olds. We have a 5 year old and a 1 year old.

DH really wants to go and thinks we would be crazy to say no. But I am really worried that most of the activities and plans won’t be so great for a one year old who naps twice a day and goes to bed at 7. We would not be staying in the main house - they have a guest house on the property but it’s not right behind so my fear is that I will end up there myself half the time with the baby. The friends have been talking about their Maine trips for years and how they spend all day at the beach or on the boat, which just isn’t going to work for a one year old.

Would you go or decline? DH thinks I need to suck it up and that it will be super fun. I think it will be really challenging.

You sound SO boring. It'll be great if you make it great.

First thing I did with all 3 of mine was train them to sleep anywhere, so they were well rested but we didn't give up our entire lives and identities

[Anonymous]

I mean, if you're so convinced it won't work because of nap time, let DH and DS go. Will be a fun change of pace and would be nice for your DH and DS. No sense in punishing everyone because you've made nap time so difficult

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some good friends invited us and a another family (we are all friends) to join them in Maine the week before Labor Day. Their family has a massive house there. The friends who invited us have a 7 year old and 5 year old. The other family has 6 and 8 year olds. We have a 5 year old and a 1 year old.

DH really wants to go and thinks we would be crazy to say no. But I am really worried that most of the activities and plans won’t be so great for a one year old who naps twice a day and goes to bed at 7. We would not be staying in the main house - they have a guest house on the property but it’s not right behind so my fear is that I will end up there myself half the time with the baby. The friends have been talking about their Maine trips for years and how they spend all day at the beach or on the boat, which just isn’t going to work for a one year old.

Would you go or decline? DH thinks I need to suck it up and that it will be super fun. I think it will be really challenging.

You sound SO boring. It'll be great if you make it great.

First thing I did with all 3 of mine was train them to sleep anywhere, so they were well rested but we didn't give up our entire lives and identities

You must be the perfect parent. Congrats!

[Anonymous]

Do you want half of your family is having fun (5 years old and one parent) or none at all (stay home)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree, doesn't sound like fun. However if he's that insistent on it I would agree to go under the agreement that HE will be the one staying behind while 1 yo naps.

Why not alternate?

[Anonymous]

I would go. How hard it will be depends on how well your kid sleeps and how flexible you are with the naps. My one year old loved being around ppl and kids even if they were much older. I would pack a travel sleeper and let the baby nap wherever everyone is hanging out during the day. For trips, I have even let the kid sleep in her stroller fully reclined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you want half of your family is having fun (5 years old and one parent) or none at all (stay home)?

and the mom and the younger kid too most of the day barring maybe a few hours

[Anonymous]

I would LOVE to stay behind and chill some days at the air conditioned house and nap/watch tv while the DH took the 5 year old all day.
Just switch off every other day and enjoy the down time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some good friends invited us and a another family (we are all friends) to join them in Maine the week before Labor Day. Their family has a massive house there. The friends who invited us have a 7 year old and 5 year old. The other family has 6 and 8 year olds. We have a 5 year old and a 1 year old.

DH really wants to go and thinks we would be crazy to say no. But I am really worried that most of the activities and plans won’t be so great for a one year old who naps twice a day and goes to bed at 7. We would not be staying in the main house - they have a guest house on the property but it’s not right behind so my fear is that I will end up there myself half the time with the baby. The friends have been talking about their Maine trips for years and how they spend all day at the beach or on the boat, which just isn’t going to work for a one year old.

Would you go or decline? DH thinks I need to suck it up and that it will be super fun. I think it will be really challenging.

You sound SO boring. It'll be great if you make it great.

First thing I did with all 3 of mine was train them to sleep anywhere, so they were well rested but we didn't give up our entire lives and identities

This does not work with all kids. Goodness. Some kids are the kind who you'll get adorable pictures of them asleep in the high chair; some are born the Princess and the Pea. And it's awful for everyone else in the group if the sleep princess types don't get sleep, because those kids get super cranky.

-Mom who tried to get kids to sleep anywhere and failed because mine won't do that