Do you prefer to travel with your kids or alone as a couple?

[Anonymous]

My parents offered to watch our kids next summer so DH and I can go somewhere on our own. He is reluctant to do it though because every place I suggest he wants to put it off so we can eventually bring the kids. He feels guilty going somewhere cool (Iceland, Ireland, Banff, even Quebec City) just us when we could be giving them that experience too. I get where he's coming from but I also think it's much easier to travel without (potentially whiny) children and all of their various needs.

Where do you fall as a couple on this?

[Anonymous]

I never had the luxury of parents being able to watch our kids. Just go. You can take the kids with you at a later date.

[Anonymous]

Couple adventures and family adventures are both very important.

[Anonymous]

do you prefer apples or oranges? with small kids, especially, it is a totally different kind of vacation. if I was comfortable leaving my kids with my parents, I would LOVE to do an awesome getaway with nightlife! hiking! museums! But if I could only take one real vacation this year, it would probably be one with kids, because I think it is fun to show them new things and fun for them to see the world. Kid vacations can be fun too.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it is an either/or. I think it is really important and actually one of the best things you can do for your kids is to get away from them for a while. Hopefully, you will hang out, have fun and sex and reconnect as a couple which reminds you of why you fell in love and are together for the long term. We try to get away a few times a year for a long weekend. We haven't done a week long trip away from them but that will happen eventually. We always come back refreshed and happier as a couple which makes for a happier family life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Couple adventures and family adventures are both very important.

This. Can you pick a place that you all want to go that is not kid friendly, so you DH doesn't feel guilty about the kids missing out?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I don't think it's either/or either (fwiw we're also planning 2 family vacations). That's why I thought it might be nice to take them up on their offer (first time ever offered - the kids are finally old enough to go there. My parents are not ones to get up at night or change diapers).

OTOH they are also old enough (4, 6, 8) to be fun when we go away as a family.

[Anonymous]

What are some non kid friendly places you've liked? Fwiw, we don't want to spend a ton of money (so not like a safari in Kenya).

[Anonymous]

We do both.

If I could only choose one of those options I would absolutely choose travel with the kids but once a year their grandparents take them for a week and DH and I use that opportunity to travel on our own. It is wonderful for our marriage, and I'm eternally grateful to my in laws for making it possible.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I really prefer travelling with my kids. We have a great time and I love experiencing travel from both their perspective any my own. I know, it's weird, but both DH and I feel this way and have since the kids were born.

[Anonymous]

We don't have local family to watch our kids. So we take family trips, and dh and I have taken some small trips separately with friends. I miss traveling with just him, but that's the phase we are in. I would take the opportunity if presented, as long as we can still take then kids somewhere cool, even if it's smaller scale than past trips. Travel with them is important to us, even if it's not relaxing, and fun only half the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are some non kid friendly places you've liked? Fwiw, we don't want to spend a ton of money (so not like a safari in Kenya).

How old are your kids? Every place in your op would be more fun without kids IMO. But mine are 2 and 5 so I guess I'm just grumpy these days.

[Anonymous]

Maybe just do a romantic resort on an island somewhere? Someplace you wouldn't take the kids anyway.

[Anonymous]

When we vacation without DS, we opt for a Caribbean resort where we can read, relax, etc. Save the adventure/sight seeing trips to do with DS

[Anonymous]

While we always take our child on trips and have literally traveled the world with her, if DH and I were to travel without her, we would go to Southeast Asia or on a scuba diving trip (probably in Indonesia).