Parents: What is the longest time you would feel comfortable leaving your children for a trip?

[Anonymous]

Change your plans OP.

Arrive 2-3 days before the work evens stop to time adjust and then spend time at a resort together.

No offense, but I've traveled as far as Asia for 7 days. With sleeping pills I adjust on one day and enjoy the rest. I don't buy the I need three weeks excuse. You don't.

[Anonymous]

I don't get why it's an issue for parents to take a trip sans kids. Don't get this at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two weeks? Three weeks?

Children are 2.5 and 5, boy and girl.

Would be watched by a combination of family members at a relatives house.

Weeks ? Try 2 or 3 DAYS.

[Anonymous]

One week. Kids are 2 and 4. We only do this once a year. They come on all other vacations with us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People need to relax. My parents live abroad and are old and my dad is sick. As such, I need to travel to see them. A ticket there isn't cheap so to make it worth it, I've had to leave my kids for a week/ten days. Granted I left them with DH but I can easily see a situation where he would have had to join me without them for a period that long. Yes, I prefer to be with them but it is costly. And they're too young for such a long international trip of that short of a length.

Leaving children with a parent is an entirely different thing.

[Anonymous]

Why do you need to be there during the business portion of the trip ? Why not meet your DH there at the end of the 2nd week for a week vacation? Then the kids are with relatives just for a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you have bought tickets without thinking it through?

Really? You've never done something without thinking it through? You must be perfect.

Give OP a break. She is trying to reconnect with her husband, and keep her family together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 10 years OP will have the party house! I remember my rich friends being left for weeks with clueless grandparents and a nanny. Those were some good times.

So true.

Makes me want to smoke a blunt in the master jacuzzi.

LOL. And empty beer balls balls floating in the swimming pool.

I don't know what beer balls balls are but after the day I've had I want some.

Sorry, I meant beer - party balls.... There was always a few empty ones floating in the the rich kids pools.

http://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/on-national-drink-beer-day-mourning-the-long-lost-party-ball-7041667

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Change your plans OP.

Arrive 2-3 days before the work evens stop to time adjust and then spend time at a resort together.

No offense, but I've traveled as far as Asia for 7 days. With sleeping pills I adjust on one day and enjoy the rest. I don't buy the I need three weeks excuse. You don't.[/quote]

I agree. He won't feel the pressure to entertain you while he really needs to focus on work. And you won't be sitting around wondering "Why did I abandon the kids to be alone while he does business!" Mutual disrespect won't start the "vacation" phase off very well. Let your husband do his thing, relieve family stress a bit, miss you a little and come in the last day or two of his work. Show up happy, supportive and ready to relax and have fun. Go for 8-10 days max. Good luck with your marriage.

[Anonymous]

Honestly OP one trip will not change your marriage. One date night a week will. You need to put in more time to your marriage on a regular basis, not take long vacations (where he is working 10+ hours a day there). Seriously, do you think it's good for you to be there too for the hour or so per day? He will be working on who knows what while you get to sight see, relax, etc. I would think that may cause some jealousy in itself.

[Anonymous]

My perspective is probably a bit different on this, but due to a combination of extensive work travel last summer (for me) and a move and a husband with an inflexible work schedule, my almost 4 year old spent the summer several states away with my parents. We visited 3 times and took her on a week long vacation and attempted to FaceTime daily, but time zone changes for me made that difficult some days. She has been begging since she came home to go back for the whole summer again. The plan is to go for just 2 weeks this summer and she is very disappointed.

We also left her when she 15 months for 7 days/6 nights with my parents, 2 days/1 night when she was a year, and 4 days/3 nights when she was a bit over two.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on who is watching them.
The fact that you said it was a "mix" makes me worry that everyone isn't up for the job. Kids need stablity at that age.

We left my then 6th grader & 2nd grader with my parents and my MIL for a 10 day trip to Asia for our 15th anniversary (MIL gave us the trip). Skyping didn't work because of the time delay.

MIL had the weekend and my parents had the week. Everyone stayed in our house. (all fam is local) Of course it snowed and the grandparents were tired even though they watch the kids regularly. MIL is young and my parents are fine.

I do think it's important to be away from your kids for a night here and there. We've had multiple kids not be able to sleep over because they panic at night - this at 2nd grade.

[Anonymous]

3 nights. Will you honestly be able to enjoy yourselves for that long? I know for me personally, I like a night or two of freedom, but by night 3 I'm missing my kids like crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two weeks? Three weeks?

Children are 2.5 and 5, boy and girl.

Would be watched by a combination of family members at a relatives house.

We left our 6 and 8 yo with grandmother for 7 nights. It was glorious. But I don't think I could have done it at a younger age. And I couldn't have done longer at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you have bought tickets without thinking it through?

Really? You've never done something without thinking it through? You must be perfect.

Give OP a break. She is trying to reconnect with her husband, and keep her family together.

No, I would never not think something through IF it was something of this magnitude