Why vacation without the kids?

[Anonymous]

Vacations are in way perfect for spending more time and connecting with your family, so why many people vacation without their kids? I am not trying to be judging, I want to understand what the thought process.

[Anonymous]

Because I want some time to reconnect with my husband without the 3 year old ruling the day. We do a short 3 night thing and DD has a great time with grandma and grandpa. We also focus on non family friendly things that she would not enjoy like a fine art museum, classical concert, late night meal and of course intimate activities. Dh and I used to travel together all the time and it's fun with the kiddo but not at all the same.
My parents vacationed plenty without me and it kept their marriage strong for nearly 40 years.

[Anonymous]

Because they want to. The end.

[Anonymous]

Because my husband and I need time to reconnect, and we can’t enjoy things such as long, late night dinners, showers together, and late morning sleep-ins with the kids. I enjoy vacationing as a family, but it is a completely different vacation than just the two of us. At the end of the day our marriage is the foundation of the family and it’s important to keep it strong.

[Anonymous]

because a strong marriage is the key to a strong, happy family.

[Anonymous]

I think most families do both....and it’s healthy for a marriage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vacations are in way perfect for spending more time and connecting with your family, so why many people vacation without their kids? I am not trying to be judging, I want to understand what the thought process.

Do you have children, and if so, what ages? Do you work or stay at home?

For us, we are constantly “on” and rarely have downtime. Everyone needs to be able to unplug and relax once in a while. If I have four kids under my care, it’s hard for me to relax and unwind. So I would really value vacation without kids. Which I never actually get to take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:because a strong marriage is the key to a strong, happy family.

This

And my 10 year old probably doesn’t want to see me topless.

[Anonymous]

Because I have teens and they are killing me. DH works long hours and travels, I have no help and no family nearby.

Honestly my first option is that I would like to vacation by myself. My second option would with DH even though I'm crazy about him, because I'm just so tired I don't want to cater to anyone's needs for a couple of days.

[Anonymous]

You are an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Because a vacation with children is not a vacation. It's a trip.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vacation-or-trip-a-helpful-guide-for-parents_n_7789310

[Anonymous]

In my experience these couples end up divorced. I always view it as a sign of weakness. I don't need to go far away to reconnect with DH.

[Anonymous]

And if you work FT, you don't see much of the kids anyway. Its selfish to leave them to go on vacation.

[Anonymous]

Marriage is more important than being parents. You should always put your marriage first. Obviously kids are a close second. If your marriage falls apart your kids suffer.

I actually don’t want to hike Machu Picchu with my baby and toddler. I can’t imagine the majority of people would? I don’t even want to take them on easy trips like to Western Europe. They get to go to Disney world, a place kids enjoy. Unless OP never goes anywhere adventurous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think most families do both....and it’s healthy for a marriage.

This. Just because someone is going away with spouse and not their children it doesn't mean they dont also vacation with their kids in tow. We have a 2 year old, and we travel with her a lot, it's great she bonds with dad and we have lots of family time. But we also have to plan for naps and bedtime. Meals are just not the same with a 2 year old.