I think destination matters. Where are you located? Are you trying to go to museums and hikes? I'm sure they would enjoy the beach or legoland.

What kind of trips are you planning? Are they places the kids want to go or places with fun things for kids? That needs to be your top priority. You can sprinkle in a little culture but the fact that your kids don't want to go on vacation tells me they are not having fun when you do go places. Then my traveling with kids philosophy is "just say yes." Ice cream after lunch and dinner - sure! Souvenir you will never look as again - sure! Room service for breakfast in bed - sure! Assuming you can afford it just let the kids enjoy some indulgence.

I’m a sahm and travel solo with kids all the time. We also probably go away once a month. Sometimes it is to visit my parents in NY. I drove down to Florida with them alone during Covid.

I have 2 boys and a daughter. I used to have just 2 boys before the youngest was born and I did solo trips with them as well. Sometimes Dh joins us for part of the vacation. Sometimes he stays home. My kids adore their father but they wouldn’t want to stay home just because Dh has to work.

Are your kids not involved in sports or other activities? How do you manage weekend trips every month??
Between our 2 oldest kids , our weekends are jammed with birthday parties, soccer game(s), usually a Scout activity, friends hanging out, and the like.

How absent is your dh going to be?

In the beginning, find something they like to do together. I have two girls. Both like pools and amusement parks - they really don't need me around much.
Once they have fun trips without dad, it'll be less unknown and easier.

If your kids are old enough, can you involve them in planning trips from choosing destinations to picking a restaurant or even the Airbnb? I traveled with my girls and they enjoyed figuring out public transportation and having some choices about where we went and what we did. You can also teach them about budgeting by giving them limits for activities etc.

What about having your friends from the prior city where you lived meet you in travel destination spots? When my child was a baby my parents would meet up with us in cities all over the place so they could visit with their first grandchild. My college friends and I meet up all the time in fun places.

My wife would definitely prefer to travel without me, but she'd probably feel too guilty to do it.

Plus, she doesn't prioritize travel so would never get around to making the actual arrangements.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to work on the friend thing. My kids (11 and 13) would greatly prefer to hang with a friend than me dragging to a destination where its the same faces they see everyday- is there anyway to meet local people? Kids are old enough to know what they want.

Have been working on it for 15 years. Hasn't happened.

Maybe the people where you live have figured out you think their way of life isn’t “normal” and took offense.

That would be pretty impressive, seeing as I work 60 hours a week from my house and literally never interact with them.

Please, we figured out your snobbery in one line over the internet. They know.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are their reasons for not wanting to go if their father doesn't. Your husband usually drives and you will get stressed out doing it? You want to go to different types of activities/venues than if their father was there? He allows after dinner ice cream & swimming in the hotel pool and you don't?

At least I'd go by myself some and other times take each one for their own trip for some one-on-one time with each parent.

Yes, I’m interested in knowing why they prefer to travel with DH as well. That info will shape our responses. My kids would be perfectly happy to travel with just me as DH gets more stressed out by change. Unless the vacation involved a lot of mini-golf, that is. I am not a fan and he loves it.

They just like hanging out with him, and I haven't yet been able to convince them DH will be working, not sitting at home without them. We actually travel fairly well without him, but this shift has got them a bit confused.

Seems like a weekend or two of seeing it will let them (and you) see what it’s like. But maybe they want to make friends instead of leaving all the time because their mom wishes they lived somewhere else.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to work on the friend thing. My kids (11 and 13) would greatly prefer to hang with a friend than me dragging to a destination where its the same faces they see everyday- is there anyway to meet local people? Kids are old enough to know what they want.

Have been working on it for 15 years. Hasn't happened.

Maybe the people where you live have figured out you think their way of life isn’t “normal” and took offense.

That would be pretty impressive, seeing as I work 60 hours a week from my house and literally never interact with them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to work on the friend thing. My kids (11 and 13) would greatly prefer to hang with a friend than me dragging to a destination where its the same faces they see everyday- is there anyway to meet local people? Kids are old enough to know what they want.

Have been working on it for 15 years. Hasn't happened.

Maybe the people where you live have figured out you think their way of life isn’t “normal” and took offense.

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to work on the friend thing. My kids (11 and 13) would greatly prefer to hang with a friend than me dragging to a destination where its the same faces they see everyday- is there anyway to meet local people? Kids are old enough to know what they want.

Have been working on it for 15 years. Hasn't happened.

I think you need to work on the friend thing. My kids (11 and 13) would greatly prefer to hang with a friend than me dragging to a destination where its the same faces they see everyday- is there anyway to meet local people? Kids are old enough to know what they want.

Plan something that they've never done before. Talk up the new and exciting factor.