Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are 12 and 13 and want to stay home too.

This for me is the key. 12 and 13 year olds should have some say in how they spend their last week of summer vacation. If they have already spent plenty of time with the grandparents this summer and do not want to go I would not make them.

+1 And childcare is a non-issue. 12 & 13 should be able to stay home without a sitter for a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they’ve already been for 2 weeks in July then probably not.

Dh is saying they need to spend time at the in-laws home now since those two weeks in July took place at our home and also a family vacation to the outer banks. Doesn’t make any sense to me.

Why is he insisting? Does he want a kid-free week?

Because they spent some time at my parents house over the summer and he ‘wants it to be fair.’

He’s got to let go of this. My DH used to think like this until he even recognized that spending a week with his sedentary 80 year old parents who are in poor health was not the same as spending a week with my active 65 year old mom. My ILs live close by so my kids will happily go visit for a couple hours on the weekend, but a week long stretch, no way. And truthfully my ILs don’t actually want them the whole week but just like to complain that my mom had them for a week.

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the grandparents. If they are good people and kids well cared for, absolutely

+1

I can't WAIT until my kids are old enough for this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they’ve already been for 2 weeks in July then probably not.

Dh is saying they need to spend time at the in-laws home now since those two weeks in July took place at our home and also a family vacation to the outer banks. Doesn’t make any sense to me.

Why is he insisting? Does he want a kid-free week?

Because they spent some time at my parents house over the summer and he ‘wants it to be fair.’

I'm sure she'd love to spend a week listening to them argue with each other and berate each other, complain about how they no only have 8 mil rather than 10 because of the market, eat canned soup for dinner, and stare at the wall in the dark for an hour after watching the first three minutes (and only the first three minutes, dammit!) of the 5pm news. They're a total riot. On top of that, Grandfather is a terrible, yet highly aggressive, driver. Yeah, no way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they’ve already been for 2 weeks in July then probably not.

Dh is saying they need to spend time at the in-laws home now since those two weeks in July took place at our home and also a family vacation to the outer banks. Doesn’t make any sense to me.

There definitely is a difference in the grandparents being at your house with you guys around and the kids going to the grandparents themselves at their house. I treasured the time I spent alone at my grandparents as a kid.

Unless there's something else you aren't sharing, I'm not sure why you would prevent the kids from doing this.

Even when you were 12 and 13?

Yep! I'm sending mine tomorrow! They're really excited and I think this will give dh and I a tiny break before the craziness of school starts (super exhausted kids, bullying, kids sad and lonely).

Anonymous wrote:Kids are 12 and 13 and want to stay home too.

This for me is the key. 12 and 13 year olds should have some say in how they spend their last week of summer vacation. If they have already spent plenty of time with the grandparents this summer and do not want to go I would not make them.

No do not force a 12 and 13 year old to spend their last week of summer at the grandparents house. They don’t want to go. It’s not a treasured experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they’ve already been for 2 weeks in July then probably not.

Dh is saying they need to spend time at the in-laws home now since those two weeks in July took place at our home and also a family vacation to the outer banks. Doesn’t make any sense to me.

Why is he insisting? Does he want a kid-free week?

Omg yes

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they’ve already been for 2 weeks in July then probably not.

Dh is saying they need to spend time at the in-laws home now since those two weeks in July took place at our home and also a family vacation to the outer banks. Doesn’t make any sense to me.

There definitely is a difference in the grandparents being at your house with you guys around and the kids going to the grandparents themselves at their house. I treasured the time I spent alone at my grandparents as a kid.

Unless there's something else you aren't sharing, I'm not sure why you would prevent the kids from doing this.

If they'll be bored and want to stay home, then of course not. Why set everyone up for a miserable week?

Generally though, my kids younger and aren't great with transitions, so I wouldn't do the week before school starts. We try to make that week as low key and relaxed as possible. But aside from the timing, I'd happily send them to the grandparents for a week.

Depends on the grandparents and the kids ages. Wouldn’t send my 1 or 5 year old to stay with either grandparents for a full week. Might send my 5 year old to my parents for a couple days… but not much longer than that.

I would also be concerned that they would be off their schedules and eating a bunch of junk food and watching too much tv all week right before they have to go sit in a classroom

I'm not sure what's magical about the week before school. You can do clothes and supply shopping before they go to the grandparents if needed.

I'm actually currently babysitting my niece and nephew for a week. They'll leave this Saturday and start school on Monday. Not a biggie.