I have a preteen and never been away except a weekend I was hospitalized

I’ve done 1 girls trip in the past 4 years and no trips with just DH. 3 kids under 5. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me much. I enjoy traveling w the whole family and DH and I did a fair amount of traveling before kids. It’s an added expense, for sure, but I like pps idea of getting a regular sitter the kids can grow to know and love and then trying it out for a short weekend trip.

Not alone. My parents are local but my mom cant do more than 3 hours with both kids and my dad has health issues. In laws both have passed. No aunts and my two brothers are useless and still man children. My 5 year old barely let my mom stay the night (it was a 3 month lead up) when #2 was born so no way she could handle a weekend. Babysitter is 17 and her parents wont let her do an overnight. We are resigned to this until they go to sleepaway camp. I have so much jealousy

A few suggestions-

1. If we travel with a small group of friends, we will bring a nanny and pay her REALLY well between the families but its much less for each family than bringing their own nanny. It typically is just an extra set of hands during the day and then we are able to go out without the kids at night (we put them to bed so nanny is just waching monitors).

2. We travel with our best friends who have similarly aged kids. For week long vacations, each couple gets two nights out, moms do a GNO, and dads do a night out. We have done this 3x and its SO FUN. And again, we are putting our own kids to bed before we leave.

Anonymous wrote:I have plenty of family help but have never done a couples or girlfriends trip. I work so I to spend my free time with my (young) kids. If I went away without them I would genuinely miss them (and DH). Most people in my circle feel the same way.

+ our kids are now teenagers but I felt the same, never had the need for weekends without kids. I wasn't able to leave my little kids at home (even with grandparents) for more than a day. Now we have plenty of time as a couple.

Anonymous wrote:You are not alone. People who have family help have no idea.

Yep. Same. No family. Though my kids are a little older now and I have a couple babysitters they love, they are teens. I wouldn’t have them do a whole weekend. And yes, finding new babysitters is always hard. Especially if you don’t use them all that often. I feel like by the time my kids know them well and like them, they move out of the area or get a real job/start their intended career.

So, I’m (finally) going away for a couple days with some girlfriends. DH stays home with kids. Yea! Two of my kids go to sleepaway camp, the youngest still has a couple more years before going. When that happens, we will have plenty of alone time. Sleepaway camp is my best suggestion.

FFS you live in a bubble OP. No most working parents do not get away for trips without their kids. Most people don’t have nannies either.

I am lucky to have (not local, but not that far away) parents who help, but I would also consider paying our regular sitter extra for this. I bet your nanny would do it if she could bring her kids and/or it was just an occasional thing and higher pay rate for overnight.

I’m a single parent. My parents live 3 miles away. I’ve had about 2 nights alone, no vacations. It’s rough

I have plenty of family help but have never done a couples or girlfriends trip. I work so I to spend my free time with my (young) kids. If I went away without them I would genuinely miss them (and DH). Most people in my circle feel the same way.