Anonymous wrote:How is this trip only five days? It’s a minimum 23 hours from your house if you live in DC to the capital of the Maldives. You still then have to get to the resort.

Anonymous wrote:OP: We’re expecting, and this is our last chance for a trip before things get busy for a while. We already did a family vacation over Winter Break, but not every trip has to include the kids. We believe in making time for ourselves as a couple, especially before the baby arrives. We’ve always done family vacations, and we plan to keep doing them, but we also value the opportunity to recharge together. This is just one of those trips where we’re taking a breather.

In our family, it’s completely normal for grandparents to step in for a few days, even with little notice. It happens regularly, and everyone is comfortable with it. My parents and in-laws have helped us out many times before, and there’s no issue with it now. We’ve set clear expectations with everyone involved, and everyone’s on the same page, so there’s no concern about that.


We’re confident our teens can handle everything while we’re away. They’ve been hel They’re not partiers, and are good kids. Our younger kids are well-behaved and know how to follow the rules. The teens can handle meals, chores, and bedtime without issues. They’ve got this.

We’re not worried about meals either. The two oldest can cook, and the younger kids aren’t picky. We’ve planned meals in advance, so it won’t be a big deal. The older kids know what to do, and there’s no drama over food preferences. And there won’t be any need for grocery shopping or other logistical tasks that might add stress to the situation.

I could if my daughter really wanted extra help, ask a close friend, to check in from time to time, but 24/7.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: We originally planned this assuming my MIL would stay with the kids, since our nanny is unavailable that week. We asked too late, and she already had plans with other family. She kindly offered to rearrange and babysit, but we said no — we didn’t want her to miss time with her other grandchildren.

This is a short, adults-only trip to the Maldives — not a family trip. Our daughter’s break is longer than a week, and she already has a trip with friends planned, so this wouldn’t be her entire break.

We already plan for the younger kids (ages 4–9) to be in full-day camps, and there will be playdates. Responsibilities will be divided among the teens, who genuinely look up to their older sister and are responsible and trustworthy. She will be paid $4k-6k?, not 100% sure yet, for the five days , and we prefer not to hire another babysitter, as we don’t trust anyone else as much as our nanny.

MIL isn’t available and my parents are traveling. This arrangement only happens with her full agreement. Backup adults are available nearby (SILs, siblings) if needed.

We understand this wouldn’t work for every family, but we’re trying to plan it thoughtfully and respectfully, so thanks for the tips on making sure this goes smoothly.

How can you get to the Maldives and come back in a five day period- and still have time enjoy the Maldives?

Anonymous wrote:So what’s your question here?

Anonymous wrote:OP: We originally planned this assuming my MIL would stay with the kids, since our nanny is unavailable that week. We asked too late, and she already had plans with other family. She kindly offered to rearrange and babysit, but we said no — we didn’t want her to miss time with her other grandchildren.

This is a short, adults-only trip to the Maldives — not a family trip. Our daughter’s break is longer than a week, and she already has a trip with friends planned, so this wouldn’t be her entire break.

We already plan for the younger kids (ages 4–9) to be in full-day camps, and there will be playdates. Responsibilities will be divided among the teens, who genuinely look up to their older sister and are responsible and trustworthy. She will be paid $4k-6k?, not 100% sure yet, for the five days , and we prefer not to hire another babysitter, as we don’t trust anyone else as much as our nanny.

MIL isn’t available and my parents are traveling. This arrangement only happens with her full agreement. Backup adults are available nearby (SILs, siblings) if needed.

We understand this wouldn’t work for every family, but we’re trying to plan it thoughtfully and respectfully, so thanks for the tips on making sure this goes smoothly.

Anonymous wrote:OP: We’re expecting, and this is our last chance for a trip before things get busy for a while. We already did a family vacation over Winter Break, but not every trip has to include the kids. We believe in making time for ourselves as a couple, especially before the baby arrives. We’ve always done family vacations, and we plan to keep doing them, but we also value the opportunity to recharge together. This is just one of those trips where we’re taking a breather.

In our family, it’s completely normal for grandparents to step in for a few days, even with little notice. It happens regularly, and everyone is comfortable with it. My parents and in-laws have helped us out many times before, and there’s no issue with it now. We’ve set clear expectations with everyone involved, and everyone’s on the same page, so there’s no concern about that.


We’re confident our teens can handle everything while we’re away. They’ve been hel They’re not partiers, and are good kids. Our younger kids are well-behaved and know how to follow the rules. The teens can handle meals, chores, and bedtime without issues. They’ve got this.

We’re not worried about meals either. The two oldest can cook, and the younger kids aren’t picky. We’ve planned meals in advance, so it won’t be a big deal. The older kids know what to do, and there’s no drama over food preferences. And there won’t be any need for grocery shopping or other logistical tasks that might add stress to the situation.

I could if my daughter really wanted extra help, ask a close friend, to check in from time to time, but 24/7.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If something goes wrong this could quickly be a CPS issue OP. Say 9 year old has to go to the ER for stiches and now you have a 15 year old caring for 4 kids overnight.

This. If literally anything happens for which the police are called (several other posters already mentioned drinking and parties) you may very well find yourself without custody of the four-year-old. I don’t see how this could possibly be worth it.

That is a very weird assumption.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If something goes wrong this could quickly be a CPS issue OP. Say 9 year old has to go to the ER for stiches and now you have a 15 year old caring for 4 kids overnight.

This. If literally anything happens for which the police are called (several other posters already mentioned drinking and parties) you may very well find yourself without custody of the four-year-old. I don’t see how this could possibly be worth it.

Anonymous wrote:If something goes wrong this could quickly be a CPS issue OP. Say 9 year old has to go to the ER for stiches and now you have a 15 year old caring for 4 kids overnight.