The Mumsnet Guide to Caring for Your Child's Teeth. How much fluoride should a child have? What will cause the most damage - chocolate or raisins? Is fruit juice ok? For the truth about what will and won't cause decay to top tips for reluctant brushers, fill in your gaps on dental hygiene here.
My children are 5 and 6 and I have never had time away from them.
Dh goes on various business trips abroad and he has never had the childen on his own ethier not even for one day.
Planning a trip abroad to in laws and DH has suggested he would take them alone and I could have a rest for a week at home.
1.Would it be selfish to do this? 2 Would the children expect me to go as well? 3,Would the in laws think something is wrong in our relationship ifI did'nt go and would they think it rude and irresonsible?(sp)
1) no it is not selfish at all we all need a break at some point 2) talk to the children and tell them that they are going with daddy and grandparents but mummy will be looking after the house/pets 3) I would not think this and as long as they know before hand they can not think it is rude. How is children going on hols with dad irresponsible (sp? no I cant spell either?)
Go for it just think how refreshed you will be after a week to yourself.
Its not unreasonable if it is what you want to do. However, I just couldn't be in another country from my kids if I could go too. The kids would probably prefer it if you went but i wouldn't care what the ILs think.
The thought is sometimes better than the reality; when I find myself without the kids it can seem very quiet. Can't live with 'em; can't live without 'em.
As for question 3 - who cares what the inlaws think of your relationship/your behaviour? Your DH will stick up for you.
Question 2 - if you don't make a big deal of it, the children should be quite happy. They will also get a lot out of being with Daddy.
Sounds like a good opportunity to me. I've take the children to the in laws on my own, when DH has been busy at work and can't get leave. Kind of the same idea, although not abroad.
If you think you will be able to relax and enjoy the week - and you think your children will cope - then do it.
I think like some of you have said it would be great for a day or 2 then I would miss them and worry that they were ok.
Don't want to upset the in laws though and to be honest they are not very hands on going on past visits so would be all down to DH.
My DS would be ok I am sure not so sure about DD and how she would feel me not going.
It would do them good to be with DH on their own and also for DH as well as he always thinks I think he would'nt be able to cope and I know he would be fine.
I could really do with some time to myself as have been quite stressed just recently and the children could probably do with some time away from grumpy mummy .
We are having a family holiday later that month so not like wewould'nt get to spend some family time together.
Will have to have a think although DH may ahve said it in the heat of the moment and in reality did'nt really mean it.
A whole week! I would do it. My concern would have been if that was the one time you got to have a holiday as a family in the year but if you're having a family holiday too then no worries!
DH was saying maybe they would just go for 5 days so that would be better.
The in laws are kinda old fashioned and would probably think a mothers place is with her children and leaving DH to do everything may not go down very well.
Having said that DH went to Russia for 3 weeks,Greece for 2 weeks ,Bulgaria and Geneva in the last year so not feeling too guilty as he sent me pictures over the webcam of sitting outside with a drink by the lake.
I've done this every year for the past 3 years since my in-laws moved to Spain. They have been most unhelpful over the years towards me so when they retired and moved to Spain I siezed the chance to have a one week break every year and it really is a break.
I have more of a holiday staying home alone than I ever would staying with in-laws as dh seems to think that he can stop being a parent and leave everything to me just because he's on holiday/with his parents.
It's wonderful! Dp takes dd to his mums every august summer holiday so i have a week by myself, true bliss
Definatly, definatly not selfish. Personaly i need the break, and i feel i deserve it.
The children will learn and understand that all mummys need a little time alone and it won't do them any harm, in fact it may help them for the future. I speak to dd in the morning and evening on the phone when she is away and have so much more patience when she comes back.
Inlaws will understand, as Marge says, your dh will explain- you deserve some time by yourself!
To be honest going to the in laws is more like a busmans holiday as do the same things I do here in my home just with more stress and worry that they will break something .
My husband took our two to his parents for the weekend last year, and i stayed at home. It was bliss, my children are both high school age but all our family are a distance to us. Although the children sleepover at friends this is never at the same time, and so it was the first time in years i had no one else to think about etc. I slept in... watched the tv i wanted..., read ... ate when i was hungry ..went out when i wanted too and it was lovely. The children will be fine with your husband.. get some dvd's, some wine and choccies and enjoy!!
Not at all - DH often takes DD to our in-laws on his own (and ditto I take DD to my parents). TBH what both our grandmas really want is (a) to spend time with DD without interfering parents underfoot and (b) to gossip with their respective children. The other partner is just in the way. The only exception to this rule for us is Christmas and family occasions. Apart from that, the other one of us makes the most of a bit of peace and quiet at home!
I don't think there is anything wrong with this at all and I'm sure il's wouldn't take it the wrong way - anyway if they do so what!!! Dc's might miss you to start with (sure they will if they've never been apart from you) but they WILL be fine and so will your dh. I think it would do all 4 of you some good.
I like some of the others would struggle being without them for a whole week. 3-4 days great but then I would just really miss them! Sounds like you might too. How about dh takes dc's to pil's on his own and you go over a few days later? Or travel out with them then go back early? Then you get some important time to yourself and also get to spend some time with them?
It's a good idea - we've done it. You can do stuff you want to do and the ILs get the DCs all to themselves, as well as their own precious DS. Everyone's a winner!
DH tends to do more at his parents than he would do at home,maybe to make them think he does the same at home. So would do DH good to to make him appreiciate me more.
In laws will probably take it the wrong way although DH's sil visits her mum with the children without DH's brother but this would be the mother not being with her children so may be viewed differently.
Must say would be nice to be able to read again ,eat when I want,lie in and just generally relax.
I don't drive so getting to the airport alone etc would be difficult but think it would be better if I was going to do this to let them go alone with DH for the full 5 days.
Will miss them though,still undecided.
Will check with dh tomorrow and see if his idea has changed.
Thinking about it DH has told me when he was younger he went away to his aunts in the sunmmer holidays ,so same thing really.
Also he and his brothers and sister went to boarding schools.
I do think that the mother being out of the picture can make quite a big difference with ILs. My main reservation is that it seems a bit strange going from DH never having had them for a day (why is that?) to having them for 5 days but they are not babies so I would have thought it was relatively straight forward.
I would love a chance for a week alone and leave kids with dh. Thing is, he works abroad so much that it would mean seeing him even less than i do now.
I never go out anywhere on my own apart frm when they are at school. Don't go out in the evenings and so DH has never had the chance to have them for a whole day on his own. Strange but true.
I suffered a bit with PND for a while and still have anxiety issues so this could well do us all good for me to realise I can be without the children and they will be fine and also for the children to spend some quality time with their dad.
I think it sounds fabulous... hehe, I have just send dh plus our 3 Kids plus one of es's friends away for the weekend. They will go camping... My dh so easily takes time out, used to be more job related...but well...I think I deserve some time free from Kids...obviously I will make some good use of that time and will actually do some cleaning...however...it will be nice to clean without stupid interuptions or the Kids getting everything untidy straight after I tidied it up... If I could have stretched it to a week I would have
. 
.
