To ask if you take your children out alone

Of course. I'm a capable parent so why wouldn't I. Given there are plenty of parents on here that panic at putting their child to bed by themselves I'm not suprised some cannot cope.

To me it really depends on the answer to the question of why are you doing it alone?
If it's a case of your DH working then fair enough and yep I take my kids out alone if my DH is away with work.

If however it's a case of your DH not bothering or constantly having hobby days or friends meet ups etc whilst leaving you to deal with the kids then this is an entirely different issue and shows they are taking the piss and not even bothering to be a parent!

I’ve got a nine month old baby and I’m one of those people who is amazed and genuinely impressed seeing parents out with more than one child on their own! I have PPA and PPD and my eldest is autistic so it’s all a bit much at the moment.

Yes, single parent since they were 5 and 2. But even before then I always took them out on my own.

All children are different and it's fair enough to limit certain trips.

I have never taken them to the beach on my own - always take my mum - or gone abroad. And with swimming it's much more fun and easier with another adult as ds1 is a good swimmer and can spend longer in the pool whereas ds2 gets cold quicker.

Some of my friends will never take their kids out on their own though, will never meet me for a day out because I'm on my own and they don't see meeting me as "going out as a family". Sigh. Have to admit it makes me roll my eyes a bit.

I have two, 21 months apart, and yes, of course. Days out to everywhere from London to the coast, holidays near and far.

And nowadays I will happily take anywhere between 1 and 3 grandkids out or for short breaks away - I'd find more than four days too tiring, I think. I haven't single-handedly taken all 5 out/away, but now the oldest two are both 14, I think it'd be quite doable if they all wanted to do something (fat chance of that level of agreement, though).

Love going away just me and DD. Her Dad doesn’t like to travel so it’s always just me and her.

I've always taken my 5 (soon to be 6) out on my own, whether there's been 1, 2 or all of them. Husband works abroad, and before that was in the forces, so hasn't ever been around too much. If I didn't, we'd never go anywhere!

Plus 2 had ADHD. They'd have been climbing the walls if they weren't out and about all over.

Yes, definitely. Dh and I both have different interests so we often divide and conquer. We also take them on holiday separately as well as so much easier than getting a dog sitter and hired farm help. I took my ne dc to Spain and Dh took the other to France last year. It’s nice to have one to one time.

I was a SAHM at times so I'd take them on holiday alone too...all three.

Right?

TBH my DD is a great travel companion - even as a toddler she was nice and good fun. We’ve always had a blast. My best memory is 3 impulse nights in Majorca a few days before she started high school. It was just us, swimming in the sea at sunset. It was amazing.

Of course.
I first flew alone with my babies when they were a few weeks old.

Took them both swimming from age 1 and 3 (allowed in the toddlers session, in the small pool at my local pool)

Flew with a 2 and a 4 year old by myself, travelling to airport by foot, then bus then train.

I do big day trips / weekends away / holidays by myself. (I have a DH but he works a lot more than me)
Life would be very boring if I didnt do this.
I dont think I even know anyone who would think twice about doing a day trip alone, with their 2 or 3 or 4 children.

Thinking about it, no I dont. We go out and about, shops, softplay, vist friends, family, local things but I've never taken them away to the zoo or the seaside or a day out in another city.

I really hate driving so that is a factor when going further than local, but also I don't really enjoy being the sole person responsible for both children for a long period of time. I'm not sure why, it makes me uneasy. I certainly wouldn't enjoy it. I actually think it's the driving and it would be on my mind that I had to drive back the whole time and I'd feel snappy and hassled and it probably wouldn't be a very nice experience!

Yes. Years ago, when we had less money and a 'big' day out was a massive luxury, probably not so much because my husband and I wanted to be involved in the experience. But now we are more financially secure and do more we do things when the other is working. I have taken them abroad on my own, for extreme day trips to different parts of the country, to castles and theme parks and just general experience days. Now add my 3 year old nephew to the mix quite often too.

Six kids..... alone! The non-negotiable is a pushchair

We have two DC and rarely do I have the opportunity to take my kids out on my own just me and them. Weekends we spend a lot of time as a family together with my DH and generally any holidays, trips away and days out will involve all of us. Both DH and I work FT so we cherish our time together at weekends with the kids.

I do, however, make time for small outings like coffee visits, park walks, dog walks, shopping together with one or both my DC.

This will change this year, no doubt, as we're faced with our first year of trying to juggle school holidays and our annual leave so it'll be a good time for DH and I to separately spend time with DCs.

I did when they were little and a lot of work - but then DH was away a lot and I was used to getting them round daily.

When we moved had a few bad journeys with pre Teen DD1 finding constant fault with me and trip when IL and kids were a complete pain - so usually did more local things with them - things in this city or nearby town and further afield had DH around.

Post covid cost of living and exam years we go out much less generally but DH taken them out way more with just him and them - for everything to uni trips to shopping to events with work kids want to go along to. It was much more occasionally the younger they were - it's really swapped around.

My Mum rarely took us anywhere by herself - bar routine things like GP or school or occasional shopping trip - now I wonder if she did loads in school holidays when I was younger and I just don't remember.

Single mother so yes, I’ve taken mine abroad on my own!

I prefer to do big days out with my husband as a family but yes, I still take my kids out on my own on big days out as I'm at home whilst they're young. Mainly the zoo and museums

I did.
When they were very small I took them to places like Gullibers world.
As they got older I took them on hill walks in the Lakes alineand by the time they started high school they had a lot of mountain walks under their belt as well.
I took them skiing, mountain biking and hiking in Poland, the Swiss Alps and Germany.
Sometimed i miss mine being kids!

I did numerous FOREIGN holidays with 4, so glad I did. Time flies: and they are all travelling the world now!

I would if I had no other parent present / busy etc yes.

I have also taken the children away on holiday by myself (in a foreign country). Didn't even occur to me to invite him along, as I knew he'd prefer to work and have the house to himself. I didn't mind at all.

No, I haven't done yet. Kids still small though so I'm more likely to as they get older.

A big day out is expensive so it's only the kind of thing we'd do a few times a year and we'd do it together.

Though my DH has taken our DS out on his own for big trips but this was while I was pregnant - I wasn't very mobile and was needing breaks!

Yes. I have since they were born. Occasionally I will ask my partner to join us, which he will do, sometimes reluctantly. He seldom plans activities with them, without me. I've never given this much thought -- I plan activities for the kids, not to spend time as a couple.