To insist the holiday is cancelled

Not responsible enough. To lock you in? Good job house did not catch alight
If u were home, they did not need keys anyway

My kids are similar ages and there’s no way I’d go away for a week abroad leaving them with grandparents they rarely see. What was your DH thinking? Cancel the holiday and go for a short break relatively close by. You’ve never spent a night away from them and going away for a week where it’s difficult to get home if things go pear shaped? At the very least, you’ll be stressed and not enjoy the holiday.

It sounds as if a weekend away and then maybe a holiday with decent childcare would work for you.

and a talk with your DH

Are they used to being looked after by their grandparents for a week without you being there? At those ages they are still so young, and will probably struggle for that amount of time without you there if they're not used to it, and if they only see their grandparents a few times a year so aren't that familiar. There's nothing wrong with wanting some time away but does it have to be a whole week? We leave our DC with grandparents occasionally but my 5 year old really struggles after a few days so we do long weekends at most, we won't leave them longer until they're older and more able to cope.

I’m all for going away for a break even when dc are young - but mine were used to time with grandparents/family/friends so it was no big deal and we worked up to how long I was away (max was 2 nights but that was ££ decision) I just don’t get going from 1 date night a year to a week away and I certainly don’t understand living in a house with dc where you can be locked in and unable to get out.

I would get some more keys cut and have one near your front door that no one ever moves, just for escaping in an emergency.

The key thing sounds like a mix up. They did pick up your child from school on time.

However, regardless of reliability of grandparents, personally I wouldn't want to leave my children of that age for so long. Absolutely nothing wrong with doing it if you don't mind, but I would hate it. Sounds like you might too and that is fine. If you feel that way I would change your plans, but don't blame it on your in laws, who are only trying to help.

Yabu. I've read your posts and I think you're OTT to want to cancel the holiday.

I voted YANBU but not because of what happened today or the water, but just because a week is a long time and I don't think you'll be able to relax. Also, it's a long time for grandparents to have to look after two young children they don't regularly have for overnights or for a smaller number of days.

The school pick-up thing was a non-event apart from the locking in. They did pick her up on time, you just didn't believe they were going to and that's where all your stress came from.

A couple of weekends where the grandparents have them 24/7, then a 3-4 day break where they're in sole charge, would be a good lead-up to them having them for a whole week and I think would also make you feel more relaxed about the whole thing.

My only issue would be that they locked you in.
They had promised to pick your DD up from school and on realising that they had forgotten the car seat made provision for her to be picked up by one grandparent on time while the other one returned for the car seat. Many grandparents would have taken the attitude that their children didn't need a car seat so why would their grandchild. Mobile phones are a relatively recent thing and we all survived without being able to contact people 24/7 in the past so going out without their phones wouldn't be an issue for me. At the end of the day, they picked up your DD and did so safely. I wouldn't cancel the holiday.

Bloody hell that’s a fire risk surely?
How do you go from only having a babysitter once a year to go out to then be able to go abroad for a week? Surely a weekend away just a few hours away would be a good start?

Agree.

They did exactly what you asked them to do.

YABU

I think you were panicking. It wasn’t how you would have done it but they picked your dd up. You are being over dramatic.

Missing the point of the thread but as an aside I really would think about getting your locks changed on your front door so you can escape quickly without a key if needed. My parents have a door like this and it's really dangerous if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to get out but can't find your key.

I agree with @cheddercherry the kids will probably struggle with a week away from you at those ages if they are not used to you both being away.

I don’t think your PIL did anything wrong today, they did what they said they would do, but I still think a week long holiday is too much in these circumstances.

I would never go on holiday without my kids nor would DP, we are family and we all go together. Your oldest will understand that Mummy and Daddy have gone on holiday and left them behind. My DC would be devastated that they weren’t going. I’d cancel and book a family holiday.

I would still go. They did the most important things - they weren't late to school, even if MIL had to wait for the car seat to arrive, and they didn't try to drive without the car seat. That's enough really. You were worried because you couldn't get hold of them, but they didn't do anything to put your children at risk.
I'm surprised you couldn't get out of the house - don't you have access to a back door?

Absolutely no, rebook the holiday & include the children. Maybe if the kids were a lot older it would be fine but they are too young to be left with relatives that they do not spend a lot of time with. Especially a week that is not a good idea at all for either the children or the grandparents

My current house is like this, and the previous one. You need a key to get in or out of the door is locked. You also need a key to lock the door on your way out.

Even though it sounds tempting, I’d never go away for a week without my kids. I’d also not be happy if my DP booked something this big without discussing it with me first.

I wouldn’t want them looking after my kids. They clearly forgot school pick up.
they took two sets of keys with them and zero phones. I wouldn’t feel comfortable

I agree with all of this - and If your DH thought this was a good idea, perhaps he isn't the best person to judge.

I’m going to just put a pin in the whole incident of them locking you in/ forgetting the seat/ being uncontactable and just point out that seven nights with two very young children who you haven’t looked after for more than a few hours who haven’t ever been apart from both parents at the same time is A LOT.

On that basis alone I think it was foolish of your DH to book that long a break assuming they’d be fine to do childcare. They at least need to attempt a night or weekend between now and then, if you do go. They sound very… chaotic, and I think it might just generally be too much with kids that little. Can they physically look after them for that long, would the kids be ok for a week all of a sudden (if they’ve never even had a night away then a week is a big leap).

I think a week is a long time in this situation. My parents are pretty competent but I wouldn’t trust with them with mine for a week.

I’d change it to a weekend instead