AIBU to think a two-week trip abroad with dad is too much for a five-year-old?

One of my best holidays as a child was when I was abroad with my dad for two weeks at 5 then three weeks to florida at 7. Yabu.

Because he’s not a single dad and if she is the primary care giver then it’s only natural to struggle to be away from your 5 year old for 2 weeks although in my experience men don’t seem to have the same emotions as mothers, maybe due to the small fact that we carried them in our bodies and have instincts in relation to that

Is it because you have seperation anxiety because I have no idea why this would be an issue? single mums take kids on 2 weeks holidays and the kids are fine so why would this be a problem?

I find it weird he wants to go with just one son. Why not with the 2yr as well

or all of you go

but yes 2w is a long time to go just the two of them

why not go for a week

tho wouidnt the 2yr like to go on ride and swim and beaches etc

I would have missed my mum too much at that age and my children would be the same. 1week would be long enough, I equally struggled to be away longer than 5 days when children were small. People will say it’s the same with dads but I don’t think so if they’ve not been primary carer

YABU, took DD to Orlando for her 5th birthday for 16 nights and she loved it

Your son might miss you Dad would have to deal with that. If his father wants to take him away for a couple of weeks let him.

I'm in favour of taking children away separately, that way they both get to do age appropriate stuff and have the full attention. However, two weeks of being away, without any build up, could be too much. A overnight by a theme park/water park and then a Christmas activity break would be good.

Yabu - he is the child’s dad. Unless you think his dad is a bad parent, then I think you’re being unreasonable and you should let him travel with him. Enjoy the two weeks off!

If my partner and I weren’t together then I would be fine with it, they have a great relationship and my son would have an amazing time with him. My biggest problem would be that I’d miss him (probably far more than he’d miss me 😅) but I’d suck that up so my son wouldn’t miss out. If we were together though then not a chance in hell would I be missing out and not going! Can’t you suggest that you all go and the two of them spend a lot of time off together doing activities?

Why is he a stupid twat for being a dad that wants to spend time with his own child? What problems could there be, the kid is 5, not a newborn!

I wouldn’t take a 2 year old to a water park, it would be a nightmare. They’d have to leave earlier anyway and would be separate.

How do you know what these particular kids would enjoy

And a 2 year old is too small for most things at a theme park so what does dad do with him while taking the older one on stuff?

And as for my kids. I've taken one or more on holiday where they all could've found something to do but for example it was more fun taking the teens without a 4 year old as he'd be a pita for stuff we wanted to do and would want to be in playgrounds etc rather than rock climbing. So not much fun for him waiting around

Same with taking younger one minus the eldest 2. I'm sure they could've found stuff to do but whole thing was more little kid oriented ( I was bored too lol)

I've done a few trips with just my son but I've only got one child and we've never done as long as that. I think it's a bit weird he's ok leaving the two year old that long.

Why would a swimming pool make you nervous? Surely 1 adult can supervise 1 child in a pool?

my DH regularly takes both our kids (4 & 6) swimming by himself.

sounds like some of the posters on this thread of feckless husbands/fathers for their children if they think he wouldn’t cope with 1 5 year old child!

I agree no need to say that...alot on mn refer to men like that

Because it's the way a lot of women on MN refer to men who have the audacity not to agree with them, the ones who expect to rule to roost.

A week to ten days fine. I wouldn't be comfortable with any more at that age. You'd worry and you'd miss him.

2 weeks seems long for a ‘bonding trip’ even a week to me would be too long.

If he is such a great Dad I don’t understand why he would need a 2 week holiday for bonding anyway. Plenty of days out he could do throughout the year.

What would he say if you wanted to do the same? Leave him at home with the 2 year old?

Me personally it’s a no. There really is no need for a 2 week holiday, holiday should be saved for family holidays and days out.

But that’s the point- a 2 year old and a 5 year old would both enjoy swimming, going to a theme park etc. As I said before, how would this land if it was roles reversed and the OP was taking the 2 year old? Imagine DS FaceTiming and his mum and sibling are in the pool or getting home and seeing photos of them at a theme park or water park. How would you explain this to a 5 year old?

I think the DH wants to do a 2 week holiday with the older child because it’s easier and he won’t be chasing a toddler about/ worrying about naps etc. And that’s fine for a long weekend, I’ve seen plenty of families leave younger ones behind to take older children to Disney etc but that’s for a few days, not a fortnight. I’d be very surprised if he plans a 2 week trip to bond with the 2 year old

Yes. Because taking all of them would be restrictive on doing stuff as interests so varied

Wow. Do you have any inkling of how many women have to beg or bully the fathers of their children to take any interest or spend any time with them at all? I think it’s a great idea.

For 2 weeks? And on a holiday/ to a destination that your other kids would enjoy?

I've taken one( or 2) of them away and not the others. That's no biggie

My point wasn’t about the Dad, I think people would think it’s strange for the OP to take one child away and not the other. How would you also explain that to a 5 year old, why they aren’t going on the holiday?

The OP said it has nothing to do with her DH’s capability as a parent, she will miss her DS and thinks he will miss home for that period of time