Have you been away on holiday without your primary aged children?

[Musicalstatues]

It was my 40th earlier this year, and dh and decided to book ourselves a week away just the two of us. We go in less than a month. The dc will be at school and my mum (who they adore) will stay at our house to look after them.

We booked it months ago but now it’s less than a month away I’m starting to feel really bad about going without them! We have been on a two week family holiday this year so it’s not that they haven’t been away, and we did go away for 5 days last year, but that was to somewhere much closer so now I’m worrying about being far away and being gone for that bit longer.

The dc are 8 and 5 so not babies.

Has anyone else gone away on holiday without their young children? Are we awful for doing this??

Just to clarify I mean dh and I went away for 5 days without the kids last year as well.

Haven’t done it yet as kids are still babies but I dream of the day we get a relaxing holiday!! Enjoy every minute

My 2 are 19 and 17 and we go away in 4 weeks for dh's birthday and I'm feeling guilty about leaving them behind. It's ridiculous as one lives at uni for part of the year!

We went away for my 40th for 3 nights, my mum came to look after DS who was 9 months old at the time. I didn’t feel guilty at all. He had a great time and was thoroughly spoilt by Nanny and we had a wonderful relaxing time away. Gave him lots of cuddles when I got home though. It set us up well as i now go on 4-5 day business trips without worrying too much!

I bloody wish! Mine are 9 and 8, we've managed 12 hours away from the kids together in all that time. That was an overnight for a friends wedding and had to be back to pick them up early morning

Enjoy I'd say

Yes, we do this once a year. It's great for everyone!
Kids are now 8 and 10; we first did it when they were 6 and 4. They love it, and so do their grandparents.

No such luck, two nights away from DS together in 13 years...

I’ve just done 5 days away. My kids are the same age as yours & stayed at home with their Dad. They were fine. I had an amazing time. I was ready to come back to see them & the break was good. Do it & enjoy it. They will be fine.

I've done a week and had an absolutely fabulous time! enjoy your break OP you're dc will be fine and have a wonderful time with their GP

YES!!! plenty! I have also been on a two week holiday without my dc and dh!! 🤣🤣

No but we will be doing in April.Ive booked a 3 night break to Ibiza for me and dh.Ds will be 6.

Yes we've had weekends away before and this year had a whole week. It was utter bliss! Really relaxing and we reconnected as a couple. You'll feel fine once you're there! Enjoy.

Yep. We went to Paris for a few days, and Germany a few times. When DS was 14 and legally old enough to have a beer in Germany and go in pubs, he came along. It wouldn't have been the same having to be careful where we go.

I haven’t - and wouldn’t - do this BUT my kids don’t have the same relationship with a grandparent that yours sound like they have. So if you think it’s fine, then I’m sure it is - and they’ll have a good time with your mum.

I have done this a few times. From when my son was about 3. I go away to do voluntary work abroad, for just over a week. It’s usually in the summer holidays and my son stays with my parents. When my parents were younger they would take my son away on a caravan holiday with them for the time so my son certainly didn’t feel like I was leaving him behind or anything like that.

I don’t think you have anything to feel guilty about and in general the less fuss you make about it the more the kids will just take it in their stride.

Natalia yep, definitely wouldn’t do it if we weren’t happy with who we could leave them with! We often joke that we could leave our eldest with Grandma for about a year before he might finally notice we hadn’t come back

Glad it’s not just us doing this then!