Would you go to Aus and leave your kids for 3 weeks?

[Flyornofly]

Hi - have NCed as feel guilty even thinking about this.

I am originally from Australia, married to an Englishman and have lived here for 20 odd years. 2 kids, daughter 4 and at nursery, son 2 at home right now. My family are all in Australia, my dad is 80 & mum 78, & I have a sister who is having a baby in may.

I haven’t seen my family for coming up to 2 years, I was meant to go in March 2020 when the lockdown happened. I now have a window where I could potentially fly and do the quarantines on either side (am a contractor and between projects). However, I am hesitating about bringing my kids as it will be 2 weeks cooped up in a hotel room and then only 2ish weeks with family before having to fly back. DH can’t travel with us as has to work.

Was thinking as an alternative to leave kids with DH and do the quarantine by myself, then spend just a week with my parents and come back. So would be away for 3ish weeks. I can get on a flight so no probs there.

Would you do it? I feel awful about even thinking about being away from them for that long. But am worried the Australian borders will remain shut for another year or more, and I won’t have the ability to take 3-4 weeks off once this gap between jobs finishes. And my dad, in particular, isn’t getting any younger.

I can’t figure out whether I’m being utterly ridiculous to even contemplate this or I should just GO and the kids will survive.

I did it last year, for a month, for work.

My kids are a bit older, but I still got some help organised for lifts to clubs/activities (pre lockdown) and I batch cooked so the freezer was full. I got a cleaner in once a week and I did a weekly tesco delivery from Oz, their dad is here but he was juggling work and parenting/school so I wanted to try and do as much as possible. Whatsapped and face timed - worked really well.

Was totally fine - really, it goes fast for them and they won't remember how long you were away for. Being able to face time is amazing, you can do activities/story time with them and show them where you are, mine were fascinated by the rooms I was staying in and what I could see from my window.

You don't know when you'll next get the chance to go and see your family, I'd not hesitate.

Also, I'd go for the month and try to have a bit of time doing nice things with my family.

I’m not sure the borders will open for Oz this year according to the news articles I have read this morning,

But in answer to your question then I would leave the kids at home am sure they would be fine.

If you can both find away that your DH can manage his work and the children then I would go. I assume you have childcare already set up as you are currently working?

Travel in and out is still pretty tricky over here. Even more so now we've lost another airline willing to fly international routes down here. So it would be worth checking the actual availability of flights, is it possible to get confirmed flights over and back? Also make sure you are aware of the routes you can fly through and that you can get your test results in the 72hr window before flying. There are still thousands who are trying to get back home to Oz so would want to make sure your flights are solid.

No. And I'm not the most maternal.

They have also reduced the incoming passenger cap recently so might be even harder. It's so tight that the govt has just agreed to 20 repatriation flights because people are struggling so much to get back.

No brainer for me
I would go and see my parents.

The borders are closed and there's a waiting list to get a slot for quarantine, I know an Australian couple who have been waiting since August when their U.K. work contract expired to return, hence the anger surrounding the tennis players! I would suggest investigating this before you even think any further because if it's not possible, no point debating it

In your shoes I'd take them jn case there are flight problems. I wouldn't want to leave them with all the flight problems at the moment. I have done two weeks before with them away from me and it felt long but was doable. For all that quarantine I would also want more time in Oz!!

Yes!!! I did exactly that when they were exactly the same age OP. I went to oz for two weeks and left dc with their dad. They were fine!! Go OP!

You have NO chance of bagging a quarantine slot (even if you did, could you afford it - it costs thousands) and almost none of getting a flight.

Surely your family have told you all this and that our borders are closed and that Emirates are no longer servicing most Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne???

I’d be worried about being stuck there even if you do get there in the first place.

If you can do it, DO IT!

I cant believe you have wasted even 2 minutes giving this impossible idea consideration.

Said by the parent of a young adult in Uni in the UK. He can't get home, despite currently having acute mental health issues.

Yes absolutely do it.

Yes, the kids will be fine with dad for a bit.

You're not going to get there anyway.

But to answer your question, in normal times I'd leave them for 3 weeks with their dad. That's fine. But with the way things are, no chance.

I'd also assume it'll be unlikely they'll see your parents again any time soon so I'd want them there for that reason too.

People - fgs, dont encourage this ridiculous pipedream.

Op has no hope. There is a reason Australia is mostly covid free and that does not involve popping home to see ma & pa.

www.smartraveller.gov.au/COVID-19/trying-get-home#caps

I think it's unlikely to be possible but other than that I don't see it's an issue.

My mum went for 6 weeks when her dad had cancer when I was a kid. I'm sure we missed her but have great memories of that time (mainly around being allowed to put whatever we wanted into the trolley at the supermarket!).

This was pre internet too, my mum still has the letters we wrote her. They're hilarious

You might not get a flight even if it’s booked . Is it essential travel? You might not get in unless you have the proper paper work. You will have to pay for two weeks hotel quarantine when you get here. Are you planning on landing in one state and then travel to another state. WA is not open to all Australia, so you might have to do two weeks quarantine in one state and another 2 weeks in another. You might not also be able to get flights back to the uk.
In non COVID times I would say yes go for it but I wouldn’t at the moment. You could be stuck here for months ( mind you it’s pretty fab here and life is almost normal!)

I'd go. I've been on holiday for 10 days without my kids to celebrate my birthday. It was during term time so didn't want to take them out of school so they stayed with their DF, I know your reasons aren't the same as mine, but I'd go OP and see your family. Your DC will be fine with your DH for 3 weeks.

No, even if you manage to somehow get there at the moment, you might not get back. At the start of lockdown last year my Dad was stuck in America for weeks.

Have you looked at flight cost?

It’s pretty steep but you may be able to do a longer period of travel for a more normal price

Also check quarantine slot availability and consider what you’d do if flights were cancelled when you were out there