to take 3 DC's to NYC for a short break...?

[Miren]

I'm currently looking at short break options for me and DH (another thread!) and have had New York suggested a few times, we fancy something a bit closer to home, but it got me thinking, and I would love to take the DC's close to Christmas.

There are 9, 6 and 4 - is the flight/jet lag too much just for a 4 night stay?

So consensus is 8 years + for NYC ?

or older?

Hmm, I went about 3 years ago. It's a 6-7 hour flight from London to JFK and about a 5-hour time difference. I think it might be a bit much for the younger two kids to be honest. Maybe in 2-3 years time?

Wow - can't believe people are so anti younger children travelling.

I went all over with my parents from a young age and most of my earliest and favorite memories are of unusual and interesting places I went to.

I've traveled a lot as an adult and loving seeing (usually French) families with toddlers and young children in hostels in far flung parts of the world. The kids are always as happy as Larry.

I never got jet lag - but then I could always sleep anywhere and didn't have a very fixed bed time... I always thought jet lag got worse the older you are?

I would say definitely go for it. Just the most basic sights, smells and sounds of NYC will be a fantastic experience for your DCs

Personally I wouldn't with children that age.

no sisyphus, we're not anti travelling.. we're just aware of what it is like travelling with young children. I've done the trip (and further) and fucking nightmare, doesn't quite cover it. I had to do it though, wouldn't do it for a short break in a million years. Have you got children?

Any other time of the year, I'd say go for it. But the crowds are a giant PITA around Xmas and get in the way so I'm on a one woman crusade to reduce them. Bloody tourists

DW and I go to NY fairly regularly (once a year minimum) as she has family living there so we know the city relatively well. We are off there for new year this year.

It really isn't the most child friendly place in the world. If you're a regular visitor fine, take the kids but if you're not then you will find yourselves unable to do a lot of the brilliant things the city has to offer because you've got kids in tow.

When you take into account the distance, cost, hassle and all the rest of it I would say go somewhere closer to home that is cheaper, less hassle and more child friendly and then go to NY yourselves without the DC's.
It's a great city but you'll really limit yourselves by taking them.
We have took ours last year because the family wanted to see the new arrivals (plus they could babysit when we went out the one night) but we won't be taking them for new year - they are staying with grandparents who will be moving into our house for the week.

They might be too young. We took our DD's when they were 12 and even now they say they wished we'd have gone at around 14/15 because they didn't really appreciate New York at that age.

I don't really consider whether the children will remember it or not, its about creating special times now surely.

That said, I would not take a 4 yo to New York as I don't think they would really appreciate it and it is so busy. We took both our under 4 to Vegas (for a wedding so wouldn't have been a choice for a family short break) and they loved it as we did all the kids stuff there so they probably would actually enjoy it.

Disneyland Paris is magical for little ones, we are going with our 8 & 6 YO this year for the 4th time, they were 2 and 5 months the first time and it was amazing then too.

If you want to go, go! it will be fun, there's plenty for everyone to enjoy. In a way, the ages of your children are good because they will all enjoy the Met, Museum of Natural History, FAO Schwartz etc. If you wait 4 years your 9 year old will be 13 and maybe harder to entertain.

There are also a lot of great things they won't appreciate yet, so you can certainly make an argument for leaving the trip for a few years. But you could always say that about any city break.

If it was me, for a short break I'd consider leaving it until the spring/summer. Because of the jet lag you will be wanting to do things early in the day and that could be less appealing in the short, cold days of December.

Am surprised by the responses here. We took ours, who were 7 and 3 then, for five days in April and they loved it, had a fantastic time and are still talking about it and want to go back. The travelling was fine - they enjoyed the in flight entertainment. Every night we were in bed early and up early to go out and it suited us fine. The weather was good enough to spend hours in Central Park, which has loads of playgrounds. The museums are great for kids. Ds was delighted to go up to the top of the Empire State and to see the Statue of Liberty. Even going in a yellow cab was exciting for them. I'd say they definitely appreciated it.

I've been to NY at Christmas and it was seriously, bitteru cold. Not the type of cold we have here, much drier IYSWIM? I think it would be hard work walking around with DCs in that weather (and it's very much a walking around kind of place).

*bitterly

Also if you'll be away right before Christmas will it spoil Christmas plans if they're jet lagged and grumpy when you come home? Something to consider. But I'm not against the idea of NYC with kids per se, in fact I hope to take my two at some point.

Do it! We went when my youngest was nearly 4 and he coped with all the walking and loved it. Still talks about it.

Jet lag - we just went to bed really early!

I think NY weather is quite unpredictable, a bit like here. When we were last there at Christmas (well, early December) it was really quite mild - maybe 8 degrees or so? But I've also been stuck there in blizzard conditions in January, so I don't think there's any way to predict what the weather will be like.