AIBU to only take DS1 To Florida ?

[spornersunited]

DS1 is 14 and due to Building works, his school will be closed for an extra week at the end of the summer break.
I have found an amazing deal for 7 nights in Florida (less than £500 each) departing from our local airport.

DS isn't that bothered about doing all the parks he just wants to go to America,do some shopping,and visit universal studios !

AIBU to leave DS2 age 6 at home with DP ? - DP cannot take anymore annual leave and I really don't think that taking a six year old all that way for only 7 nights is a great idea plus the fact he'd be missing school and to be honest we cannot afford for more than two of us to go anyway

I will add that we have just come back from a 2 week family holiday abroad so its not like DS2 has missed out on a holiday and we are planning to do a California road trip the year after next so would do the Disney thing then.

If it was anywhere else I'd be fine with not taking DS2 but I'm not sure if its right to take one child to Disney and leave the other behind ?

When ds2 is 14 you can take him to a trip like this, ds1 will be 22. I'd do it.

I think everyone is giving you a pretty hard time. I think it's hard being an older child and assume there has been many a time he's had to do without whilst running done after a little one. I think it would be nice to have some one on one time with your eldest and in 5 years time or so he may have flown the nest and you'll get one on one time with your youngest.

So long as your youngest son is ok you going away I'd stuff what everyone else's thinks and do it with the intention of doing something equally special with your youngest in years to come.

I think this would be unfair and wonder how it'd affect your youngest. Also, when my parents took me to Disney I was 10 and felt like I was already too old for it - 6 would be ideal.

Go! It's exhausting taking a 6yo anywhere let alone Florida. Have a nice holiday

This wouldn't sit right with me - it doesn't feel equal. Taking the other one on holiday in years to come is too late. At 6, they can't see that far ahead.

Personally I'd do as other pp suggest and do mostly educational things near home and put the money towards something else.

I would. Just do both Universal parks and shopping. If you took the 6 year old too it would be a very different holiday as there is such a big age gap.
Have a price up staying at cabana bay at universal then easy to come and go to parks.
You can do a similar treat when little one is a teen.

By the time you add Universal tickets (£300) accommodation (£500 min) car hire (£100 min) food/spends ($100 per day) it becomes a very expensive trip. That's well over a grand as well as flights costs.

We're off as a family in a few weeks and I couldn't imagine taking one without the other.

If it has to be stateside why not one of the cities. Washington, Boston, Philly, NY. Plenty to see and do that is cheaper than £300 on park tickets and no car hire needed.

I don't think it's harsh.

You're choosing to spend a fortune on you're ds's hobby, just as you're choosing to take one child on an expensive holiday and not the other.

6 is not a baby. He will know you've left him behind and taken his brother.

I wouldn't do such a thing to my child.

Well it would be a good story for your youngest to tell in therapy.....

its unfair!

stabby accommodation & car hire are included in the deal - so around £500 is a bargain.

I wouldn't. I think that's fucking horrible.

Hmm that is a bargain. It's tricky. I don't know what I'd do in your situation. Mine are much closer in age though. If you do decide to go maybe tell the little one you are going to Orlando rather than Florida. Might not make the connection that Orlando is where the fun is.

Think it's pretty mean tbh. I know it's not meant to be but how is lo gonna feel knowing mom and bro are off to America whilst they have to go to school? Then DS will understandably come back full of the joys and it'll just rub it in further

If not doing Disney what are your plans for your days there? And will you have a car? And check where the hotel is ideally.

*You're choosing to spend a fortune on you're ds's hobby, just as you're choosing to take one child on an expensive holiday and not the other.

6 is not a baby. He will know you've left him behind and taken his brother.

I wouldn't do such a thing to my child*.

Waltermittythesequel Genuinely cannot quite understand the logic as to why its so unfair that DS1 has expensive hobby paid for and DS2 has a extra Holiday paid for - surely that evens things up and makes it fair ?

Genuine question, does everyone really spend equal amounts of time/money on each of their DC's at exactly the same time so the other doesn't feel left out ?
How do you deal with birthdays,school trips,party invites etc or do you say no to one because the other can't go ?

As a child there were times that my older DB was treated to something that I wasn't and vice versa , we just accepted that sometimes life isn't always fair all of the time - Our parents always evened things out and ultimately treated us equally in the end (as I will with my children).

Sporner this isn't a birthday present or a s hool trip this is mommy taking one child away on an awesome holiday whilst the other kid has to go to school. And he's 6 - just gonna feel like the faviurite kid id off on a special trip with mom!

My point is you can't use one to excuse the other.

Ds is 6 so presumably hasn't demanded that you pay for his hobby. So you cannot use it as a reason for leaving him and swanning off on a dream holiday without him.

And if paying for his hobby is an issue, DON'T

Some people on this thread are being horrible. Children are individuals and should b treated as such. Do any of u actually have children with a large age gap? Its impossible to give attention to both age groups and keep them happy It's also so rare to get time with your teens. Your son will remember this holiday and time together forever. Younger child will have his own memories over the coming years

I'm sorry you're having a hard time op but I do think yabu

Not only does ds2 have to watch his brother have an extra week off school because of building works (which is horrible enough for a small child!) but he then might also feel you have picked this particular week just so he can't go with you! So he has to trot off back to school and watch his brother and his mum jet off on a lovely holiday to spend some quality time together without him. I feel really sad for him

I would never forgive you for doing that to me if you were my mum. Holidays are not like birthdays and school trips. And yes, with the current exchange rates, potential bad weather and the cost of 300 dollars for a 2 day Universal pass for 2 or 400 pounds for a week unlimited for 2 it will be expensive. We went in the first week of November last year (2 adults) and it was only £600 then, but we spent a further £800ish on park tickets, food and shopping.

My god, it's sad that so many of you have cultivated such little Disney-bots that at 6 they would be traumatized to miss a trip to Florida. Turned them into right little brainwashed , slavish consumers before their first year of school? It's those of you who should be ashamed, not the OP.

It's not inevitable. I know several families who exert themselves to keep their kids shielded from the Disney claptrap. Of course that takes effort. Easier to plop them in front of DVDs I am sure. And that's how you end up with kids age 6 who would "connect Florida with Disney." Sad and lazy.

Have a snickers lilac.

start a new tradition. promise to take ds when he is 14. (start bloody saving now)

By six in this country you've done at least a full year of school lilac possibly two. I had just turned 7 two weeks before my third year of school, going to Disney is something some kids have done and talk about at school.