AIBU to consider taking two DCs to New York?

[HTruffle]

Hi all. My husband is 40 later this year and I know he’d absolutely love to visit New York. We have two DCs 4 and 2. Am I daft to consider making it a family trip? I’d ideally like to go for around 4 nights. I’ve been before but none of the others have. I loved it and found it very easy to get around but this was way before kids!

There’s no-one I could realistically leave them with and nor would I want to be away from them really.

They’re both quite good and will hold hands etc, but it’s just so busy! I’m also not sure how much there is to do specifically for children.

I’m hoping to consider November half term but my eldest will have just started school so I do worry whether a big trip will be too much and half term might be better used for rest. We could also consider the summer holidays.

Any experiences welcomed!! Thank you.

I wouldn't. I have been there half a dozen times and couldn't imagine taking toddlers.

No, I wouldn't. They're too young and they'll be very jet lagged - do you really want to drag two young children around New York in that condition? It's not like you're there for two weeks so they can acclimatise - four days really isn't very long!

I would say too young. It's an amazing city but exhausting. There is lots to do with young children but a lot of the major things you would not be able to do as they are too little ...

I wouldn't. I live in Edinburgh so not a total backwater, and took 8 year old DS to London.

I've sworn not to do it again until he's a teenager.

I wouldn't. We took my two there in 2017 but they were 13 and 10 so did enjoy it but there's a lot of walking involved. Summer holidays will be way too hot and it will be miserable for them. I think really it's an adults only trip - it would be nicer for your DH and it's less stressful. Is there really noone you can leave them with? I left my two for 5 days to go there for our honeymoon when they were about the same ages as your two. They were fine - my mum lived with them at our house. They barely noticed we were gone!

We went last year for my 50th - dcs were 13 & 12 & absolutely loved it. They still talk about it, ds especially wants to go again. I know it’s an awful long time to wait but I would put it off until they’re old enough to appreciate it xx

Love NY but I wouldn't take young children there. Long flight, jet lag, busy lifestyle.
If you must take them make sure you take a large double buggy or two singles as you'll be doing a lot of walking.

Not a chance. Had a 6 year old with us for a couple of days and found that hard. I couldn't do it with younger kids. They'll have no interest and will just make it harder to get around and see the sites. Is there really nobody who would take them for 4 nights - family member, close friend - or who could come and stay in your house, even if a couple of people split the care? Is there any specific reason you wouldn't want to be away from them for such a short time? If you really won't leave them for 4 nights then maybe a friend of your Dh could go with him instead.

I do think it will be tricky (unless maybe you can find a hotel with childcare). There is just so much walking and you won't be able to carry the four year old.

I’m from NY so I’ve always taken my kids back there and it’s been great, but yours are a funny age — too big to be happy taking in the sights from the buggy but too little to do serious walking. I would wait another couple of years. I also think you need at least a week to make it worth the flight and jet lag. When my kids were younger we always did nothing the first day and took it easy the second. We could never do much in the late afternoon/evening until it had been several days. You are also very likely to get an overnight flight home but it’s only 6-7 hours so even if they sleep it won’t be enough.

There are lots of places to go that will be cheaper and more fun with your family. When our kids were under 8 we really enjoyed Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.

Unless you can leave them home, then I wouldn’t. It’s an exhausting city for any age. The jet lag will be a killer.

We took our son when he was 18 months old and it all worked really well for us, and jet lag wasn't an issue at all. I suppose that it was easy because he was in his buggy much of the time and we found plenty to do with him.

However, I think that it'd be more difficult with children the age of your two. You'd find plenty to occupy them but there's always a lot of walking around and waiting in queues which I think children of those ages would struggle with. We waited to take our children (there was another by then) until the youngest was 9 and the one who'd been as a toddler was 12.

I'm not sure you'd get your money's worth, taking twice preschoolers to NYC. You might have a fun time and find plenty to do, but you could do the same in any number of places closer to home (and cheaper).
Perhaps money isn't an issue for you, but if I was spending £4-5k on a 4 day break, I'd be wanting to get the most out of it, see everything I wanted, enjoy restaurants and /or bars and not be held back by fractious and jet-lagged toddlers.
At this age, they'd be much happier spending a week on a nice warm beach - and therefore probably so would their parents!
I'm not saying you couldn't have a pleasant time in NYC but it will curtail what you can do / see when you're there. It's a brilliant place to take older children though.... and then they're more likely to remember it!

I took my 3 year old to new York about 14 years ago she loved it but it restricted a lot of stuff that we could do we were there for 2 weeks and still didn't see everything. I went with just my husband last year for 5 days and it was a totally different trip . I wouldn't recommend bringing toddlers for just 4 days adjusting to the time difference alone in that time would be very hard

Thanks everyone. All very good points and you’ve made me reassess the idea. Perhaps I will look at a European or short haul trip somewhere nice, wherever I can find some sun at that time of year!! Many thanks for taking the time to reply.