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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask what's the longest period you've been away from your children?

143 replies

HennyPennyHorror · 24/04/2019 14:14

?

OP posts:
balloonyellow · 24/04/2019 18:42

1 week for work, with regular FaceTimes and phone calls. DD’s dad has been away from her for 3 years and definitely not for work. So I know I’m amazing compared to himGrin Definitely didn’t enjoy the time away though. Nothing feels right and just empty

ShabbyAbby · 24/04/2019 18:43

A week. I cried every night. And for some crazy reason I'm planning to repeat it.

Nogoodusername · 24/04/2019 18:44

Only for work trips, ranging from one night to four nights away

RelaisBlu · 24/04/2019 18:47

2 months. I was in Australia, they were home with DH. It felt weird at first but was all fine. It was 20 years ago so they are all grown up now and none of them remembers it as a terrible trauma!! Grin

juneau · 24/04/2019 18:48

Six days/nights when I was on a field trip. It was great! I thought I'd really miss them, but I didn't. It was the most free I've felt in years.

SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc · 24/04/2019 18:52

2 weeks

lola006 · 24/04/2019 20:04

6 weeks with my older 2. They went to my home country to spend the summer with my mum and had the time of their lives. 2 weeks with my youngest (then 6) when DH and I went away.

bluechameleon · 24/04/2019 20:48

I was away from DS1 (then 3) for 2 nights whilst in hospital having DS2. He did visit twice though. I've not been away from DS2 overnight yet - he's 14m.

elp30 · 24/04/2019 21:13

I think the longest I was away from my children when they were young (11 months, 4 years, 9 years) was around eight days.
The longest I've been away from my children full stop (ages 18, 13 and 10) was nine weeks.

When my children were young, my husband worked in Europe but we lived in England. He was only in England for 70 days a year for over five years. On a long stretch of him being home, I would visit my family in the US hence the eight day break away from the kids.

I left my family for nine weeks because my father, who lived over 750 miles from me, had gone into hospice care and I stayed with him to look after him and to take care of his effects after his death.

Those were the longest stretches of time at once but we have left the kids with the other parent for days here and there throughout their childhood. Because I have never had any relatives nearby to take the children off our hands, it was definitely necessary to go away for a few days to have a relaxing break so we could come back to the family refreshed.

tor8181 · 24/04/2019 21:22

both of these are from birth

the 8 y old a few hours when he was in school(we home educate now took him out at 6)

the 14 y old 24 hours as i was kept in after having no 2(hes home educated too,took him out at 11)

we do everything as a family of 4 as both boys have disabilities which need 24 hour care

MaryShelley1818 · 24/04/2019 21:48

DS is 16mths old.
I had 4nts away to Spain with friends when he was 5mths old.
I’ve had quite a few nights away with DH, and DS has spent 1nt a week at Grandparents since November when I went back to work. I work condensed hrs and have 2 very long days back to back so it’s much nicer for him to be there and sleep in until 8am rather than dragging him home after bedtime and back up again at 6am the next morning.

andadietcoke · 24/04/2019 21:53

A week, on a couple of occasions - work trip to the US, and left them in France with my parents as they have two weeks off at Whit but my DH only gets a week.

teyem · 24/04/2019 21:55

Two nights.

Curlyshabtree · 24/04/2019 21:57

4 weeks, when they go with with DH to his country. They go every year for either 2 or 4 weeks.
I enjoy it! Kids have a great time with the massive family and the totally different culture. We talk/ Skype most days.
I get a break from it all. My kids are happy, confident and independent children. I’m actually going away this weekend so they will be home without me - this has happened a few times when I’ve been away on a work trip.

Longdistance · 24/04/2019 21:59

5 nights for work training in a city about 2+ hours away. Dh did everything for dds who were 3 and 5 at the time.

justjuggling · 24/04/2019 22:10

Mine go away for 2 weeks every summer with my parents. I miss them but quite enjoy the break to be honest!

Babynut1 · 24/04/2019 22:11

24 hours

stucknoue · 24/04/2019 22:13

3 days when they were 3&5 when we moved house. By 7&9 they were going on tour with choir for 4-7 days a year.

genome · 24/04/2019 22:16

Maybe 24 hours from dd1 when I was in hospital for dd2, I was in for almost a week but she came with my husband to visit. I've never been away from dd2 and dd3 for more than 10 hours. My eldest is 6 and a half.

FrenchyQ · 24/04/2019 22:20

4 days...DH and I had a holiday while DS was on a residential trip (age 11), DD stayed home (age 19)

PanBasher · 24/04/2019 22:44

7 months. They were aged 4 and 10 months.

Tunnocks34 · 24/04/2019 22:47

Two nights. OH and I were gifted a weekend break in the lakes for our honeymoon off my parents.

We left at 12pm on the Friday, and we picked them up at 10am on the Sunday.

We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly on the Friday, and up to about Saturday lunchtime we were in our element. Then we felt a deflated and missed them so much we spent all Saturday night talking about them. We then checked out at 8am to go and pick them up.

For me personally, I enjoy a night away every so often. Two nights is too much for me. My OH could probably manage more time and has done when he’s been away for work etc

Frustratedfrenchie · 24/04/2019 22:48

5 weeks when my dcs went back to the uk to stay with grandparents in the summer holidays. Wouldn't do such a long period of time again though.

Tunnocks34 · 24/04/2019 22:49

My children are 5 and 2!

Hiddenaspie1973 · 24/04/2019 22:49

4 nights. She went on a school resi trip in year 6.