In asking did your parents go away without you when you were little?

[Stantons]

I often read on here about parents having holidays or nights away without their kids and a lot about separated parents doing this which I guess is more understandable. My parents never did this when I was a child 35 years ago is it a more recent thing?

Not until we were older and had holidays with grandmothers.

In 1976 my parents went to Spain for a week in November and granny stayed with us (age 2-14).

It was not a usual thing. It was presented to us quite matter-of-factly, and as far as I remember we - or at least I, aged 7 - quite matter-of-factly accepted that having just moved to a big house we couldn't afford a holiday for everyone that year.

Yes but only for weekends etc. Big holidays we always had together.

Has the OP come back to her thread?

Some rather defensive replies on this thread, which just read as if the people missed out.

My parents went on one two-week holiday without us, after my Mum had recovered from cancer.

DB and I stayed with our uncle and aunt on their farm, and had a great time. Don’t begrudge them for a second, and we got a great haul of pressies. We often went down to stay at our uncle’s during the school hols.

My parents best friends also has kids the same age as us. We’d go and stay weekends with them, and they’d come and stay weekends with us - giving each set of parents a child-free weekend. We loved those weekends sleeping over with friends.

DH and I don’t have any immediately family close by, so are not able to do anything like that. So, as it turns out, my parents did it a lot more back in the 80s, than we do now.

Too bad for us!

Mine did all the time, my dad worked abroad a lot. My mum would go and we stayed with an aunty ot neighbour...
Sometimes for 3 Weeks!!

Never I don’t think. I vaguely remember having a babysitter maybe once ! But they weren’t very happily married and rarely did anything together so maybe they should have done !

My mum only went a couple of times and I only vividly remember once when she went abroad for a long weekend with my dad and the day before I came down with the chicken pox which made me quite poorly and she didn't want to go so I pretended I was fine so she'd go and I could have a weekend at my nana's who waited on me hand and foot and let me stay up late 😂

My folks did. We'd have a fab week or weekend with the grandparents and my parents would get a break.

We do it now with our kids - not often but it works out well for all of us.

I don't think it is all that recent but mine never did. I wish they had! Having said that, I never went away without mine until he was fifteen, then husband and I escaped for a five day break.

No they didn't but it was different times. We lived away from family as my df was in the forces so they didn't have childcare.

We do go away for nights or occasionally weekends away. Funnily enough its now they are older we can't get away. They are to old to stay with grandparents (and enjoy it) and to young to stay by themselves.

No, mine did not. They always said they didn't want to go away without us.

Yip. From I was about 8yrs and my brother 13/14 years old, mum and dad would drop us with Nan every Easter for a week while they swanned off to the Canaries.... Then as we got older they also fit in an additional week away together at Halloween, and they took us away for a fortnight each summer.
Both were teachers and I think it was probably v necessary for my mums mental health.

Not until we were teens 14/15+

My mum and dad had long weekends/the occasional week away and we just stayed with family or very close family friends. They also took us on holiday. It never bothered me, or my sister. We have both said it’s obvious to us now, that they had such a successful marriage because they made time for each other. Good on them.

Nope, never. They didn't have any babysitters. Dh and I try to have a weekend abroad and a night away in the uk each year though.

No, they didn’t as they didn’t believe in holidays so no one had any.

As parents we’ve not done it, we can go away again as a couple once they are older. I’ve seen children really upset at being left out of holidays so wouldn’t consider it.

I had to stay with people when my parents went up to attend my DB’s court case. Then he was taken away. It was hateful. I still hate staying in other people’s houses.

Mine went away once for the weekend when myself and older sister were younger and mum was pregnant with our younger sister but they came back early because they missed us...!! This was the only time and it still gets bought up these days about how much they hated being away from us! It was nearly 30 years ago.
I can't image going away without my dc's, I'm
Divorced and actually dreading a time that may arise where I'd go away without them, partner and I do discuss going away and I love the idea of it to spend nice time with him but I also have a feeling of dread that I feel like I won't enjoy it without dc's.

Yep. My parents are divorced, though - so it was easier for them to do that without us cos they'd just do it during the other's contact period.

No my parents never did, maybe it depends on your background? We were( are) working class and as a child i was lucky to have one week a year at pontins!
We also never left our dc to go away, until we were given a weekend away when our eldest was 16, lack of money and babysitters was a big factor, I wouldn't have wanted to leave them for more than a night or two anyway but the odd night away would have been nice

I’m 40, and wouldn’t leave my kids for a night away.

Occasionally, for mums hobby which was sometimes international. And for weekends away with friends once or twice a year.

@Thehop

I’m 40, and wouldn’t leave my kids for a night away.

Genuinely curious question - why not?

Nope. Well, we had the odd night at our grandparents.

When I was 15 and my bro 17 they kindly went to Switzerland for a week without us.

My grandparents were instructed to stay in the house with us, but after day 2 me and my bro told them they may as well go home which they surprisingly did

Mine did, especially when I was really little. Everyone needs a break and relationships need some proper alone time, not sex necessarily but just time like you used to have.
It’s healthy for parents and for children to be able to have some time separate.

However I can understand how it might make some people anxious, each to their own.