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 that I can remeber. We always went abroad as a family and had trips in the uk together. They might of had the odd night away together whilst a grandparent looked afer us. I think the first time they went away properly without my older brother and I was when I was around 15 they went on a cruise to celebrate their silver wedding I think it was, by this point I wasn't that bothered about holidaying with parents anymore.

Yes and I'm 38 and (as far as I can tell) perfectly well adjusted with an excellent relationship with my parents.

Not that much: a handful of times when we were in our teens but not much until then.

My dad travelled a lot for work but my mum rarely went with him.

I think it was a bit of a sore point tbh.

No but back then people didn’t go on exotic trips so much plus my parents had nobody to leave us with
They did pack us off to Summer camp for 1 or 2 weeks while they drove to France though

I'm early 50s and my parents never went away without us, in fact they never went out in the evenings. They just couldn't afford it.

The only exception was my dad visiting his home country on his own. Two trips that I can remember though one of those was when his dad died.

Not even a single night. And they weren’t keen on us staying on sleepovers or at grandparents either. The most they ever did was go out to dinner and leave us for a few hours with granny or a babysitter.

Some of it was due to finances - we didn’t go on many family holidays. Also it would’ve been too much for the grandparents to cope with. But I think the main reason was that my mother was too scared to have us out of her sight in case something happened to us.

Yep, my mum and step dad had 95% of their holidays without us, my dad, his wife and her child used to do the same. Absolute assholes, the lot of them.

No I don't think so, not until we were teenagers and even then not very often and it would only be a weekend or something. We haven't had more than 1 night at a time away from DD but she is only 2.

I'm in my early 50s and my parents went skiing without us. We stayed at a family friend's house who had children the same age as me and my DB. I distinctly remember that DB was 5 and still in nappies at night (which is really common, and was common then) and the boy his age teased him and I and the mum came to his defence.

My parents didn’t go away for holidays or weekends without us. Money was tight and we didn’t go abroad until I was in my teens

My mum did go to London for a week without us. Her brother was dying with she wanted to see him, so it was completely understandable. I was 6 and my brother Was 4. I remember missing her so much

Not really. More like leaving with grandparents during part of the Summer holidays, or later when I had exams, they might go for a weekend.

Mine really enjoyed holidaying with us, so main holidays with the whole family wasn't something they'd have given up on. The rest of the year they lived very frugally and didn't go out (not that there was much opportunity in our neck of the woods).

But an occasional night away whilst leaving us in care of grandparents- yes, they probably did. I know my mum booked into a hotel room once or twice to rest when we were little, not sure that counts as my dad was still there. She also took her 3 eldest (including me) to visit a friend in Germany to give our adopted brother time to settle into his home and with our dad. And they both went away to visit elderly relatives, and when we were older they might take one of us somewhere special to them.

Do remember our gran looking after us once when they were away but don't remember the occasion.

Don't think anyone was eaten away with guilt or worried about anything. Always felt secure, always knew we were cared for.

Dh is in his early 60s- he was sent to spend part of his summer holidays with his grandparents, don't think that was uncommon in his generation.

My parents did go away quite frequently, holidays and quite a few long weekends.
They also left us with family or friends mainly during the summer holidays.

My grand-parents did the same, it's hardly new!
I think what was more unusual was for my grand-parents to take the kids with them, more than the other way around

My parents would go weekends away leaving me and my sister with aunts. They'd also sometimes go away with their mates leaving us with the other parent.

They need time away from kids.

Mine did - maybe once or twice a year for a weekend, and I’m in my 50s.

Looking back, I think their marriage may have been on a shoogly peg at the time, and my mother had health issues after a botched hysterectomy. My father did fuck all about the house or in terms of childcare, so maybe this was the only way my mother felt or indeed was cared for.

My mum and dad went for a weekend in Paris when I was six months old. Its one of mum's well told stories how much she hated it.

They had a couple of weekends away when we were older 5/8, and then when we got older we got shipped off for the summer to Ireland so they could both work. Loved every second of it staying with family in their caravan.

I left mine at four months old for a night for a wedding but haven't been away for more than a night from them.

My parents took us on a couple of caravan holidays. But even then I think it was only twice. It just wasn't really done as much then I don't think. They never had the money - all their money went on 50 fags a day each.

Never.

Nope mine never did anything without us until we were mid teens and didn't want to go. I don't think they even went out for a meal!

This was the 1970/early 80s. Although, saying that they had 20 years together before kids so maybe they didn't feel the need!!

Yes. Mine definitely did. They had copious amount of family members to look after us. My father was one of 11 and my mother one of four, both grandparents lived 3 miles away near the same road. It took 5 minutes driving to get from one to the other and at my paternal grandparents there was always a revolving door of family members coming through.

We’d do it too if we had family members close by. My parents are in the States and in-laws in Newcastle and we’re around Oxford. My parents are itching to have them overnight and such and often watch them and take them out alone when they visit. We’re lucky if we can get dinner alone together. The only way we’ll be able to get a holiday to ourselves is once our 5 yo sen child can handle being on a plane and we’re visiting my parents or they come and stay with us while we holiday somewhere.

@helloxhristmas

My mum and dad went for a weekend in Paris when I was six months old. Its one of mum's well told stories how much she hated it.

They had a couple of weekends away when we were older 5/8, and then when we got older we got shipped off for the summer to Ireland so they could both work. Loved every second of it staying with family in their caravan.

I left mine at four months old for a night for a wedding but haven't been away for more than a night from them.

That made me smile, my mum and dad also went to Paris one weekend and hated it (dog shit everywhere, apparently!).

DH and I have both had weekends away on our own with friends (ie DH goes to Comic-Con with a friend, and I stay home with DS, or I go away to a hen weekend). We’ve had the odd evening away in a hotel when going to a gig, and DS has stayed with grandparents, but not for any extended length of time

I'm 35 and mine did. As do myself and my dh. We have a long weekend abroad without the children once a year and have done now for 5 years and we often have a night away a couple of times. My children are more than happy to spend time with their grandparents and the feelings mutual and we like to have quality time ourselves as it doesnt happen much with three children, work and a business to run.

Why do you ask?

I don’t remember them them doing. Then again we don’t either...and my parents got divorced. Hmmm...

I remember my grandparents looking after us whilst my parents had a night out. They didn't go on holiday without us until we were 16+