When did you first leave your baby/ child overnight ?

[strugglingmummy2021]

Just that really.

I left mine at 6 weeks overnight, at 12 weeks for a long weekend and 13 months for a week. They were absolutely fine, really didn’t seem bothered we weren’t there

9 years here, school residential - no members of either family in a position to have DS (distance, willingness, ill-health).

@strugglingmummy2021 don't panic! Is it grandparents they will be with, or the nanny? If the latter then I presume she is used to doing naptime at least. If the former (or with other relations/friends), any chance of spending a bit of time at their house before the trip, even playing in the bedroom, so that LO is slightly familiar with it? And I would suggest going out in the evening a couple of times and getting DH or someone else to do bedtime, so that LO is more familiar with the concept that mummy may not be there at bedtime but she always comes back. Obviously send favourite blanket, cuddly toy etc. It's likely to be fine if LO knows and trusts the people they're staying with.

Stayed with my mum and dad, but in the same hotel as me and husband, when she was 9 months. I'm not ready to be in a different building to her overnight yet at all.

I haven’t, single parent and they don’t go anywhere... youngest 4

Almost 3. DD went to my mum’s for a practice sleepover a month or so before DS was born.

With her dad prob about 2 yo simply as no reason to leave her overnight until then

With a non parent not until she was 7/8 yo.

Ex's parents are older and quite frail and wouldn't have coped with her.

My parents she was never left with as I am a survivor of csa and dad was the culprit. So she has never been left even with my mum as I couldn't trust her cos she didn't believe me still doesn't

She was eventually left overnight the first time with another relative who knew the history and believed me and I knew I could trust them.

I was still extremely anxious which they knew and they reassured me plenty that night and subsequent nights.

This meant that I then felt comfortable with dd going on sleepovers to friends around that age/a bit older. But even then I was very careful who she stayed with. Her best friend at this point where I was lucky was dad was a cop and mum was a sw and that's who she went to stay with for first sleepover. I even confided my situation in the mum and she gave dad the heads up too (with my permission, I just didn't feel comfy telling him f2f)

I didn't want to pass my fears on to dd and wanted her to have as normal a childhood as possible but I also needed to know she was safe.

I still didn't sleep that first sleepover.

She had a whale of a time every time and didn't notice I was so anxious.

It's incredibly hard to leave them but they have to have a normal childhood too.

6 months overnight with my mum! I’m happy to leave her with my mum regularly to go for an evening out with my husband or something since she was 6 weeks old!

9 weeks. I was crippled with tiredness

I left DS1 with my dads for 3 nights when he was 12 months old because I had a wedding in Ireland and tbh didn't feel it was the best option to take him with me. I cried when I left him to go to airport but in fairness I have no regrets as he had a great time at my dads and it was much easier flying to rural Ireland and attending a wedding rather than talking a 1 year old along.

DS2 is 17 months old and hasn't stayed anywhere but home overnight. I'm sure he would be fine but given that we are sticklers for the boys routine and we don't really go out for dinner just lunch on the odd occasion if we have a babysitter, we like to be home to put the kids to bed.

I'm sure a once off occasion for one night as his age won't do any harm.

I haven’t and he’s 3. He will be spending his first night away in a couple of weeks when I go into hospital to give birth. I just haven’t had any reason for him to stay anywhere else but I think if I had I’d have felt comfortable around age 1, but I’d have to have a good reason.

@Cupoftea53

I am amazed that some people have waited years! What about work trips, anniversary trips, meeting friends, weekends away?

I was a sahm, so no work trips. Anniversaries or weekends away we took the kids with us. Dinner out they came too. Once they were school aged we went out occasionally without them.

I have never done it and ds is 3.

Dd1, 2 months when dh and I went out for dinner. His sister came round to babysit.
Dd2 I think was about 3 months when dh and I went away overnight for a wedding. We dropped both girls off with my mum.
Ds1 was 5 months when I went away for a long weekend and dh was working during the days. I can’t actually remember what happened to any of the dc as I was away having a good time and trusted that he sorted appropriate cover at the time!

DS1 was 3.5, I had D&V and had a five week old and DPIL had him for a couple of days. He was beside himself with excitement and had a ball without us (and slept better for them than he ever did for us). DS2 was 18 months (wedding abroad) when both went to DM. Again, we missed them far far more than they missed us. DM thought that DS1 there helped DS2 not fret.

First full night away they were both roughly 2 1/2.

With dd I found it hard and fretted but with ds I felt better about it. They were with grandma who they have a brilliant relationship with.

Not yet. (Age 7.5) no rush to

In the politest possible way OP, I really don't see the point in these threads because it doesn't matter what anyone else did, only what you feel comfortable with. FWIW DD went for a sleepover with grandparents at 8 months and it was absolute bliss. It would have been earlier had it not been for lockdown - we have a very close relationship with both sets of grandparents and she has stayed over numerous times since.

Eldest DC was about 18 months when she started staying with my parents overnight. DC2 was nearly 3 as she was quite clingy to me. Youngest s 15 months and have no idea when he'll stay away as my parents are a bit old to care for a baby (their words) and no one else will do it. But suppose at some point he'll go away with school or sleep over at a friend's.

DD 3 months with MIL.
DS never no-one would be willing to take him overnight he is 6. I've left him with his Dad but never away as a couple.

Sleepovers, so around 7 years old. They are both in secondary school now, and I think we've probably had 2 or 3 child-free weekends ever - they've gone away individually, but virtually never at the same time.

2.5 years for one night at grandma’s.

I left both of them overnight with DH from around 1 year as I do night shifts at work.

Leaving them without either of us - DS1 - 2y8m, left him at home with MIL when I was in hospital giving birth to DS2.

DS2 - 2y3m, he's never had a night without one of us.

They’ve been with DH plenty of times but only our eldest DC has spent the night away from home which happened when she was 7 and went to a sleepover at her cousins.
DS’ are 3 and 2 and haven’t stayed out overnight.

Just over 3 months, with my mum.