To ask if you take your children out alone

[ijustdontcareifhedid]

I don’t mean to the park or soft play, more big days out.

YABU yes

YANBU no

Yes, often, and with a ND child. I do prefer to meet friends with them but can't always be the case so many trips out. Xx

Yes loads and it was sometimes hard work especially when they were younger (thinking about the time I got utterly lost in a maize maze and one was running off and the other was having a strop and I was thinking I would never find the way out - put me off mazes forever) but definitely worth it (except the maize maze). I Love just packing a picnic and going out for the day. You don’t need to do anything too complicated especially if a child is in a pushchair still. A pigeon is as exciting as a giraffe at that age. It gets easier as they get older.

Yes of course, always have even when married was like a single parent. Flew to New York alone with my oldest DC when they were two. Drove to Wales also when both DC under 10 for my first holiday post separation. That one was a bit like wtf am I doing a road trip, but It was all good. It can be a bit pressurised though; when they are little hard to go to the loo ect seems like a juggling act. Seems like a distant memory now they are both teenagers!

@DinosaurMunch yes I can relate to this, my youngest would always want to do a poo mid dinner without fail! Would put me right off going back to my meal after wiping their bum!

All the time yes, think absolutely nothing of jumping on the train to Manchester, Blackpool, or York whilst my husband is at work.

I did when they were younger, pre-school age. Now they are older (8&9) I prefer to do days out with my husband. They bicker for fun so it's a painful experience going anywhere alone with them.

Both DH and I spend separate one on one time with each DD, from days out, trips to the movies, arcades to weekends away. We think it’s important that each DDs gets alone time with us one on one to do what they enjoy.

New thread:

do people manage to bathe two or more children solo?
how do people do bedtime solo for more than 1 child 😂😂😂😂😂

I rarely do but mainly because I "save" the best days out for when we can all go as a family, either on weekends or when DH has leave - not because I'm not capable of doing it by myself, but because he wouldn't want to miss out on the fun. It's more fun with 2 parents as we have 2 dcs, so one of us can be with each child, so they can explore different areas or go on different rides, if one child needs the loo the other one doesn't need to tag along, my youngest still naps so one parent can sit somewhere quiet while they nap and the older one can carry on having fun.

I do take them out to London museums, parks and theatres etc on my own, by public transport. We live there so it's not what I consider to be a big day out but it would be for some. TBH there aren't that many days I have sole care of them for a full day - my eldest is primary aged and likes to do lots of activity camps in the holidays so I'm often just with my youngest. We always spend our weekends as a family, and spend holiday time as a family (we never have one adult going off and doing their own thing while the other has both kids, it just doesn't suit us).

Im a single parent so if im going to have adventures with my kids i do them by myself 🤷🏻‍♀️ Its brilliant. No bickering or compromising with another adult. I make the plans, go wherever we want, spend what i like, get to parent exactly how i want. Yes its absolutely EXHAUSTING particularly when theyre younger ie under about 8, because you're entirely responsible for it all, feeding them, entertaining them, toilet trips, bedtimes, foraging. But ultimately rewarding and we have so many memories

I try and do one 'big day' out each month. I pretty much am always alone as I do them in the week. It's cheaper and less busy! My son is 3 and there has been through odd time we've left early if he's having a difficult day (the ones where nothing you do makes them happy!!)
I even did Santa alone this Christmas as I didn't want my husband moaning about it being busy etc. He's worse than the kid 🤭
Having one does help rather than multiple!

I have tried it a couple of times but I find it really stressful and hard work so generally I don't. Maybe when the youngest is out of the toddler years it will be easier to do

This is just what happens when you have more than one child. I became a single mother when my kids were 5, 2 and 1 so I had to take all of them with me anytime I left the house, whether that be to nip to the shop or for a big day out/holiday. They just had to adapt to it, we had no choice.

During the summer holidays my partner was working for 5 week straight and the weather was gorgeous and I wasn't going to sit around wasting it, I don't drive and we live on a main road with nowhere to play out, I took the plunge and decided to take my 3 to the beach, we had to get the bus into town and then switched train twice, I was extremely nervous and have high anxiety and thought it was going to be impossible to cope, my youngest was 6 months at the time and my older two were 4 and 6 and both SEN children, it went surprisingly well and each day I done it I became more and more confident, we had a few hiccups with tantrums etc but we spent almost every single day going to different beaches and it was amazing! A lot better than being stuck in the house and also fairly cheap compared to a holiday when you buy monthly passes for travel and take picnics with you!
As for naps and walking, my baby slept while we walked to and from the beach and also while my kids played and was fine, sometimes my older two did moan about walking but I just told them once they've got to the beach they can sit and relax and have a treat and with a bit of bargaining it worked.
They also went to a few theme parks and once explaining they could only go on rides that they could do together as I had to stay with their brother they were fun and had so much fun!
The more you do it the more you'll get used to it.

I used to take mine out alone all the time. We went out as a family also but I flew with the two children when they were babies and toddlers, took them to the beach, the pool, parks, theme parks and many places. I did like to find places that were very child friendly though and if they were less child friendly it was nice to at least go with another friend who had children. It wasn't always possible though and I didn't want to limit my activities as a result so just got on with it. I think the more often you do it the more manageable it becomes as both you and the children learn how to navigate the days and what works best all around.

Of course, always did do, long before I divorced.

Yes

Yes, throughout his life, both dh and I have done - now he is 14 ds goes hiking and to football matches and days out with dh and gigs, concerts and days out with me as we split the holidays to cover as much as possible with ds.

Bath time I would bath the two youngest together (18 month age gap) and the eldest I would put in after them while I got them dried and dressed on the landing.

Bedtime, they were all in the same bedroom when they were young so I'd put them all to bed, read them a story and leave them to fall asleep by themselves. When the eldest got her own room she would read to herself anyway.

I took a 6 year old to Paris for a few days on my own with the baby in a sling (couldn't manage the metro with a buggy). When they were 3 & 9 I took them on Safari in Africa. I'm single, so it's just normal for us.

I think the spluttering and incredulity is probably because it’s fairly obvious that there are lots of one parent families and so of course it’s possible to take children out with one parent.

I mostly took them out together when young. There were some cafe trips whilst one was at a class. I took both abroad, separately. As adults I very often go to see one or another, or vice versa. We also spend time as a family.

Apologies, I misread your question and thought you were referring to one on one with children.

i certainly found it difficult after number 3, 3 DCs under 6. For varying reasons I struggled, so did DH. We just cut down on certain activities, changed situations to suit. Namely we invested money in improving our outdoor space so they had plenty of fun stuff to occupy them at home.

Every child, couple is different, some parents can handle anything, others need more of a balance. Two I was perfectly fine with, I was told 3 just slots in and is easier, yep not totally untrue, but then they develop personalities…

Mine are 7, 10 & 12, I had all day with my 7yo who was apparently too ill for school this morning but ok to jump on a snowy trampoline for 2 hours with the dog this afternoon. I picked 10 & 12yo up and decided to go shopping and have tea at Asda, they love the pizza but the ovens weren’t working so they begged for McDonalds but insisted seeing we were already at Asda could they go to homebargins, matalan etc.. I got home and my brain was frazzled, I’d spent less than 3 hours with all 3 at once.

Yes, I have a husband so not single but he likes to do stuff in the house and is also working some weekends. Also I prefer it as I can do it my way and it is cheaper to buy one adult ticket. We do theme parks, beach days, farms, theatre, cinema, mini breaks, city days out, museums and restuarants just me and the children quite often.

Only one child here but yes I’ve taken him to many theme parks and abroad as a toddler alone! I’ve personally found it great for my confidence, we’ve had a blast despite the tantrums and melt downs and you’re not on another adults timing or way of parenting!