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

I am a single foster carer, I am registered to have two children so of course we do all the things that children should get to experience in childhood. I think if there was a problem with single people taking children out alone then SS would be on it and not allow single people to be registered for more than one child. As a foster carer I can have children who are very close in age (I once had a 7 month old and an 8 week old) or children with a big age gap.

Yeps - Dh was a shift worker when the children were smaller so we could limit our childcare bill, so I used to pack up the car and take the kids away for weekends camping/days out (he would join us if he could or when work was finished)

We have obviously had family days out and holidays. I do have recollections of it being harder work when they were smaller but I managed.

Beach days were and still are a favourite things for us to do, I’d pack the car the night before, get up early and just go, if I’d waited around for DH to be about we wouldn’t have done anything.

I have x 3 children. I have always taken them out alone, even on holiday for a week at a time. I think this is normal but some of my friends think its wierd and would never go anywhere unless their DH was with them.

I always did when my children were small. I was a single parent so I had no choice. I also took them on holiday abroad on my own. I now take my grandchildren for days out alone. I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't.

Yes, always have done.
There were times when it was trickier, with two under two but I had the older two to entertain so staying in wasn't an option really.

Yes and shock horror I use public transport as I don't drive. Friends have told me I am 'brave' for taking the kids into London as though it is akin to taking them up everest (London is a 30 min dirext train ride......)

Yes, I often do days out with mum friends or DS's school friends. And DH occasionally does days out with his brother and nephews.

We work shifts around eachother, so a family day out usually requires one of us to book annual leave. We usually do a day out together for each of the kids birthdays, pumpkin picking in October and a Santa's Grotto in December, everything else is solo

Incredulous you do it all because you take two kids out? Gently, I think you need less sheltered friends.

Of course! I'm a single parent so wouldn't get far if I didn't haha. But before I was single I did, including going away just me and them.

Why are you asking? Are you struggling taking yours out alone?

Yes I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old and take them on days out by myself. My DH will also do this by himself. Yes it can be difficult at times but I can cope.

I take five kids on holiday for two weeks every summer. Two with fairly complex disabilities. Youngest is a toddler, oldest an older teen but I’ve been doing this for nine years now. Husband can’t get the time off and it’s the only opportunity we get for me to go back to my home country and see family. Weirdly it’s the spending time with family and having extra adult ‘help’ that’s the hardest part.
Generally by the time I get back from that, once I’ve screamed into a pillow for a few days, a trip to the farm with the youngest three on my own feels like child’s play.

Goodness yes. Even taken three on a day trip by plane to a European capital alone and on a short foreign holiday alone.

Only rarely since they started school. Dh is very much a family man and lives for the big days out and holidays. I loathe adventure centres , rollercoasters and water parks so I’m very happy to let him take the lead on those things.

As toddlers I took them to all sorts, and in summer holidays when dh was working away, we’d travel with him and I’d take them out for the day and meet up in the evenings. Occasionally I’d take a few of their friends out for the day during school breaks.

Now I prefer to do the quieter things - hikes, walks, museums, shopping, beach, zoo and save up the high octane fun so the biggest kid of all doesn’t feel left out,

Obviously....

During term times those sorts of days out are usually weekends so we would go together as a family. During holidays or if DH had something else he needed to do of course i'd take them out by myself.

Why wouldn't you? Do you go out alone without your kids?

At a risk of a flaming, I would really struggle to be friends with women who couldn't take their own children out alone... disabilities and health issues of either mum or kids aside obviously. I have little patience for such delicate flower behaviour

Yes I always have, I need to be out and about go stir crazy at home. When my kids were small my dh worked away a bit. I have 3 kids and have always done it, forest walks, beaches, day trips, overnights never over thought it just got on with it.

Took mine everywhere yes. Big days out, small days out, holidays, up to the shops to get milk. How else do you think single parents give their kids a normal life?

I assumed the question is more - do you always arrange to go places with friends - rather than specifically both parents together.

I do know plenty of people who won’t go to theme parks with their DC alone and would always bring another mum friend with their DC for company. They would rather not go if someone else wasn’t free to go with them.
And that would always be my preference too but it’s not always easy to find friends who are free the same day and want to go to the same place. So yes I have always brought my DC to theme parks, museums etc alone even on holiday a couple of times when DH had no holiday leave left.
Always seen lots of other parents doing the same.

Yes 😀 theme parks, concerts, days out in London/ Birmingham, museums, safari parks, nights away. I love it! Their Dad does trips too like comic con or more physical activities like aqua parks etc. He also takes them to watch the local rugby/ football team (home and away games).

@ijustdontcareifhedid What a bizarre thing to ask!
When a husband clears off, of COURSE children get taken away with their mum. On holiday abroad too.

Are they to be relegated to stodging about indoors never going to a museum ( The London ones are great) or cinema or other day out?

No. It tends to be something we would do as a family however I have taken 2 out of my 3 to panto on my own and have done one on one cinema trips or to the theatre. We do often split up to do things with the kids as we have a 3 year old and then our bigger two who are very close in age.

I don't. Used to take eldest out by myself but once the awful tantrums started and I was pregnant with number 2, I couldn't cope by myself. Lost all confidence, never even went to the park with both of them together as eldest was too difficult and I couldn't carry a tantruming toddler along with pushing pushchair. Now have number 3 and I do take the youngest two out to the park or library occasionally as they are much more chilled, but never all 3 together as the eldest causes trouble. Longer days out absolutely not, wouldn't even dream of it. It's hard enough with two adults! Can't even manage taking them all to the supermarket. But they are all fairly young still (eldest is 6), so maybe things will get better once they are older or I get a bit of confidence back.

A friend of mine lost her husband last year, and really struggles with taking the kids out by herself because she's never had to do it.