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 wasn't sure if you meant as a solo parent without a partner - yes, all the time. Or 1 child at a time to give them quality one on one time. Yes, have done this also.

Mine grown up now but, yes I did. I assumed everybody did, both parents can't always been available. My husband did too sometimes and single parents often do unless they go out with friends. Why?

No I don’t, I am nervous taking both of them out together. I have a 5 and a 2 year old. Me and DH take them both out together.

I get that others are more confident and competent but I’m not and I’m okay with it.

This is nuts.
Two children are easy to take out alone.
What circled do you mix in where people are surprised that a grown adult can’t take out two children by themselves?!

When mine were little yes,always. If I had waited for ex we would still be sitting on the sofa now. I had a huge double buggy when they were very small and did not entertain any resistance, we went everywhere, did get stranded on a pedalo on a boating lake once which was a challenge. Their tiny legs weren't able to cope with reverse pedaling after we pedalled into the bank.

I’m a single parent, so yes.
However, when I was married I was the loneliest married person ever and I also still took them out on my own all the time.
We’ve done holidays etc, I don’t mind doing it alone, but I do get sad when I see all the mums and dads together. I never had that, even when I was with him

Even if you're not a single parent....how.on earth would this work in school holidays or before kids start school....if your DH is working, do you just stay at home or go out locally for five days out of seven?

If someone is adult enough to bring another life into the world they should be more than capable of stepping out the door with that child or children. Don't have more than you can cope with. In fact don't have any at all if you are that useless.
I travelled tens of thousands of miles on trains, ferries and aircraft with 3 children, no other adult.. My youngest was only a few weeks old when i took him on his first flight.
Too many parents act like little children, no wonder many can't raise resilient children.

Yes - because if I didn't we wouldn't go out. I do know many women who don't though.

waves to all the other widows, single and solo mums 👋🏼

I am very paranoid about drowning (a friend child drowned) and no way would I take mine to water park without 1:1 supervision, probably until they're old enough to drive there themselves!

Not quite the same but DH made friends with a dad at DD's ballet class, the other girl was the eldest of three children. He gave up on the friendship as the dad wasn't allowed out for play dates with just the eldest, they all had to come. Mum, dad, primary aged child, toddler and baby 😂

I remember meeting a friend for lunch when my ds was 2 months old...she brought another friend along who I hadn't met before. This woman kept on going on about how amazing it was that I'd managed to get up and dressed and out the house

Well before I had DC2 i took DC 1 everywhere. It does depend on the DC though. My second is disabled and can’t manage a lot of walking etc so one of us often has to leave early because of this. To be honest I don’t take both out on my own much now 😟

I do, and DH has alone days too. They are pretty well behaved so it is almost always an absolute pleasure to be with them. I do feel sorry for some friends who are unable to enjoy time like this as their kids are so badly behaved in public (well and in private too haha).

No, as every big day out is something both me and DH want to participate in.

The dynamics are different with different child/parent combinations too.

When I take my DSs on holiday (or even just days out) on my own we have such a different time to when we're with DH or when DH and the DSs are together without me - none are 'better' just different!

Of course! Why wouldn’t you? I don’t drive and my DH works weekends so I’m always doing days out by myself. Life would be very boring otherwise! Off the top of my head, I have done London zoo, aquarium, seeing family, London museums, light shows, Brighton beach, ice skating.

Yes and I bring other peoples children with me too sometimes.

Bonkers!

Yes - my DSS has SEN and it's harder to take all 3 children with TWO adults than it is one take the youngest two and 1:1 with the SEN teenager.

Erm yes? I’m a single parent to 4 if I didn’t take them out alone we would never go anywhere, we go all over; theme parks, beach trips, weekend breaks etc only thing I haven’t done is taken them abroad. 2 of them are autistic one severely so who receives hrc lrm and one mrc lrm and then 2 younger children so yes it’s hard but I manage. How I would love to be privileged enough to never have to take them out alone but I don’t have that luxury as their father doesn’t see them and I have no family help, the more you do it the more you get use to it.

That's really sad.

I will be taking mine abroad soon when I get their passports

I used to, yes. Not a theme park because XH would have wanted to go to that, too. But days out by train to museums etc.

It's been hard to do 1:1 after divorce because I haven't often have someone to leave the other DC with, but I do the occasional coffee and then also if one is at a party or on a trip.

This has reminded me of my old neighbours who had three DC. One and then twins. And Mr NDN told me with a completely straight face that they only went on holiday if his in-laws were available to go with them, because they needed a ratio of 1 adult to 1 child to do anything. I get that twins are extra work, but i thought that was a bit odd.bi often wonder if the in-laws still help out as much now the DC are older. They were round doing the housework and gardening virtually daily. Neighbours' house and garden were immaculate!