New York with a 4 year old…ridiculous?

[Clare0783]

I would really love to take my 4 year old boy (only turned 4 in Jan) to New York next month (March) but my other half isn’t so keen. Am I being completely ridiculous?! We’ve both been before pre-kid and the trip involved lots of eating, drinking and about 20k steps a day, my 4 year old will obviously not want to partake in any of the above! Just wondered if anyone had any good experiences? TIA

I love a city break with kids. There are loads of things you can do e.g. natural history museum, the high line, a show, central park, the zoo or aquarium, a boat ride. Just don't try to do too much in one day, and maybe stay in an apartment hotel or airbnb so you don't have to eat out 3 times a day which can get a bit much with kids, and also saves you having to sit quietly in the dark after he's gone to sleep

They would have enjoyed splashing around in puddles in the park at that age, and meeting people out and about there.

The weather will be awful. Parks won't be fun for your child unless he likes rain, wind, sleet, and snow.

If your planned trip is around the 17th March, you may or may not enjoy St Patrick's Day in the city.

Early summer is nicer in NYC for kids.

If you want to go to the US in March, go south for better weather. Savannah and Charleston are nice.

Look, I’m not sure what you want me to say?! We’ve taken our kids to lots of far flung places. They enjoyed themselves at the time and whilst they might have enjoyed something closer to home just as much, we wanted to go. That’s how this sort of thing usually works. Parents fancy going somewhere and take the kids along.
You’re obviously not as adventurous as us and that’s ok - it takes all sorts. I’m not going to apologise for having taken my kids to exotic places though and your continued pursuit of something here is... well, bizarre.

My experience with a 5 year old was fine. You need to obviously lower your expectations but could be fun. This was a while ago but we went to Central Park, toys shop, museums, Statue of Liberty, Dumbo among other things and we had lots of options for eating food suitable for kids.

I am adventurous and love my holidays, to various locations across the world.

Just it seems a shame your kids will not really remember them properly when they're older. These sorts of holidays you want to remember. But they won't.

They won’t remember the earlier ones. We will though. They’ll remember the ones when they are older. That’s still not a reason not to take them when they’re younger. Experiences shape minds. ETA and hopefully they won’t be cross that we chose to travel with them as young children.

DC was 3 when we came back to live in UK after toddler/preschool time in New York. It was a good place to live short term on many levels.

But keeping to relevance to your post OP - lots to do, lots of lovely playgrounds in Central Park and other parks, great food, if you need to use a stroller New Yorkers won't judge you as their kids are often still in them at 4. Jet lag can be a problem on a short trip, but you will all feel a bit like that not just the little one. The subway can be a bit scary with a small child, but no worse than London Underground. Don't go in the height of summer if you don't like really hot cities, don't go in the winter/Feb 1/2 term if you don't like it cold.

We took DS2 when he was 5 (only just 5!) for my 40th Birthday. He absolutely loved it, walked miles.
My only regret is that he can’t really remember it whereas DS1 was 11 so has all the memories. He’s now 14 and desperate to go back

We took our five year old and she loved it! Stand outs for her were Museum of Ice Cream, Eloise Afternoon Tea at the Plaza and basketball in Brooklyn.

My 3 year old simply loves city breaks and 8 hour flights…

🙄

Please get real. This is about what you want, not the child. Whatever you think they’ll ‘like’ about a long haul city break you could just as easily do in Birmingham or Manchester. And they won’t remember that either. And yes, you’ll have photos but by the time they’re old enough to appreciate the photos they won’t care less.

Please don’t fly when you can show them big city parks and buildings anywhere. And let’s face it, to a 2/3/4/5 year old, that’s all it is.

Screamingabdabz city breaks are great and the real waste of time is a Disney holiday because that's something they might need to remember if you feel you are doing it for them.

We were living in New York with a toddler/preschooler. He didn't really remember it when we went back but did want to go to some places we'd been that he seen photos of. We were in Florence twice when he was 4 and once when he was 7. He got a lot out of those trips and did remember stuff. Ice cream, toy shop, big naked man statue 🤣, English bookshop

This is about what you want, not the child.

So? All of our holidays have been to places we want to go, the kids just come along with.

I’ve had a great time with kids in NYC. Eldest was 18mths when we first took them, and visited fairly frequently since including last time with a 7.5 year old and a just turned 4 year old. They loved it and we had a great time.

You just need to adjust your expectations. And take a pushchair even if you don’t still use it at home. They will nap a lot with the jet lag and means you can just crack on with seeing the city.

I never went abroad as a child, it hasn't affected me as a grown up.

I had experiences and travelled a lot in this country instead, and traditions of going to places year after year. Which I remember very fondly.
I went to a British island when I was 7 on holiday. I remember bits and bats but the overall holiday I do not remember very clearly.

Erm.. good? Nobody has suggested not travelling in childhood would adversely affect someone. We could afford to take our children to the places we wanted to visit when they were young. They enjoyed it, we enjoyed it. Win, win.
Some people can’t afford those sorts of trips and stay closer to home. Neither experience is wrong.

And this interaction is weird.