AIBU to say no to grandparents taking children abroad?

[Melissax90]

Hi everyone
I am looking for some options on something.
I have a DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) and my in-laws have asked my opinion on letting them take them abroad on their own, specifically to Spain. I wholeheartedly trust them completely and know they would be completely safe but still for me it is a hard no. I don't like the idea of them being in a different country especially if they needed me and I couldn't get there quickly.
My partner has said its completely my decision but he seemed quite open to the idea and although he hasn't said it I think he might feel I am being unreasonable.
So just for piece of mind, what does everyone think?
My decision is no and won't change but I'm just intrigued to see others options
x

My mum takes ours away sometimes, she’s taking them both (4 and 10) to the UK this summer, they’re doing two days in London and then five at a caravan park. They’re both already moaning that their holiday with grandma is ages away.

Taking a four year old abroad is very similar to taking a three or five year old abroad, if you met our daughter, you’d realise taking one of her isn’t too different to taking several average four year olds as shes a complete menace.

1. this is a 3 and 5 year old. Whereas your 4 year old had their 10 year old sibling there
2. yours is a UK short holiday. This is abroad.

Does your youngest co sleep? Surely you can see that if a dc is physically very attached to parents then it could cause issues.

Pre school is too young to be in another country with grandparents imo particularly if they co sleep at home.

The UK is abroad, a good chunk of the planet don’t live in the UK.

Yes she does most nights, she does now every now and again opt to start the night in her own bed. She always sleeps with grandma when she goes away with her, and sometimes opts to sleep in grandmas bed when she stays here.

You should maybe be clear when you're posting, if you say granny takes your young kids on hol in the UK of course it sounds you live in the UK.

She doesn’t drive them for 23ish hours to get to the UK, they fly.

But even so, for relatives to take preschoolers to a different country, why? Surely all countries have holiday parks etc there no need for planes and long trips with grandparents with such young kids.

Ours went to centerparcs pre teen I certainly wouldn't have been waving them off at airports at that age.

I said to the UK, I thought that was the correct way to write it?

Oh whatever if you say 'to the UK' though it isn't clear you're sending very young kids abroad with granny.

Apologies, thats how I’ve been taught English as a second language.

I left my kids age 4 and 6 abroad with grandparents for a week. We flew out first for a week then they joined and I went home. My parents have been involved with my children since they were born, they have a great relationship and have taken them on many trips since including abroad which they have loved

Portugal.

I would say no, and maybe revisit at 13&15. Why do they want to do it?

My friend has two parents very professional, top of career etc. but both pushing 70. They got caught up in those terrible floods in Spain a few years ago. It was quite the experience and made my friend realise their age a bit more. They disguise it well here where they are very in control and know what’s what, but in a foreign language in an unknown place they were really quite vulnerable. How do you think in-laws would fare in an emergency abroad?

There's no need to apologise I'm the last person to pull anyone up on meanings usually but on a uk site surely your location is relevant in this context.

So, say you lived in Australia and relatives taking very young kids to the UK that would seem crazy long flights etc, Europe not so bad. Although Portugal would seem a much nicer location for any hol tbh.

You live in Portugal as do your grandchildren…. And yet you travel to the Uk for 5 days to stay in a caravan park? I’d have thought a caravan park in Portugal would have been just as nice, with guaranteed nice weather and not involve a flight @Simonjt !

In any event… comparing a 10 year old and a 5 year old is daft

I don’t live in Portugal, I also don’t have any grandchildren! Due to additional needs he isn’t anywhere near ten developmentally.

Huh?

but your children do live in Portugal? Thoroughly confused!