what age have you sent dc to grandparents for holidays?

[mousymouseafraidofdogs]

without going yourself or only taking them and picking them up?
thinking of doing this the first time with dc 5y partly because of the language and partly because the summer holidays are soooo long.

How far away is it?

Ds spent a couple of nights with my mum at 15 months, bit longer towards 2. Erm, can't remember too much after that. He and dd spent a whole week there last summer so at 2 and a half and 3 and a half but I think they ahd been together for a week before that too......They have just been for most of half term. We tend to share the driving, we take them and maybe spend the weekend together then my parents bring them home. I wouldn't hesitate to send them off to another country together (family in France, my parents actually spend a lot of time there).

Should point out, when they go to my parents it is in the UK, not sent them out to France without us yet but I would do.

about 1000miles, so short flight or loooong drive. would be for one week or 2. dc has never been away from us so far...

That's not so bad. If I could drive to a place under my own steam then I would be fine with it. 1000 miles is nowt round these parts

My dcs (aged 5 and 22 months) have just spent a week with my parents for half term and loved it. THe little one is fine if her brother is around. She may be a bit lost if it was just her.

DD stayed with my parents for 11 days when she was 16 months - that was the first long trip.

It depends a bit on the grandparents too doesn't it - and how many, and what sort of, kids you have! I would probably be OK about sending my eldest (fairly sensible, resourceful, independent 6.5 year old girl) to my parents for a week, but tbh not about them accompanying her on either leg of the journey - esp as it'd be my mum who'd do it and she is a bit flakey these days and wouldn't focus on dd and watch her properly in the airport etc. No way on earth would I leave them alone with my slightly wild and much less self reliant 4 year old boy - let alone the mischievous, fast moving, non sleeping almost 10 month old! But my parents are physically relatively frail given they are not especially elderly, I don't think they could cope with a child not largely able to look after themselves any more, and they are much to set in their ways.

On the other hand if we were still in the UK I'd be happy dropping the 6 and 4 year old off with the in-laws, who are the same age as my parents but have a much younger attitude and are in much better physical shape, as I think they'd cope.

We first left the older 2 at the in-laws for a couple of nights when they were a bit over 3.5 and about 19 or 20 months. It is easier leaving 2 together at that age I think, as long as the grandparents are in good enough health to cope easily!

How well does your 5yo know her grandparents?

dh and I had visions of a night or two away on our own but realistically my parents are too old to cope with two very sweet but lively children. I would leave dd1 (4.5) with my mum for a few days but not both of them (dd2 is 2), so there won't be any romantic getaways for dh and myself . Always wonder if some of my RL friends realise how lucky they are to have a lot of relatives, often nearby. My parents and siblings are all the relatives my girls have, and their days with their only grandparents are numbered

both dc 5y and 2y would be too much for the grandparents.
we see them regularly via skype and go there 3 or 4 times a year for a week or a long weekend.

My two have spent up to a week with their grandparents, since they were quite little but not since we moved abroad three years ago. We talked about sending them home for a couple of weeks but I think that staying with my parents might now be too boring (my two are 12 and 11 and my parents are getting a bit frail now). My big sister said it would be better if they stayed with her and visited my parents lots. Not sure about that either!

DD has done overnights with my parents since she was about 7 months old. She stayed with them for a week at 11 months when DH and I went on honeymoon. She has stayed with them (in a different country) a few times since she turned 2 (various reasons - FIL's funeral on other side of world, visiting my parents when crèche was closed etc). Then she spent a month with them, aged 4, while we were waiting for DD2 to arrive. My parents have flown with her sometimes too.

The thing is - my parents house is like a second home to her, she adores them and has a ball when she's there. It also helps for my peace of mind that Mum is a paediatric nurse & teacher by training - so has the background & patience

I'd be doing it regularly still had we not just moved to the other side of the world. I think it's brilliant for their relationship. We certainly miss DD more than she ever missed us on these occasions!

Definitely depends on the grandparents. My parents have the dcs often, the dcs are completely at home there. MIL and her dh think dd is too much like hard work and won't have her but will have ds. I think as a result when we all go and stay (often) dd will not settle at night there and always ends up screaming and yelling and getting up until we go to bed and she falls asleep with us. Never have that problem anywhere else and tbh if they had her without us I bet she would go to bed fine. They may have to do it at some point very, very soon unless they want me refusing to let them have ds as I am not going to stand for playing favourites.