never had a night away from kids in 10 years - can anyone beat that?

[chelsygirl]

no one to take them or we'd be off like a shot!

anyone worse off?

What a whole night without any children at all? We had one last year and our older one's 12. I think I beat you!

my eldest is 14 and the only time ive been away at night is to have his 2 brothers .......in fact i think weve only had about 5 nights out together in that time too ....lol

No, am with you - 10 years.

Eldest is almost 21y and like dippydeedo, only been away from them overnight to have one of the siblings. So not really as baby usually turned up not long after arriving at hospital.

I'm really jealous of parents with grans who take the kids overnight a lot

lots of my neighbours and friends are like this

Sorry but 10 years?

how do you and your DHs get any 'quality' time together (and a lie in, more to the point)

Am still reeling.....

WS, in short - we don't!

DS is six this year and he's had two nights sleeping over at his gran's, and boy did I have grand plans for nights out...bizarrely, both times he was away I got sudden and really nasty illnesses - the first time, severe earache and the second a migraine

I am DOOMED to never enjoy some child free time

But it's only the first couple of years when it's an issue really - after that the kids just get up and amuse themselves don't they?

ah foofi!

you'll learn

the only night i have had away from dd was my wedding night and she was in the same hotel with my mom and dad.

chelsygirl, do you not have any family around? That's my excuse anyway, we have no famly so I've been with my dc for 9 years ! Had a few nights out when staying with family but never over night. I guess the first time I'll not have one of them over night is when dd goes on her 4 day school residential this July! I'll probably go and stand next to her bed and stroke her teddies!

admylin my mum is 80 so too old, all my siblings 400 miles away

dh mum too old, his siblings not interested

so - no - no family!

It is really hard without family to help. I really envy my sister, she has our parents next door and her MIL over the road and her dh has 5 brothers and sisters living within walking distance. It's a totalyl different lifestyle!

it is totally different, I find myself getting really jealous and upset over the fact we have no help, it limits your life completely in terms of jobs/money/socialising etc etc

its the hardest thing about being a parent to me

they need to join cubs/scouts. We hadn't had a child free night(oldest 14), then last year the oldest two went off camping with scouts for two nights, the next one was invited to join them for a night as a cub so only had youngest to sort out and my mum had him for a night (she couldn't cope with all four) - it was fab, sx, lunch out, sx, dinner out, s8x, need i go on.
I do think the people who have loads of family support are really lucky, i would love my sisters and my mum and dad all living much closer geographically.

Not dh and me together, I don't think, but we've both been away on our own quite a bit.

I go to a 4-day conference once a year, it's my annual holiday.

And dh gets 4 weeks quality time all on his own every summer holiday when I and dc's go to stay with my family.

Both ds and dd have been on sleepovers (separately), dd went on the school residential trip last year- oh and dd has just spent 5 weeks in hospital.

Oh hang on, ome to think of it, dh and I did have a night in town on our own last summer after we'd been out for a meal.

But tbh being able to have some daytime free time would be more valuable still. You can always enjoy sex when the kids are asleep, but you can't go hillwalking!

CAn't you make friends and take it in turns to host sleepovers? I wouldn't do this with babies or young children (that is when you need grandparents) but once they get to school age (or 3 in our case!) I would be quite happy to do it.

loshad, they are both on the waiting lists!

I agree Chelsygirl sometimes I get really upset at the lack of family support, I don't even want a night away (although wouldn't say no if offered) a few hours to have lunch on my own with DP would be nice.

SIL looks after the DDs about 3 times a year for an afternoon but thats it.

It does really get to you when friends are able to work p/t because their family are their childcare and have nights out or just even go shopping for the afternoon.

true sweetkitty!

We didn't have a night away from the dc until they were 3, 12 and 15yo. Oh, I lie...I had a child-free night when dh was away and ds1 staying with friends after ds2 was rushed into hospital. But I don't think that counts.

My parents never had a child-free night ever, that I can think of. Mum got a few nights off when she had her appendix out in 1963 but that's it. Neither of my parents had siblings so they had no family help. Because of that, child-free time has never really featured on my agenda.

You've just reminded me. I did have a couple of child-free nights when I was in hospital having erpc. Hmmm forgot about that.

sad the only night away is giving birth or a hospital visit!

I think we can nearly match that. Eldest DS spent a few nights at my parents when DD was on the way but that was almost years ago. Eldest 2 have stayed there since then on a handful of occassions but DS#2 stayed with us. Friends keep offering to take them - they were going to for our 15th anniversary last October...but it didn't happen I was planning a weekend away for just the 2 of us. Maybe it will happen in time for our 20th....