How often have you left your kids in their lifetime?

[Isitjustme20]

Just wondering!

That's correct. It depends on every family. Well done on the marathon!!

@Globules Did your friends still want to adopt after they had looked after your children!

Sorry Globules, this isn't a real question, it was supposed to be a joke, but sadly I am not that great at making jokes up...🙈

My almost-4yo has been left maybe 4 times for 1 to 3 nights? My 2yo, I think, just twice for one night each time. 2 toddlers is hard work for grandparents!

One night, less tan 24 hours
In 11 years

Never for holidays (2.5 years). I know people who do go away for holidays and enjoy it though, and their DCs don't seem traumatised or to have spontaneously combusted or anything - do what is right for you and your family.

So eldest is 24 (but still have younger ones) in twenty four years we have had two holidays- 1 week away each time. And we do a weekend away maybe once a year (2 to 3 nights) plus any stag/hen/birthday events. Odd nights away once or twice a year.

Never. We have zero childcare options, it’s fine really. I’m looking forward to those school residentials, may book a short break with DH when they happen.

I used to go weekend breaks about twice a year. They were a lifesaver. He was between the ages of 3 and 9.

For a holiday only once, and it was only two nights away.

They spend the night at with their grandparents relatively often though (probably monthly). And my DH's parents have taken them for 2 nights to visit their parents, DDs' great grandparents.

I've left them more than DH, for a holiday DH only once I think and that was our honeymoon for 4 nights.

But I leave them at least once a year for a camping weekend. (ds 6 and dd 2)

Never for holiday - never overnight for 3 yr old, once or twice overnight with 6 yr old very much loved grandparents.

Never.

About 20 times. I work away for at least 4 weeks if not 8 weeks a year and have also gone away for ocassional couple time (one every couple of years).
Normally they are with their dad. Rarely grandparents come to stay and look after them.

Ages 7-11. First left them overnight about 6 months but only for a night.

Mine are 6 and 2. 6yo has had about 7 nights of sleepovers with GPs over the years (they live abroad so we see them a couple of times a year). But it was just one night at a time and we saw them again in the daytime (it was just for the fun of a sleepover rather than childcare, since we still had our 2yo with us). And I spent 2 nights in hospital when I had dc2, when DH was with dc1.

I breastfed dc1 at bedtime until she was aged 3.5, and I'm still breastfeeding dc2 and I wouldn't be happy to let someone else do the bedtime routine until I stopped, probably around 3.5 as well. She could cope but it's part of her routine and helps her feel secure.

DS(16) spends 20 nights each year with his dad.

He's spent about 12 nights in the school boarding house over the last 5 years - I was either in hosp or travelling for work.

He's been on PGL twice, and four senior school trips.

I think that's it. No grandparents or close family so it's just us. He'll fly the nest in a couple of years so I'm enjoying the last bits of his childhood. I don't feel the need to get away from him.

I've never been on holiday without DD. DH often goes on trips with his hobby. I do too but we don't share a hobby so we don't go together!
DD has shared my hobby so she's usually on these trips with me.
She's had school/college residentials and sleepovers but DH and I just like holidays with our children. It what suits us.

Loads. We were lucky enough to have local very involved grandparents and went away regularly for weekends without our DDs.

Apart from school and nursery , never. They are 5 & 6.

We used to go away for our anniversary weekend. I think we did that three times before my DH passed away, so kids would have been about two and four the first time. I then went away for some reason again for a weekend - so four times for short periods?
No relatives close by we had a friend's baby stay and when I went away a friend and her husband.
My own parents went away about once a year for a week or so just the two of them, we had paid babysitter to mind us.
I do have friends who travel for work and have left their kids loads of times but usually husband is at home.

On holiday? Never. We have no childcare. We’ve never even left them overnight (eldest is 11). This isn’t by choice.

I've been to court as a witness for a few hours plus did 5 weeks of 20 hours at work.
Really don't enjoy being away from my DS so at 14 months that's all. Wouldn't consider a holiday without him

Once - when in hospital after having the second one . Just didn’t have people to leave them with and when they were small I really didn’t want to anyway . I’m not counting their own nights away on school trips , sleepovers etc . They are teens

Very interesting replies thank you all! I was wondering as the kids get older whether I could join an evening club once a week but I didn’t want to not be there for them!

Absolutely. It's also a good thing for them to be comfortable with someone other than you putting them to bed occasionally.

I go away at least once a year (on my own), but probably more than that if you count the rare few times Dh and I have been away together and the nights here and there that I’m away for work or to attend a course or a retreat or something like that. I’d say 4-5 times a year if you count even a night away. But definitely I go on holiday without them every year and have since they were toddlers. I went to Australia for work for 2 weeks when eldest was 16 months. She had a lovely time with Dh.

My eldest is 11 now. She’s been on many sleepovers, residentials, went to France for 6 days with school. Dh and I also take them both on holiday 1 to 1 as well so lots of times they have been away with Dh without me.