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Leaving children for the first time

2 replies

Roberts551 · 25/10/2026 21:24

Hi everyone

This might seem ridiculous but I’m so worried about it. It’s our ten year anniversary this week so we’re having a night away. The children(8 & 2.5) are staying at their grandparents for the night. The eldest has done it before when their sibling was born. The youngest is very particular and has a speech delay so can’t communicate much and I’m so worried about leaving him. He cries every time I leave him and sometimes gets completely hysterical, even if he calms down I know it’ll be dreadful actually leaving him with him screaming and then I’ll be worried all day. He’s very particular and has his little ways, I’ll tell the grandparents but they don’t listen that much and I’m just worried I’ll get back to a very sad child. I’ve told him what’s happening but he doesn’t understand.

Bound up with this is when we booked it we thought his speech would be better and he would be so much more grown up than he is now but he is still very babyish. He’ll have his sister and his grand parents are lovely and will try their best etc so I’m trying to be rational but nobody really understands.

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YouToMeAreEverything · 25/10/2026 21:33

It's not ridiculous, your feelings are valid as they're your feelings.

If you're uncomfortable, personally I wouldn't go; there will be other anniversaries.

I have two (4 and 8 on our tenth anniversary) and we decided to spend our ten year anniversary with them, and went away for the weekend together. Wasn't quite as I'd envisaged when we got wed and were child-free (think Bora Bora rather than an air BnB by the coast!) but I wasn't comfortable leaving them and so didn't. We made some lovely memories.

Like you I'd left the elder one with grandparents a couple of times for the night, before she had a sibling, but she was very different to the younger one and wasn't as clingy as the then 4yo was. She loved the attention of the grandparents and having a stay away from home, but the younger one finds it very difficult to be away from me. They're only little once so I lean into it as much as I can. She'll soon grow out of it.

seahorsessky · 25/10/2026 21:46

Just go round and see all grandparents/family/friends you might leave them with regularly, doesn't have to be for long, so they get used to it. You never know when emergencies will come up (you might be young and fit now, but that can change for anyone), so it's good to have kids used to staying elsewhere. It makes things less stressful when life happens.
Plus it's really important for your kids that you get time as a couple. A happy marriage is as important for your kids as for you.

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