Is it selfish to go on a....

[Wafflesnaffler]

sponsored 10 day trek leaving a 14 month old with her Dad? I would love to do this next year (the Inca Trail, for Marie Curie) when my DD will be 14 months. DH thinks I should go for it, and he will have my Mum and his parents for help, but I am worried in case DD has separation anxiety by then. I don't know when clinginess starts (she is 6 months right now) but would it be awful to plan to go when there's a chance she will be at that clingy age?

i would go if i wanted ot

but i have reservations now about these treks

If you have the opportunity and DH and your mum are behind you then great.

However, DS was at his absolute height of separation anxiety 14-16 months, combined with teething and sleepless nights. In reality I would have felt pretty awful leaving my DH to that! But then you don't know what your DD will be like, and presumably the opportunities for the trek don't come up all that often?

I personally wouldn't unless it really is something you have always wanted to do and couldn't possibly postpone. Otherwise you can always do it the year after can't you? A 14 month old is still a baby and isn't going to understand that mummy is going away for 10 days but is coming back, they just know that you aren't there any more and this could be very traumatic. I'm not sure it's worth the risk if it's something you could easily do another time when she is older.

I don't get how the treks raise more money than they actually cost. Sponsered holidays to me.

Hmmm, thanks everyone for the input. Maybe it's a bit too risky really, I wouldn't want to leave her at a time she needs me most.

SaintRiven: the treks raise more than they cost because to take part you have to raise more than it costs! (Much more)

I don't see why not. The inca trail is fab. It's up to you to know how much you'll miss your dd, but I'm sure she'll be fine. Many parents leave their small children when they go on business trips.