HOw many of you leave your kids home?

[bplazo]

I never vacationed until my daughter was seven years old and would enjoy it herself and I would not take a cruise without her since she enjoys it as much as I did and I enjoyed being with her. As far as leaving her with her grandparents, nope. My parents are not "kid" friendly and would not watch the grandkids.

[dannymissy]

Dan and I are going without my son, who will be five at the time of the cruise. He will be spending that week with his father, and will have a blast I'm sure. Dan and I are in a long-distance relationship, and we get to spend very little time together as it is. I am in "single mom" mode most of the time, and I just feel like it's fine for us to enjoy this without my son. This is a big, important week for Dan and I, and I don't feel bad for leaving DS behind at all. Dan left it entirely up to me, he was open to DS coming with us, and I think kind of bummed actually, when I decided to leave him behind...a decision that took exactly 3 seconds flat! Someday though, I'd like to take him.

[chipmaster]

Our first cruise when the kids were 5 and 3 and it was our 10th anniversary we left them with grandmom, regretted it! Since then they enjoyed it so, and almost any other vacation that we always take them with us. Vacation by definition is time with the kids. Time flies way to quickly and soon they will be off to college and the vacations will be just the DW and me I couldn't imagine not wanting to spend every bit of vacation time with them, yeah I'm strange. In a few years I'll have decades of special time with just the wife. Already so many of our dinners we don't have the whole clan togather :(

 

Just curious how many people leave their kids at home with grandparents (or similar) while they cruise?

 

My kids (9, 10, 11) loved their first cruise this year, but my husband and I are thinking of a 7 day "just us" cruise for our anniversary.

 

I feel bad leaving them home since they were well behaved and had such a great time. But I like the idea of me and hubby time.

 

Thanks for any input.

[MzShelle2U]

As a mother of 3 (a DS-9 1/2 months, DD-6, DS-8) I know what it's like to have to pick and choose what vacations to take the kids on and when to leave them. I've taken a few vacations with the DH to places such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Virginia Beach without the kids. I know that my mom usually rounds the grand kids up and takes them to Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Great Wolf and Kings Dominion when she has time off of work. I decided to take them on a cruise with us because I wanted us to experience this as a family. I liked that there were things for the kids to do(Camp Carnival) so that the hubby and I could still have our quality time. The kids are excited about the whole cruise. They don't even want to hang with us. They want to go to Camp Carnival as soon as we get on the ship.:D It also gives them the opportunity to see the world. I tell them that they should be lucky, not many kids get to experience things like this.

 

 

 

[illinoismomof4]

Our first vacation in 13 years, last one I was pregnant with DD who is 13, We took the older two to Chicago for the week, Now older two 23, 19 are in college and do their own vacation. We have since had DS who is 11, so as we have never vacationed alone, was not about to start now. So 13, 11 are coming with us. In 27 years of marriage it has always been about the kids. There is time for him and I when the last one goes off to college.

[guineverekay]

Our situation is a little weird. My husband works and gets one week of vacation a year...usually in Sep. My two sons are both in high school with a typical schedule. I am a sahm and homeschool our daughter.

 

Since DD and I can be flexible, I sometimes travel just with her (leaving all the men home to be bachelors) and sometimes I travel alone with all three kids, sometimes we travel as a family and occasionally my husband and I travel alone and leave the kids with grandparents. And of course, the kids occasionally go on trips with other family members without me / us or school trips.

 

I figure it all works out in the end if everyone gets to go somewhere once or twice a year. And if Mommy gets to go a little more often than everyone else...well, what's the harm in that? ;)

[neeneelyn]

I'e been on two cruises so far. We brought our youngest on the first cruise only because he was still nursing. This November will be just for DH and I. My mom is coming into town to watch our 5 boys. We neeeed us time. :)

 

Bankerbabe I am taking you up on the offer for your notarized form for the kids. I have been meaning to have one drawn up for DH as well, he is step parent to the four older boys.

[bfkkbc]

Just curious how many people leave their kids at home with grandparents (or similar) while they cruise?

 

My kids (9, 10, 11) loved their first cruise this year, but my husband and I are thinking of a 7 day "just us" cruise for our anniversary.

 

I feel bad leaving them home since they were well behaved and had such a great time. But I like the idea of me and hubby time.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Yep Kids stay at home!!! We do a family vacation in the summer and DH and I cruise in the winter.:D

[zstell]

Our first 2 cruises were by ourselves. Since then, we usually take the kids once a year and go by ourselves and/or with my in-laws once a year. This year I am also going with my sister for her first cruise, by OURSELVES!!!! My kids love cruising and I love being with them. I also love being with the man I married, not just "dad". My oldest is now a mom and we sent her and her hubby on a cruise for her birthday and kept our grand-daughter. Next April we are taking our 3 year old grand-daughter (without mom and dad) and our 3 boys, that is going to be different, our youngest was 9 the first time we took them.

 

Guilt is a huge waste of energy, I enjoy every second away from the tremendous responsibilities of being a mother. Then, I am able to enjoy those same responsibilities when I am home :)

[cuted126]

Just curious how many people leave their kids at home with grandparents (or similar) while they cruise?

 

My kids (9, 10, 11) loved their first cruise this year, but my husband and I are thinking of a 7 day "just us" cruise for our anniversary.

 

I feel bad leaving them home since they were well behaved and had such a great time. But I like the idea of me and hubby time.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

 

I have been on 5 cruises,my son has only been on one. I kinda feel bad typing that out,but I do love the time me and the hubby get on cruises. I think next year we will do a family one,but I think the majority of the cruises we go on will just be us.

[beetle9]

we have taken our kids most times but we have done some latley by ourselves. We tool our son dil and grandson with us last yr and all had a good time. It helps when we could watch the gs some nights and they would have him other nights.went on trans atlantic last yr and just us 30 yr anv.:)

[dengirl]

This is my husbands and my first cruise and we are leaving them home. This is a late honeymoon .19 years late to be exact. Lol. And its also for out 19 wedding anniversary that was last may.. I feel bad but the fact I am going to have so much fun makes the guilt go away.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

Kids are going on their first cruise this year...I love going on vacation with my kids but I also love having a few without them...

 

Try it and see if you like it!!

[dane225]

Just curious how many people leave their kids at home with grandparents (or similar) while they cruise?

 

My kids (9, 10, 11) loved their first cruise this year, but my husband and I are thinking of a 7 day "just us" cruise for our anniversary.

 

I feel bad leaving them home since they were well behaved and had such a great time. But I like the idea of me and hubby time.

 

Thanks for any input.

We usually try to bring our girls on a cruise each year and my DH and I take a cruise by ourselves each year for our Anniversary. They stay home with the grandparents and we enjoy ourselves on our anniversary cruise!!

[UpstateCruizer]

My dh and I take one alone couple vacation every year and the boys stay behind for that one. This started when they were 16 & 19 though. I don't know how I'd feel about leaving them behind when they were younger if we were cruising. I'd have no problem if it were a land vacation though since I'd be accessible at any time. My dh and I also have "date night" every Friday night and it's just us. I think it's important to have that time alone :)

[Ren1216]

Not really on purpose, but it seems we take the kids along every other cruise. I love the alone time. They, however, hate being left behind. Whiners!! :D

[GuitarPlayer]

...Just don't ask if the little darlings can stay with *us*.

 

Love it!

 

GP

[GuitarPlayer]

Check the .sig.

 

Only 1 so far have we taken our 5 DD's with us.

 

Yes they hate us talking about going again, and it was a wonderful time, but alone time with your spouse is very important. It is important to show the kiddos that your marriage is important to you as well.

 

Funny story...DW and I were sitting in the Dallas Airport on the way back to KC from a cruise out of Miami. Next to us was a couple with a couple of kids. DW got to talking to the gal and the other gal found out we were coming back from a cruise.

 

Somewhere in the conversation, DW said "We figure going on a cruise every so often is cheaper than marriage counseling."

 

The other gal looked at us strangely and said, "Well, I'm a marriage counselor, and if you keep doing that, you'll never need me!" We had no idea she was a counselor! :p

 

GP

 

P.S. No marriage counselors in our future!

[GlendaleCruiser]

Not really on purpose, but it seems we take the kids along every other cruise. I love the alone time. They, however, hate being left behind. Whiners!! :D

 

Yeah. Tell them to "get a job".;)

[bobbyleduck]

Just curious how many people leave their kids at home with grandparents (or similar) while they cruise?

 

My kids (9, 10, 11) loved their first cruise this year, but my husband and I are thinking of a 7 day "just us" cruise for our anniversary.

 

I feel bad leaving them home since they were well behaved and had such a great time. But I like the idea of me and hubby time.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

They won't let us bring our goats on the ship, so they all have to stay home!:D

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[DiamondBill102]

We try and do two cruises a year.......We go in August on a 5 day with our 12 year old son. Than we go just me and the Mrs on a 7 day cruise.

[hockeyluver]

Just curious how many people leave their kids at home with grandparents (or similar) while they cruise?

 

My kids (9, 10, 11) loved their first cruise this year, but my husband and I are thinking of a 7 day "just us" cruise for our anniversary.

 

I feel bad leaving them home since they were well behaved and had such a great time. But I like the idea of me and hubby time.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

We brought ours on the first 5 with us, but the next 3 were on our own and we loved every minute of it!! the perfect way to remember the reasons why you fell in love in the first place. Now our youngest dd is going into College (2nd year but first away from home) so we are treating her and a friend, in February we are taking our older dd and her friend, then after that they are on thier own. :p

[slynn111]

Hubby and I are going on our first cruise in January. We're celebrating our 20th anniversary. The kids are staying here. They are 18, 15, and 11. I don't feel too bad, since we've taken them to Disneyland, Sea World, several fantastic zoos around the country, and the Oregon Coast several times.

[nurse who loves to cruise]

Just curious how many people leave their kids at home with grandparents (or similar) while they cruise?

 

My kids (9, 10, 11) loved their first cruise this year, but my husband and I are thinking of a 7 day "just us" cruise for our anniversary.

 

I feel bad leaving them home since they were well behaved and had such a great time. But I like the idea of me and hubby time.

 

Thanks for any input.

A strong and happy Marriage is a strong and Happy Family. My husband have sailed twice without our babies and we are sailing again for our 10th wedding annivasary. Our kids are 5,7,9

[Crusin6]

we take all 4 of them with us and the only time we will be leaving one behind is next year....but that is only because she is an adult with many college responsibilites and cannot come with us unfortunately.

 

We don't even think of leaving the others behind because we have way too much fun on vacation together.

 

Oh and the thought of leaving them with the in laws is frightening:eek: