Those of you with kids, how often do you vacation without them?

[sherin65]

We have three kids 21, 17, 13. We've only been away once without them (to Vegas about 11 years ago). The oldest often stays home(like the past two years he hasn't gone with us for land based trips or on our cruises, he doesn't like to travel and he works full time, etc.)

 

How often do you travel without your kids? Do you also cruise without them?

 

Sher

[jetskier]

Hi Sher,

Last year we only took the oldest (10) on our cruise and left the 4 year old with our SIL. This year we took a cruise in Jan without them and will be going on another without them in Sept. We go mostly for the scuba diving and it is hard with little ones with you. We do have a family cruise together for Oct.

 

It is too expensive for us to travel in the summer months when I can schedule several in the off-season. The girls will be pulled out of school for that week in Oct but we look at it as a learning experiance for them.

 

Dave

[scubapuss]

Hi, I have 3 girls 16,16 and 17. We go on a girls vacation once a yrear. This year we are going on freedom. We go camping a few times. I go to vegas 2 times a year without them. They go for 2 week vacations with there dad to Mexico every year plus camping so they don't feel bad when they can't go with me. I like to get away.

[music]

We have two, 14, and 17. We took out first trip without them for our 20th anniversary. BLI stayed with then. That was four years ago. We vacationed with friends last summer while the oldest was at camp, and the younger one was with a group of cousins. Next one will hopefully be next march for our 25th anniversary and with any luck, BIL will stay with them again.

 

We have cruise with them and done land vacations also. DD will be away at camp this summer for 4 weeks and we will take ds and a friend to Williamsburg.

[njcamper]

How often do you travel without your kids?

Sher

 

Never. However, if my son did not want to go, I would have no problem going without him.

[Nliedel]

We get away with the kids once a year and without the kids once a year. It makes for family fun and a marriage renewal. The best of both worlds. I also try to get away without the family for a few days every year. Gives me time to work in peace. I really believe this makes us a tighter family. Of course I work from home. If I worked outside the house I might not take off on my own.

[Crackerjack]

We go away for a long weekend (or longer) once a year. We don't go on "dates" very often anymore, so wrap it into an extended weekend. We recently went on a 3 night cruise with friends that had never left their kids, ages 7 and 3 overnight. After their initiate bout of guilt they had a wonderful time!

 

I highly recommend it and think it's a great way to support our marriage!!!

 

:)

[lauren0309]

We usually take our kids on vacation but have left them home. We went away 3 times without them so far. We went to Vegas, and took 2 cruises without them. In January we are taking our 5th cruise. This one will be without them also. My oldest who is 23 lives somewhere else so he's out on his own now, my other son is 18 and in college and my youngest we just took to Disneyworld but he'll be staying home with my MIL when we go on our cruise in January. We'll be celebrating my birthday and our anniversary!

[Stacylee]

We did about every other one without the children. It depended on where we went and their ages. There was also 7 years age difference between them so I took my older DD while my son stayed with an Aunt when he was very little.

2 reasons - we are not wealthy, but I am very 'frugal' so we ocassionally travel on shorter notice and it might be easier to snatch up a deal with just 2. Also, I feel VERY strongly that travel is a very important part of learning and life experiences. Therefore, I wanted my children to be able to appreciate the travel so they didn't go on big trips until they were about 6 or 7.

My dd is 21 now (and can pay her own way LOL) and she STILL talks about how boring the Hoover Dam was (she was 7 at the time). Well, she may not have enjoyed that part of the trip, but she sure does remember it!!!

 

We are also blessed to have relatives close by that had no problem watching them if we took a trip without the kids.

[Mattismom]

We have 4 children--we take several trips a years with them and several without them. Nice family time plus--great mommy and daddy time!!:)

[mom3kids]

My husband and I took our very first cruise in April for our 10 year anniversary. We have three kids; ages 5, 3, and 1 and we have never been away without them. WE LOVED IT! I stay at home with them and just really needed a break. We had all intentions of taking them with us next time, but have decided to do our cruises just us for a while. We still take them on vacations to the beach and mountains, but feel that the cruises are special for us. When they get older, maybe? I love my children dearly, but I also love my husband with all my heart and soul. After the children grow up and get married it will be just me and him. I always try to make a point to have date nights every week or two. I believe a marriage takes a lot of work and I feel that we give it 100%.

[SraLiz]

We have been married 14 years and have implemented this plan since our first child was born (13 years ago).

 

Every other year we take a big family vacation. On the odd year my husband and I go on a big vacation. We take at least 3 to 4 overnights or weekends without the kids each year.

 

We usually take at least one long weekend with the kids also.

 

We have three kids (13, 11, 9) and every thrid year, they pick the destination for their birthday and that weekend is a Mommy and me Birthday Bash! Usually with the grils its shopping, but I will say with my son I have experienced some fun times. NYC through a 10 year old boys eyes is totally different than with a girl!

 

We take family vacations in the summer. I am a teacher and believe that we have enough vacation time built into our schedual, so I wouldn't take them or myself out of school.

 

I believe in couple time, family time and personal time too!

[viper88]

We take a vacation with friends of ours from Michigan without kids. It is generally Labor Day weekend. My in-laws watch the kids. It gives them time with their grandkids. We also take at least one family vacation this year.

[TheWog]

Our last cruise we left our son at home and we won't go again without him. We went to Jamaica on our own in 03, but we missed him too much last time and wished he was with us. He is growing up so fast that I bet there will come a time where he won't want to come with us so we will enjoy it now to the fullest. Disney in November, Freedom in Jan 08. Those are the current "big" vacations planned.

[yj2cute]

We usually take the kids away once a year and then cruise without them. I took my kids on cruises previously, but it wasn't a great experience on the Conquest with them, so now, I've vowed that I won't cruise with them again. My oldest is 20, so she does her own thing. I'm a firm believer that parents definitely need away time alone together. Helps keep the fires burning if you know what I mean. ;)

[Guest ettersja]

Never, we have four girls 25 & (sil),18,17 & 15 and a 11/2 yr old grandson. The girls have always traveled with us except for this next cruise my oldest is having another baby so they won't be able to make it. It just wouldn't be the same, we do a lot together as a family.

[Green Eyed Mom99]

We have a one and only child, a son, we have been on one trip without him, when he was about 1. He is 18 and is graduating high school next week. I am going to cherish this cruise with him, he's got his own cabin with a friend across the hall, but we'll still be together at dinner and land excursions. We're going to be empty nesters next year, so I'm sure there will be plenty of trips without him and some still with him in the summer.

[lovemylab]

I don't have children but when I was growing up my parents would often vacation without me. They had family vacations that included me and also went away alone as well.

[land lover]

When our first went off to college we had our "last" family vacation during his Senior year in HS over spring break......we now are doing most of our vacations alone. It is impossible to coordinate with kids as they reach their teens, they have more commitments than we do.:)

 

I also must add, When we planned family vacations it is mostly around their interests, now that it is just us we get to pick where we want to go which is far more exotic.

 

Don't feel bad about leaving older children home alone, they love it, and ours have done a responsible job....yes a few parties..but we have a signed contract before we leave and for the most part they have followed through.

 

P.S....we have always taken vacations without our kids, but have been lucky enough to have family members to trade off babysitting when they were younger.

[friarfan]

We usually take one vacation, typically a cruise, without the kids every year. My wife and I travel with some friends and we all leave the kids home. Great for the marriage. We also take a vaction with the kids every year. Best of both worlds, although very different experiences.

[Onessa]

We are a family of three - me, DH, and DD (10YO). We takes at least two "big" vacations each year as well as long weekends "up north" or other destinations. DD is a great traveler and interested in all sorts of things - she enjoyed the Ufficio in Florence just as much as our snorkeling adventure in Hawaii. I've never felt at all limited by her interests.

 

Our marrage isn't "sagging":D - so I don't know that we need a romantic retreat w/o DD to "support" it.

 

DH charperoned my DD's class field trip to the state capitol on Wednesday. When I was tucking her in on Wednesday night she said that she had a great time but was sad because I wasn't there to share it with her and daddy.

[caribbean dreams]

We take our kids on vacation with us twice a year, We always ask if they want to go, they are grown now and still prefer to come with us, we so manage to runaway by ourselves a few times a year.

[dillybar92]

Never. We have a 14 yo DS and before we know it he will moved out and doing his own vacations. With how crazy life is it is wonderful to have great family time together without schedules, errands, practices, etc! We have taken him on cruises, Vegas, and Europe.

[sicsinohio]

Last time we took a family vacation was 1997. We used to take the kids camping and then we went to Florida a couple times with them. After that, work, school, and sports schedules kept us from vacationing at all, other than to take the kids to baseball tournaments and such. Three years ago, when they were almost 15 and almost 18, we went on our first cruise and left the kids at home. They both had school and we had a family friend stay with them. The next year, they stayed home alone without incident, and this year the younger one stayed home alone (the older one has moved out). We had friends check on him each day, and we called home several times (the cell phones worked except in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Martin). Next summer we're taking the younger one on his first cruise as his graduation (from high school) present. The older one never wanted to go.

[Sandra*]

We have three children (13,11,4) and do both trips with them and without them. It has really been decided on by what the cost of the trip was and whether it was a last minute thing or planned vacation. We take them wherever we would go on our own but it is nice sometimes to not have to worry about them and just enjoy my vacation...a little relaxing time for me! We plan two trips each year usually - one with them and one without.