Vacation with our without your kids

[TravelingGal]

That should have read with OR without. Poll question below.

 

[steph72276]

Both!! We just did a 10 day family vacation and are planning a 3 day trip to Vegas alone later this year. Best of both worlds

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/14/2010 2:43:23 PM
Author: FL Steph
Both!! We just did a 10 day family vacation and are planning a 3 day trip to Vegas alone later this year. Best of both worlds

Agree, but I''m talking about ONE vacation. And your IDEAL one.

 

[steph72276]

Hmmm, if I could only do 1, we would go as a family. But I do think it''s important to get away for alone time too.

 

[TravelingGal]

If I could only do 1, I''d leave the kid at THIS stage. When she''d older, we''d probably take her. But we do plenty of fun things near home, and taking her as a toddler would be more work than fun. Plus with only one vacation, I''d want to take that precious time to spend time with TGuy as a couple...it would be more important to me to focus on each other with the usual kid distractions.

We are lucky enough to be doing both this year...1 trip to Carmel for just us, and one trip to Hawaii with the kid. I''ll be curious to see which one I like better.

 

[steph72276]

TGal, that is a good point...before we moved to FL, we actually took our son on a couple of vacations to Disney, once when he was 2 and once when he was 3. A few weeks ago he said "Mom, I''ve never been to Disneyworld". Yeah, he totally didn''t remember it. He''s old enough to remember things now though so that''s why I would choose to go as a family if I could only do one.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Our last vacation was our honeymoon 5 years ago, but if we should ever get to go again with will be sans kids. I feel like if you take young children it''s just the same sh!t somewhere else. That said, growing up we always went on family vacations and they all ended up the same way - my mom being ticked that we (meaning me, my sister and dad) didn''t want to to tourist-y things with her. She''d cry or yell at us and say that we were all ungrateful and awful to her blah blah blah. When the kids are older (like tweens +) then it could be fun if the family can agree on where to go and what to do.

 

[february2003bride]

My ideal vacation for would be withOUT my kids, which is surprising! But it comes down to that right now both DH and I feel like we need to recharge our batteries for ourselves and our marriage. While we always have a great time when we go on vacation as a family, I usually come home feeling like I need a vacation from my vacation!

 

[Mara]

Umm guess which one I chose?

Without big time... but I could see us doing a family vacation maybe once a year too once he was a little older and able to appreciate something like a trip. But right now when we daydream about a vacation it's some sun and pool and R&R time which does not include the world's cutest little boy attached on my hip. Plus it gives Grandma quality spoiling (including rocking-to-sleep) time!

Hawaii was amazing at 3 months even though it affected my supply...BUTTT even with knowing that I wouldn't trade that precious 'us' time to just be ourselves rather than new parents.

ETA--if I could only choose one, it'd be sans kiddo.

 

[MustangGal]

We''re doing both in the next year, camping at the beach for a week with my entire family, then next spring DH and I are going to Vegas for a few days for out 10th anniversary.

I do have a big cruise planned when Kyle is 3. We''re inviting all the family and friends that want to come, and Kyle can go have fun in the kids camp while I have a drink on the beach. Best of both worlds!

 

[fieryred33143]

I voted yes but that''s only because I''m a first time mom with an almost one year old. Ask me again when she''s 1 year and 1 day old

 

[iluvcarats]

I know this is crazy, but my kids are 11 and 8 and we have yet to take a vacation without them. At first it was the guilt of separation anxiety, and dh''s crazy job hours. Then every time he had time to travel, people wanted us to come to them so that they could see the kids. (I call this an oblication) Now in august they will be taking a vacation from us - sleep away camp for 3 weeks!!! I think we will take a vacation then.

 

[janinegirly]

Only one vacation and an ideal one? Um, without! Come on, you know it''s not a REAL vacation if you have kids in tow, it''s just a change of scenary

. Now of course this is assuming the child/children are in great hands and this is not for an extended period.

I love my child and the reality is she WILL be on most if not all future vacations, but if I''m honest, a true vacation involves vegging with no schedule, obligations or errands and that''s just not going to happen with a toddler. So looks like no true vacations for us anytime soon!

 

[partgypsy]

Can I vote both?

I''m not around my kids all day (work outside the home) so it''s nice to spend time with my family when I am home, so of course all vacations are family vacations (and sometimes extended family vacations). However since my oldest was born 7 years ago my husband and I have never gone a vacation or trip by ourselves. It would be really nice to have some adult time, even just for 3 days, a weekend, something?

Ironically even just thinking this makes me feel guilty about leaving kids home on vacation. But at the same time, family vacations are often not very relaxing for me. Often the most relaxing part of the trip is returning home, where I have part of a day to recuperating at home before returning to work.

 

[partgypsy]

"oblication" I like that. Once kids are in the picture, there is alot of that. My husband and I had such a blast taking an afternoon off sans kids to go to IKEA, I feel like we are really starving for this kind of break.

 

[Kaleigh]

My kids are grown. I will say taking a vacay sans kids is very important, something we didn''t do enough of. But to my defense we didn''t have family to watch them even if we wanted to... Those of you who have family to watch your LO''s are so very lucky and I am telling you take advantage of that... It''s good for the LO''s and for your marriage to get away and really have some alone time.

 

[Puppmom]

We can only afford one real vacation a year so it''s with kids. If we have the time and money to do weekend trips we go without.

Interestingly enough, the ILs invite us on vacation every summer. They don''t like going without us. Then again, they get 4 or 5 vacations a year!

 

[junebug17]

We always did family vacations when the kids were young, I was just never comfortable with leaving them for so long, and dh felt the same way. Just never had the desire to go by ourselves. Now that my son will be in college in the fall, I''m sure dh and I will go on trips by ourselves.

 

[Pandora II]

Having waited till 36 to have a kid and DH and I having both lived abroad and travelled extensively in our mis-spent youths, I now find that we really enjoy being with Daisy and miss her hugely whenever she''s not there.

I like to see the things that excite her and I''ve found myself ''seeing'' all sorts of things that I would normally not give a second look to otherwise - plus I get to do things that I''m really too old for with the excuse that it''s for her!

It would be nice if DH and I could go to the cinema once in a while or out for dinner where we KNOW there will be peace and quiet rather than just the possibility, but otherwise I would choose to go on holiday as a family.

 

[curlygirl]

Hands down, I chose without kids!!! We did a mini-vacation with them last year to Washington, DC and we''re going to Ocean City, MD next month with them--neither one is my dream vacation but we figure we need to do some family stuff and the girls love the beach. But since I''m turning the big 4-0 this year, I told DH that I don''t want any gifts or parties, just a serious trip for the 2 of us. Like to the Middle East. For 2 weeks. Without kids! We''re going to plan something for next May or June because my bday is in December and there''s too much going on with holidays, etc. so we''ll wait till the weather is nice and do something major. I can''t wait!!!!

 

[Sha]

Depends on how old said kid is, I think. I would vote ''without'' just so that I can get a chance to catch up on sleep, plus sleep in in the mornings and at random times throughout the day. I haven''t had a solid night''s sleep since November 2009!

 

[pennquaker09]

My gift for Father''s Day was going to be a trip to London for Wimbledon. Well, I debated and debated and I came to the conclusion that I just couldn''t be away from them for a week. I would go nuts and I think I would be worried the entire time.

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 6/14/2010 10:40:39 PM
Author: pennquaker09
My gift for Father''s Day was going to be a trip to London for Wimbledon. Well, I debated and debated and I came to the conclusion that I just couldn''t be away from them for a week. I would go nuts and I think I would be worried the entire time.

Awww Penn that is so sweet. But wow, what a great Father''s Day gift!!

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 6/14/2010 7:41:32 PM
Author: curlygirl
Hands down, I chose without kids!!! We did a mini-vacation with them last year to Washington, DC and we''re going to Ocean City, MD next month with them--neither one is my dream vacation but we figure we need to do some family stuff and the girls love the beach. But since I''m turning the big 4-0 this year, I told DH that I don''t want any gifts or parties, just a serious trip for the 2 of us. Like to the Middle East. For 2 weeks. Without kids! We''re going to plan something for next May or June because my bday is in December and there''s too much going on with holidays, etc. so we''ll wait till the weather is nice and do something major. I can''t wait!!!!

I may steal your big 4-0 idea! I have 2 more years so maybe I better tell DH so he can''t use the excuse of not enough time to plan!

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 6/15/2010 8:43:39 AM
Author: janinegirly

Date: 6/14/2010 10:40:39 PM

Author: pennquaker09

My gift for Father''s Day was going to be a trip to London for Wimbledon. Well, I debated and debated and I came to the conclusion that I just couldn''t be away from them for a week. I would go nuts and I think I would be worried the entire time.

Awww Penn that is so sweet. But wow, what a great Father''s Day gift!!

I''ve been before, but not since my teenage years when I was actively playing tennis. It would have been so much fun, though. I really want to see Venus win Wimbledon once.

 

[KimberlyH]

Right now, without. When she''s old enough for it to be meaningful to her and she''ll have memories of going is when we plan on starting to vacation with her.

We''re going to do an overnight near my parents'' house sometime this summer, a little getaway for us, but not so far that we can''t be there if she (or my parents!) need us.

 

[Burk]

We do family vacation to the lake every summer and it''s fun and T loved it last year at 18 mos and I think she''ll enjoy it even more this summer....but I voted for a REAL vacation with no kiddos!

My sleep deprivation may be speaking for me however!