Would you leave your 22 mo old to go on vacation?

[House4Me]

We are tentatively planning an around the world trip for our wedding anniversary. My youngest will be 22 months at the time we are thinking of taking the trip. Would you leave your 22 mo old for 2 or 3 weeks to take the trip? We have gone on vacations 1 week long in the past with our other kids around the same age... but never more than a week....

Babysitting is with family and no question or hesitation with that. We have all our wills and trusts in order so no hesitation with that... Just wondering if I am nutz to think of maybe leaving my nearly 2 year old for 2 + weeks? My other kids are school aged. Thoughts? 

[marshmallowhands]

We left my DD1 with family for 16 days when she was 25 months. They had a great time. She only asked for us once. She was really happy to see us when we got home though.

I used to stay with my grandparents all the time while my parents traveled and I thought it was awesome. I was spoiled for a week straight and grew up with the best relationship with my grandparents. What a gift.

[asoctoberfalls]

I personally would not. 2-3 weeks is too long for me. I wouldn't hesitate on a weeklong trip.

I have to say, I'm so jealous you have family that would watch your kids for that long...and employers that give you that much vacation time. That's awesome!

[redpenmama]

I wouldn't ... but the only nights I've been apart from DD were when I was in the hospital having DS. I could do a shorter trip but 2-3 weeks would be way too long.

[dulcemariamar]

I would not but I dont think that your LO will have any problem with it. The trip sounds great. Where are you planning on going?

It think I would miss my LO after a week.

[curbsideprophet]

I feel like a trip that long at that time would have forced me into weaning. I don't think I would unless the trip was based on a rare event (ex World Cup, Olympics). If it was a trip I could plan for the following year I would probably wait.

[sunshineluv]

I could do a week at most, I think after that I would miss my DS too much to enjoy the trip. But I think that range of time varies from person to person. My sister wouldn't want to be gone overnight at that age, you will just have to figure out what your comfort level is and design your vacation around that.

[lindyanne]

I did 12 days somewhere around that age and it was too long for both DH & I. We were ready to get home. DS was fine though.

[Velar Fricative]

Not nuts at all if you're comfortable with that length of time. Enjoy!

[frlcb]

I don't know if this board is a good representation because it seems like going away for even a night is a big no no. We went away for two weeks to SE Asia when my son was 26 months. Both grandparents helped watch him, he loved it, they loved it, we missed him but skyped every day and it was great. I say yes!

[frlcb]

2-3 weeks also seems short for a RTW trip. Maybe choose 2 countries and do 2 weeks so it's the lower end of time away?

[Deleted]

Me, no, because if I had the time and money to do a big trip I'd want it to be a family thing, but if you can handle it and have great care then happy travels!

[water*drop]

Not crazy. DD is still nursing, so that would make it hard for me (I don't want to force weaning yet), but if I didn't have that to worry about, I'd be fine with it. I'd miss her like crazy, but I'm assuming that will still be the case when she's 3 or 4 or 5 or whatever, and she'd be fine with MIL, so it'd be okay.

[ssmjlm]

I think 10 days would be my max, but I would have no problem leaving E with family I trusted for that long at that age.

[carolinagirl831]

Yes,
I will be leaving my 14 month old for 9 days in April. 
Go have fun! 
I would probably make it more 2 weeks than 3. 3 weeks is a long time! 

[brooklyn]

I wouldn't feel comfortable going for that long, but I also don't have family child care that I could trust. I could probably go away for a week if I had someone trustworthy to leave my child with.

[shortstax]

I would do it in a heartbeat, but this is a personal decision unique to everyone. I grew up spending half of the summer with my grandparents. It was a fantastic experience, so I tend to lean towards the direction that time spent away from our child(ren) can be a good thing (for our family.)

ETA - for clarity

[Deleted]

For a week or possibly 2, yes. 3 weeks would be stretching it. And I am usually easy breezy about things like this.

[imojoebunny]

I would. I left my son for two weeks around that age with family. He had a great time.

[Deleted]

I would have no problem leaving my kids with grandparents for three weeks, but just wouldn't want to go on vacation for that long. I get antsy to get home after a week. lol

I hope you do go though and enjoy!

[ECB]

I took a 2 week honeymoon. For ME, that was just too long to be away in general. I honestly couldn't imagine leaving DS for that long.

But as said, this is a personal choice. I've done many nights/ long weekends away but not even a full week yet. Not that I wouldn't, but to date - all our week long trips are trips that we want DS to come w/ us.

[ECB]

Jan 6, 2014 7:22:55 GMT -5 frlcb said:

2-3 weeks also seems short for a RTW trip. Maybe choose 2 countries and do 2 weeks so it's the lower end of time away?

I agree with this too!  While I've never had the opportunity to take a really big trip- I have a couple friends who have.  They took 2 - 3 week trips just to one area of the world, or even just one country, depending on the size! 

[h]

We did a week away when DS1 was that age, and it was great. I think 10 days or so would be my personal max, but if you don't mind being fine that long and your family is willing to watch them, I am sure he will be fine.

[ohgillian]

I would.

I will say that I left my 14 month old for 10 days and I was surprised and dismayed by 1) how much I missed him, and 2) how that missing took a little of the bloom off of the vacation. It didn't wreck it by any means; I'd do it again; it wasn't awful. But it wasn't quite as great as similar pre-child vacations. 

[leonard131]

In a heartbeat especially since you have such good care options. That trip is a once in a life time and to be honest at 22 months I doubt they will even remember being left while you on the other hand will have memories and stories to share forever.

[SJ]

My baby isn't here yet, so I can't say for sure.

However, I grew up in a family where this type of thing was very normal. When I was 6 I spent almost 8 weeks in South America with my grandparents (parents stayed in Chicago) and we all thought it was great. My brother and I took dozens of trips with both sets of grandparents and spent one overnight weekly with them from 2 months to age 10 or so. Sometimes my parents would travel without us and sometimes we would travel without them. It enriched our lives so much, and now that I am about to be a parent, I can see how much my parents appreciated the breaks as well. There are of course lots of specific factors that made all of this make sense- culture, age of grandparents, personality of children, parenting style etc.

The idea of the trip you are proposing sounds fine to me, but I am leaving room to acknowledge that I won't know how we feel until we are actually preparing to leave the baby.

[karinothing]

Jan 6, 2014 8:38:53 GMT -5 ECB said:

Jan 6, 2014 7:22:55 GMT -5 frlcb said:

2-3 weeks also seems short for a RTW trip. Maybe choose 2 countries and do 2 weeks so it's the lower end of time away?

I agree with this too!  While I've never had the opportunity to take a really big trip- I have a couple friends who have.  They took 2 - 3 week trips just to one area of the world, or even just one country, depending on the size! 

I agree with this too. I usually spend 2 weeks in one country, so I can't imagine going around the world in that time. It seems like it be hard to adjust to that many time changes in that short of an amount of time.

Anyway, I would not be able to leave DS for that amount of time. I just left him for the first time for a weekend at 26 months and I missed him. I think longer than that and the missing him would put a damper on the vacation.

[IrishBelle]

I think it really depends on how comfortable you are with it.

DH and I went away for a week when DD1 was 18 months. She stayed with my parents and it was fine. I don't think I would have wanted to be away longer than a week though.

I know you said you family that would watch the kids but is 2-3 weeks too long for them? I wouldn't ask my parents to watch my girls for more than a week even though DD1 is in school full-time and DD2 would still go to daycare.

[Brie]

I'd do it if I had the chance. My kid loves his grandparents and vice versa.

[toesie]

I'm thinking about sending my DD to live with my parents for about a year, half the way around the world when she's about 22 months old. So I don't have any problem with leaving DD for 2,3 weeks. But I'd rather take her with us and explore the world, although not sure how much she'd enjoy it.
But when I hear my friends telling me stories about their travelling since the wee age, I'm always jealous.