Leaving one kid at home for a Disney trip

[mookie]

This is actually the topic of a pretty hot thread over on the Familes Board...

We are in this situation right now...we would love to head to WDW in the fall (actually thinking of doing land/sea) but our newest addition will only be 4-5 mos old at the time we are able to go. We might leave he/she home for this upcoming trip, and then schedule another one for the following spring. OUr dd will be 4.5 and our son 16 mos at the time of the fall trip. OUr dd went just before we conceived her brother (literally!) and now I feel it's his turn to be "added to the group." Sort of like a right of passage. Then, the following year, it will be the youngests inaugural turn!

 

[DMickey28]

I don't have kids yet, but I am *thinking* about going to WDW when DS is about 6 weeks old or so. DH has a golf weekend with some friends up in the Orlando area and I am thinking about tagging along, getting a room at WDW by myself with the baby and just hanging out meeting up with him at night for a little while. I'll probably hit MK one day just because you HAVE TO, but otherwise just looking for a change of scenery after being home on maternity leave for 6 weeks!!!

I'll let you know how it goes if I do it ... it really depends on what kind of baby DS is!

 

[Beth76]

This is actually the topic of a pretty hot thread over on the Familes Board...

I'll bet. I asked the same question over there a couple of years ago.

OP, I almost did. I wanted to take DS before he started K and wanted to leave the then-1yo at home with grandparents. But we ended up not going at all.

About a year ago, my older son and I tagged along on a business trip with DH to Arizona. We did leave the 1.5yo with grandparents, without regret.

 

[beattyfamily]

Would you ever/have you ever left a baby at home, with relatives, to take your older kid to Disney?

No way.

 

[tinaluis]

We could never leave one of our daughters at home while we vacation (aside from the fact that we have NO ONE who could watch them ). We have taken all three of our DDs at about 8-12 weeks and had a blast! I nursed all three, we had their carseat/stroller combo and a sling and everything was great. In fact, I'm due with Baby #4 in August and we're already planning an October trip. Our other DDs will be 11, 9 and 6 when we go. However, I do not pass judgment on those who decide to do this. You have to do whatever is best for your family. Have a great trip!

 

[SandraVB79]

My mom used to leave us (my brothers and I) with relatives once in a while, while going on vacation, and I intend to do just the same with my kids.

A colleague of mine went to South-Africa earlier this year, for 3 weeks. He and his wife left three kids at home (with relatives) and took the fourth one with them.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

We're leaving the little one to have a vacation with his grandparents in 16 days while we head back to WDW for our anniversary.

I might be able to leave a baby home and take an older child, but as PP noted, WDW is one of the easiest places on earth to take an infant. You can have nice dinners and nobody bats an eye when you bring the baby into the dining room. There are plenty of wonderful sights and sounds for even the really small.

I understand why some people decide to leave a child behind. I also understand how sad that must make the child who was left behind.

To each his own...

 

[JVL1018]

Oh no way would I leave one of my kids behind on a family vacation, no matter how old they are. I don't care if it's a little more hassle with a littler one around, it's worth it.

Of course my kids are less than 2 years apart, so they're usually around the same stage, into the same things. And I have taken babies at 3 mos(that was an unplanned trip, normally I wouldn't that early), 10 mos, 13 mos, 14 mos. Easy, easy trips.

And I have no one to watch any of the kids anyway as both their grandmas have passed away and all aunt and uncles work...but if I could get someone to watch the kids, I'd be going away with just my husband, forget about taking one of the kids! LOL


ETA: Forget about the kid behind being sad, the one coming in this family would be bummed.
I asked DD if she wanted to do a mother/daughter weekend one day(and then do a mother/son one with DS sometime) and she was like WHAT?? Leave Daddy and Matthew behind?? No way!

 

[ZachnElli]

No way would I leave one of my children behind and take the rest on a family vacation! I would leave them all behind and go on a trip with just dh and I though!

 

[MomofKatie]

Well, since I have an only child, there's no way of taking one and leaving another. However, if I ever had another, I'd consider leaving the baby with Grammy and Grampy. Don't know if I would actually do it, but I'd consider it.

My BIL and SIL have 3, and they do special parent/one child trips occasionally. I see nothing wrong with that- the kids understand that one on one time is important. In fact, DBIL is thinking of taking his DS12 and DD13 to WDW this fall, and leaving his DS16 at home (however, DS16 has no real desire to go, and he will be involved in his senior year in HS and all the activities that go along with it).

 

[amyup]

We're going in November and taking the baby, who will be 10 months old. I can't wait and will hope my little boy enjoys it as much as his big brothers.


Amy

 

[Chattyaholic]

I most certainly would leave a baby home with relatives, and take my older child to Disneyworld. I just do not understand people who want to take babies there. The baby doesn't enjoy it and more often than not the baby causes added stress on the parents. I think the parents would enjoy taking an older child so much more if they left the baby at home with either set of grandparents. And that would give the grandparents time to enjoy the baby as well. It's a win win situation, IMHO.

 

[java]

I most certainly would leave a baby home with relatives, and take my older child to Disneyworld. I just do not understand people who want to take babies there. The baby doesn't enjoy it and more often than not the baby causes added stress on the parents. I think the parents would enjoy taking an older child so much more if they left the baby at home with either set of grandparents. And that would give the grandparents time to enjoy the baby as well. It's a win win situation, IMHO.

You are making quite a few assumptions- like everyone has grandparents to babysit....and babies causing stress? Not for us- or even those around us. I brought all my kids(4 of them) as babies- youngest that I brought was a 6 month old. And does he remember it? No did he enjoy it? Yes and Did I? YOU BET! I have the photos to prove it. We are a FAMILY. So we do it together all the time. And as a breastfeeding mom it was very easy and convenient- Disney is very accomodating to babies. I think it is odd for people to question bringing children when the reason Disneyworld was built in the first place was so that families could spend time TOGETHER.
And again- not all of us are lucky enough to have grandparents that babysit or offer to.

 

[dhcoffey]

We've done that once back when my DD13 was entering kindergarten. We had promised her a trip to WDW before she started and then along came DD now 8. We were going in August and it was HOT. I didn't feel like it was right to take a three-month-old in the heat like that, so she stayed with her grandma for four days, not a problem.

Heather

 

[hentob]

Would you ever/have you ever left a baby at home, with relatives, to take your older kid to Disney?

Yes.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I don't know that I would if it's a family vacation, but I have gone to WDW with one child and left others at home with my DH. It means special time at WDW with one child and more trips for me!

 

[tkd lisa]

I did, quite a while ago. I was on a business trip to Orlando, DD was 22 months, and DS was about 5 months old. (They are 15 and 13 1/2 now).

Since my then husband was going to have to fly down to meet me, we decided to leave DS with his grandparents. I think it was still a good decision, but to each their own.

 

[MAKmom]

I would do it. My mom did it when my youngest brother was 2 . Then when he was a teenager & we were older he got to go on an extra trip.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I would, and I have. IMO, until my babies were over a year old, they couldn't care less about theme parks! When my oldest was 7, we took her and her brother who was barely 6 months old at the time to DL. It was hot, we had to constantly stop and feed the baby, change the baby, comfort the baby, we couldn't all go on rides together because one of us had to stay behind with the baby...it just wasn't much fun for any of us, including the baby! Now maybe there are some of you out there that have done the same and it was pleasant, but that wasn't the case for us! Sure his ticket was free, but it wasn't for the rest of us, and we wanted to do as much as we could at the park in the one day. We took everyone again when he was about 2, and it was much more enjoyable. If you have relatives or friends that are willing to watch him while you enjoy a day at WDW, then go for it! It won't make you a bad mom, you and your other child will be able to make the most out of your day at the park, and your baby really isn't going to miss out on anything.

 

[MELSMICE]

We took my DD alone when our twins were 9 months. She deserved this Alone vacation she was turing 3 and had been so good with 2 new babies in the house all year. It was her and Daddy's first trip to Disney. We have been on 8 since with everyone.

This is exactly what we did, but our oldest had already turned 3. She definitely needed the one-on-one with mom & dad after having to deal with twin sisters coming in to the picture.

While I missed my other 2, we had a great time with our oldest & got some great pictures as memories.