Travel with 4 year old Grandson

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I don't have any grandkids but I remember mine, that wouldn't have worked well. I wouldn't try this for that period of time. If finances are the issue, why not help your daughter pay for daycare and let him stay home. I think 4 is way to young. When he gets a bit older I think he and you would both enjoy it more. Just my 2 cents worth. I agree that you will likely be driving a crying child back home again in short order.

My two cents as a mom: I think the idea sounds great "on paper" but when it comes down to it, I don't think I would have let my parents take my son for two or more weeks when he was that young. We would have missed him way too much. What does your daughter say about this prospect?

That said, the younger years is the time to do this stuff - before school, before neighborhood friends, before activities that are more of a commitment, etc. However as someone else mentioned, he won't remember much at 4. I know my DS at 9 doesn't remember a lot that we did when he was that young...but I'm glad we did stuff because it starts instilling the lifestyle and love of "go see it"

patperry2766 wrote:
Some of the fondest memories I have growing up was the family vacations. Don't know how much he will remember being 4 years old, but I say go for it and take `em along.
My dad lives about 5 hours away and he ALWAYS has a excuse for not coming to visit his grandson....yet he doesn't understand why he doesn't bond with him the few times per year that we are all together.

I am sorry..your dad is missing out. We have family exactly the same, they now wonder why as adults my children don't call them.



DavePete,
We have great memories with our kids when they were little and still now with them and their kids camping. It is different though taking a small child from his enviroment, away from his mum.

I would love to see a trip like this work wonderfully. We have tried with all five of ours. It is not that we aren't close either, like I said, they have practically lived here, LOL.

After the first week they missed home and we have had to drive them back. Either that or listen to a child screaming in sorrow.

I would like to hear from others who have done this with small children.

We camp with our grandchildren and their parents right now. When the little ones get older we will take them longer. Next year the oldest two will be 11 and 12. We plan on taking them on a long trip.

The decision will be yours. We can all give opinions and I feel mine might differ from most. The decision you make will be the right one. We don't know either you or your family and can only give our personal family stories.

You will have a great trip however your decision goes.

Some of the fondest memories I have growing up was the family vacations. Don't know how much he will remember being 4 years old, but I say go for it and take `em along.
My dad lives about 5 hours away and he ALWAYS has a excuse for not coming to visit his grandson....yet he doesn't understand why he doesn't bond with him the few times per year that we are all together.

Dave Pete wrote:
Hello. My wife and I are considering a "January/February Get Out of Wyoming trip this year for between 2 weeks and 2 months, depending on when we get home sick. Planning to leave on a nice weather and road conditions day and head to southern California.

Recently we started watching our 4 year old grandson five days a week to help out our daughter financially.

We could have her enroll him in day care for those two months or take him with us; a "travel the world before you enter school" kind of thing. He's very active and into everything new. So smart and gregarious, not at all an introvert. If we take him we have plans to bring pre-school home-school type curriculum to occupy some of his travel trailer time, and are planning age appropriate child related travel visits and activities along the way.

But my wife and I are quite introverted and love our quiet time together, watching TV, wordlessly sipping coffee, etc.

Which of you have personal experience with just such a trip and would you advise for or against it? Insights welcome.

Take him. He would be a very lucky child. When they study an attraction, he can say:"Been there in person."

Your quiet time will come when he is sleeping.

Is this your first longer trip together on your own?....you may appreciate first trip together.

We have 5 grandchildren under 11 and they have stayed with us for 2 weeks at a time tops....I can be very sure that your little one will be missing mum after a week and could make for some very sleepless nights and irritable days. No matter how close you are , mum and home are still #1 to a child.

In my opinion....You have your heart in the right place but you need to really think this through. He will say , yes, great he wants to go, but after that week ???? You would not want to turn around and head home. You also become the ones who discipline all the time, becoming no longer grandparents. We took our grandchildren camping for a week and boy it was harder than being home.

I really praise you though for having thought about appropriate things to do for a child his age and bringing along things to keep him occupied. You did however start your post with....My wife and I....not, my wife and I along with our grandson.

I would wait until he was a little older.

Dave Pete wrote:
we have plans to bring pre-school home-school type curriculum to occupy some of his travel trailer time, and are planning age appropriate child related travel visits and activities along the way.

Seems like you have already decided!

Have fun giving that young person a great experience and good foundation for life.