Do you ever leave the kids at home?

[TOOBOLD]

As much as we enjoy camping as a family DH and I are wanting to go by ourselves without the kids (12,7). No, I don't plan on leaving them home alone, but with grandma. How many of you go alone? How much grief do you get from the kids for ditching them?

[FunnyCamper]

Minnesota*is*Home wrote:
My kiddos are 8 & 3, they're still in that stage where it's SUPER COOL to go camping. They'd rather go camping than anything else, except maybe going to a hotel with a waterpark... that trumps everything. We hooked the camper up this weekend to move it for winterizing, the kids got all excited that we were going out. Sorry sports, nope.

Mine would be crushed if we went camping without them. I'd say more than half the fun of going (for us) is hanging out with the kids. If dh and I went alone we'd probably just sit and stare at other campers. Heeeeey... now there's an idea. :B

X2
mine is 8 years old and would be crushed to be left behind. I can't do it to her yet. when that changes, she can hang with grandma and we can have some time alone.

OP, for me it would be about the kid's reaction. my kiddo is into camping big time right now. I know that will change 🙂 as she gets older. when it does and she wants to hang home with relatives, sure. until then we go as a family.

[TOOBOLD]

OP here, thanks for all the replies. Trust me we don't spend 24/7 with the kids. DH and I take plenty of trips on our own especially Las Vegas. We've even gone to the Dominican Republic on our own. The kids loooooove to camp and almost start salivating every time we bring the trailer home that's why we are torn about leaving them behind, on the other hand we can always drop them off with grandma then go get the trailer. Ha! they'll never know.

[lakeside013104]

Kids are on their own and could care less about being with us. Their lives are full of hobbies and busy with their own friends. Two of the four, do keep in phone / facebook contact, otherwise they are too preoccupied to spent any time with the old folks. If we get hurt or sick, we are truely on our own, example: last year wife had hip replacement. One child called every week, one child visited, once for 15 minutes, and the other two made no contact. We camp as a couple and really enjoy each other's company and the friendly RVers we have contact with.

Lakeside

[Crowe]

Being a parent doesn't mean that you have to spend 24/7 with the kids. It also doesn't mean you have to stop being a couple.

Bingo. Part of the reason why many marriages break up after the kids have moved out is many couples forget how to be a couple because for X number of years they've devoted their lives to their offspring. I think it would be healthy for everybody involved for you to go by yourselves on occasion. And don't feel a shred of guilt. Do you think when they sleep at a friend's house, go on a school trip or otherwise spend time away from you that they feel guilty-NOT! Go and enjoy. A stable relationship between the parents makes for a stable home environment for the kids.

[Allworth]

Yeah, we leave them home.

Of course their various spouses and kids seem to feel that they belong there.

Retirement is good.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

As Joe Dirt would say: "Dang!"

You mean I was supposed to take the kids along on vacation with us? Hu?

And here all along I just give them $50 for 2 weeks of food and tell them good luck.

Ok, ok, just kidding! My daughter who will be 18 next year is planning "our" vacation as I type this. :E

I wonder how I'm going to tell her she will be in college? She also said she IS going to get an RV and travel like we did when she gets old like me. :R

[travelnutz]

DW read this thread and exclaimed that we not only leave our kids home but their kids and their kids and soon it will be even their kids! BTW, our "youngest" child is now 50 years old!

However, I must admit that we do take the grand kids and great grand kids with us sometimes on generally up to 1000 mile trips. Something's got to help keep us old farts young beside our young Siberian Husky!

[2112]

We used to dump the kids off on grandma for a month every summer so we could go do adult stuff like San Antonio, casinos, etc. It was a win-win all around.

[wa8yxm]

Well my 2 legged kid... I leave her at home (She is 33, lives with her husband in Southern GA).. My Fur kids (4-legs) travel with me.. At least one of 'em helps to control my blood pressure (Petting a cat can lower your BP)

I am "Shopping" for a 2-legged travel partner though.. I really need one, It would be best (At this time) if there is not a lot of emotional load with her. (That could change over time but now I'd like to keep it cool).

I do have a nurse I'd like to talk to but alas, I forgot to ask her number last time we met, and that was 40 some years ago.. (I knew here before that however)

[JoshInReno]

Kids?! Hell, I'm leaving today for 4 days without the kids AND the wife! :B

In all fairness, I have a deer tag that needs to be filled and the kids have school - otherwise, the wife would be joining me.

Most of the camping the wife and I do is "rustic" at best, and downright miserable conditions at worst. Our kids like to go camping with my inlaws as their rig is luxury compared to ours. And they only go during nice weather. 😉

[Minnesota_is_Ho]

My kiddos are 8 & 3, they're still in that stage where it's SUPER COOL to go camping. They'd rather go camping than anything else, except maybe going to a hotel with a waterpark... that trumps everything. We hooked the camper up this weekend to move it for winterizing, the kids got all excited that we were going out. Sorry sports, nope.

Mine would be crushed if we went camping without them. I'd say more than half the fun of going (for us) is hanging out with the kids. If dh and I went alone we'd probably just sit and stare at other campers. Heeeeey... now there's an idea. :B

[mikim]

For the past several years we send our kids to Camp. My wife and I then head for the beach for a week of alone time and I would strongly encourage you to do it without hesitation.

[Kittykath]

I'm sure our teenage boys couldn't wait for us to leave, especially after realizing we left the beer in the garage.

[Tvov]

Wife and I didn't start camping without the kids until the last couple years, when the kids were old enough to be home alone. We didn't have relatives close enough to easily watch the kids for a weekend.

We have greatly enjoyed camping as a family. Patience is always required, plus the ability to find the good in everything, plus the willingness to change plans at the last minute. Having said that...

I absolutely LOVE camping with just my wife. We usually go for more rustic campgrounds without hookups, and plan fancier dinners - cleanup is certainly easier with just two people. We go for hikes (slower now with my aging knees) and/or short touristy trips to check out the area. It is fun and relaxing, and nice to know the wife is still willing to put up with just me for an entire weekend!