Travel with 4 year old Grandson

[Dave_Pete]

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.

[patperry2766]

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.

[Dog_Folks]

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.

[loulou57]

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.

[MickeyBrennan]

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.