Re: Have you slept away from your DC

The only time I have is when I was in the hospital having my son. My dd is 3yo and my ds will be 2yo next month.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Absolutely!!! I started when my oldest was a month old. My mom would take him. I needed the sleep. We left my other 2 with Il's and parents when went on trip with older ds. SO many different times. Nothing ever happened and my mom loved it. Now they are older and they sleep out all the time.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Leo watches Josh all the time...I could not imagine leaving them alone for a weekend though.

I am sure they would be fine...but it would not be worth it to me. I like the way I take care of Josh, I can't see me leaving solo and having Leo care for him by choice.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Yep, I have. We went to a wedding and she stayed with my parents for one night when she was 3 months old. Also, I went away for the non-wedding that my BIL had for 3 days. DD stayed with my parents.

For me, personally, I do miss DD when I'm away but I LOVE the time to be with just DH and be able to sleep in!

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

You're not abnormal at all. DS is 11 mos old and this past weekend was the first time I've ever been away from him. I was in Chicago for the weekend and I missed him more than I could imagine.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Dh and I went to miami to visit my brother and ds stayed behind with my parents for 4 days. It was tough but since they live in the apt below us, they are with him everyday, and I know ds is in good hands. I don't think I would have left him with anyone else, or for a longer period...
eta: ds was 5 months at the time

Message edited 5/20/2008 1:40:29 PM.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

ds has stayed with my parents PLENTY of times, once even when I went to PR for a long weekend last Oct, he was 7 months old. He's also stayed over their house when we had weddings, etc.

Yes of course I miss him but I know he's in good hands and don't worry about him at all. I see nothing wrong with it.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

My DS is 7 months old I have never slept away from him. I do not think it is odd that you have not slept away from your son. He is only 11 months.

Message edited 5/21/2008 11:08:13 AM.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Now, I can't wait to get this crib up at my parents house even more then I already did!

To sleep till 8am is like a dream come true!

Oh and to add - I would also have no problem leaving DS with DH if I went away - but - since he works it would have to coincide with one of his vacations. What I wouldn't want is for Jack to be bounced around from person to person while I was away - if that makes sense!

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

I had Victoria spend 2 nights at my sisters about two months ago (so she was about 8 months old'ish).

As much as I panicked (especially that my sister lives in Manhattan) I knew I HAD to do it. It wasn't even for DH and I - he works such crazy hours anyway.

I did it for me - for some time to myself. Of course I used it to clean the house, and cook and freeze food for Victoria - but she had a wonderful time. Yes, she got a bit cranky not being in her home enviornment when it was time to sleep and she ended up adjusting beautifully. My sister called me periodically to let me talk to DD which also helped ease my mind. In fact - it went so well I was 100% comfortable with her taking DD to the park in the city. The pictures she took spoke volumes of the fun my daughter and my niece had together.

I used to force my sister to let me take her daughter so she could rest and have some time for herself and she let me (I was in my early 20's at the time). I don't know what she was thinking, but she let me and I have such wonderful memories with my niece that I am so thankful for. So I really have to do it in return so my sister has the same memories of my daughter.

It was hard, but to be honest - I wish my sister would have another free weekend so I can send her again!

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

We have three times - one night each time. The first time was when she was 6 months old because we went to a close relative's wedding that we wanted to dance and drink at.

She has stayed with grandparents each time. I'm comfortable with them.

I don't think there is anything abnormal about not having a night away from DC at 11 months OR having a night away from DC before 11 months. You do what's comfortable for you as a parent!

In my experience, a night away was a luxury that I'm happy to indulge in every once in a while. We don't see our parents that often because they are OOS, so when we/they are visiting, we are going to take advantage of them.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Nope, I don't think it is abnormal - I know a lot of parents who didn't sleep away from their DD for a night until their child was between 2 and 4 years old - then only for one night for an anniversary or something like that. I don't see the rush - I had 10 years alone with DH before DD came - we enjoy her too much to want to go away from her - I know I will want to someday but for now I am happy not too - we do plenty of dinners without DD and that is enough for us right now.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Not yet, and I'm dreading it when I have to do it coming up. I just like to be there when she goes to sleep and more importantly, when she wakes up. We have a wedding in PA on July 4th , and I am seriously dreading going b/c I don't want to leave DD, we haven't even made hotel reservations yet. And being that it's July 4th, we're going to try to leave that morning and come back on the 5th, so we're only gone one night, but we're already prepared that traffic will be a beast.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Never. DD is 25mths and the only time I anticipate spending a night away from her is when we have a second child. When I leave DD to run errands for work I race around like a mad woman and cannot wait to get home to see her - thats after 2-3 hours max so there is no way I could spend a night away from her. I am a WAHM so I am with her 24/7 so to me it would be too wrenching to be away from her.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

The only times I expect to sleep away from DD is when work requires it, since that will definitely require me to do so I would want to minimize needless time away from her. A few hours to spend with DH is fine to go out to dinner and maybe a movie here and there so that we still have some time together to keep our marriage strong, but I don't see us leaving her for the night regularly if we don't have to. When she gets older I can see her spending some time at Grandma's or her Aunt's place, but not for the first year or 2.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

My daughter is 2 and the longest I've ever been away from her is 5 hours. There hasn't been a reason for me to be away from her overnight.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Yes...she spends a night or 2 at grandma's every other week or so. My parents live about an hour away & they LOVE spending time w/ her (weekends are usually crazy running around & such) so I'll go out there, have dinner & she'll spend the night & next day & then I'll pick her up. It's also a nice break for DH & I. My MIL watches her during the week while I'm at work.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Dh and I went away for 2 nights when Connor was 5 months old (BTW a mom here was quite critical of this ). He was at my mom's and was fine. They live in Huntington and we were in the Hamptons so it was fairly close.

Then DH was alone with him for a night in March.

It's been fine, but we missed him. It was GREAT for us to have some alone time and I think Connor enjoyed bonding with his grandparents. We plan to do it again this summer.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

I have. DS was 5 weeks old and he spent the night at my mom's because I had an early morning business trip the next day. It was kind of weird for the first few hours not having him there but boy did we enjoy straight sleep from 9:00 pm - 6:00 am!!!!

Plus my mom watches him everyday for us and she is all hooked up with a full sized crib and stuff so I know he was well taken care of and not let out of her hands.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

I don't think you are abnormal. I think it is kind of strange when my friends drop their child off at their parents once a week to have a night off. Thats just me though.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Yup!
When DS was 5 months he stayed at MIL's while we went to a wedding....

We're going on vacation in October for a week and DS will split time between grammas.......

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

Posted by dottiemchugh

YES!!

I love it,honestly. Not that I don't love my children, but I need time away sometimes with DH.

We have taken a couple of trips and dropped them off overnight with the grandparents if we have a late wedding to go to.

I know some parents that can't bear to be away from their children. I can't understand what the big deal is honestly, it's only a night or 2.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

DS is 16 months and the only time I slept away from him was last summer when I was admitted into the hospital for 3 Nights.

Other than that, nope. I haven't slept away.

Re: Have you slept away from your DC

going to Italy for 2 1/2 weeks in June and St John for 5 days in November...i will miss him