When is Baby too young to stay with Grandparents Overnight?

suncherie · January 2012

My husband and I wanted to have a night out by ourselves and we would be staying overnight about 2 hours away. DD would be staying at Grandma's, with whom she has spent a lot of time with (and DD would be 6 months old by then). Grandma decided this is too soon and this is fine, but then said most parents never leave their kids overnight...basically ever. I beg to differ. What are you all's experiences with this and opinion?

hepcats · January 2012

My LO stayed O/N with my mom about a month in so we could have a nice date night. It really just depends on your level of comfort with your parents/grandparents. Since then it's happened two more times.

firewiferut · January 2012

If it's ok with you and your parents then that's the time that works for you. I have had friends (who formula fed) that left their 1 month old w/ their grandparents overnight.

I won't do it because- 1. P is EBF 2. I can barely go to the movies w/ out her before I'm over it and want to be w/ her again.

It's really up to you when you and LO are ready to be apart for that long. Take into account that if anything happened (God forbid) you would be 2 hours away, and are you OK with that?

mama31 · January 2012

6 months sounds fine. I was a little overprotective & DD1 didn't sleep over until she was 16 months.

DawnJM25 · January 2012

LO stayed overnight with grandma at 3 months old so DH and I could have a night away for my birthday.

scarlettoctober · January 2012

I think as long as everyone is comfortable with it, there's really no "too young" to stay with grandparents. I wouldn't be at this stage, because we live almost 90 minutes from my mom and DS doesn't really know her yet. I don't want to be making a 3-hour round trip in the middle of the night to get him.

tiff012982 · January 2012

We dropped DD off at my in-laws when she was 2 months and went to AC for the night (1 hr away) had a great dinner and hotel. It was hectic because we literally stay just the night, dropped her off at 8pm and was back by 8am. I think I got less sleep that night then being with her. Oh, and the little stinker STTN for her grandparents. First time! Honestly I didn't enjoy myself because of the craziness. Now I would leave her with my parents or in-laws for the night to have a night out with DH in a NY minute. She was really good for them and they love having her. It's a win win

laurakaz13 · January 2012

We flew cross country for a wedding when LO was 7 weeks old.

NoodleM · January 2012

Lurking, but our daughter will stay with my MIL and FIL overnight at 4 weeks because my husband and I will be celebrating our one year wedding anniversary. I'm comfortable with them doing this, his mom is great.

suncherie · January 2012

*sigh* you're lucky...i don't trust my MIL so she's not an option for even babysitting during the day (although she lives in the next state so we have been able to avoid the conversation)--i really wish i could trust her though, but MIL can't even handle my generally happy little DD for 10 min. when i'm in the same room (except for the one time she fell asleep rocking her), so she's sure to completely lose it when i'm not...

alt0925 · January 2012

MIL will absolutely never ever watch my dd. I can't trust her at all. She gives dh's 3 year old coffee and cookies for breakfast. Not happening with my dd. even if you tell her not to do something she blatantly ignores you and does it anyway. Her sons may be able to deal with that but I can't and certainly won't. I tell her about herself and she doesn't like me for it but whatever.

Mae for my mother. She has pretty muched helped me with LO since she was born. She stays the night here a lot. Dd has severe GERD and allergies and can be so inconsolable. My mother will help me some nights and let me sleep. I have let her take her to her house plenty of times as well. She knows dd's medicine, how to give it, how to thicken her formula, how to soothe her etc. the typical rocking, bouncing etc doesn't work for dd and even dh hasn't figured it out yet. She's pretty muh the only person I trust.

So as other posters have said it depends on your trust level and how comfortable you are.

My mother only lives 5 minutes away so that helps too.

Chatterbug6917 · January 2012

Since week 2 lo has been having " slumber parties" with my mom...he goes once a week and me and dh get alone time together - its great and I know he's In good hands

jenny2508 · January 2012

I went out with a friend when LO was 4 months and my mom actually stayed at my place with LO. This way he was still familiar with his surroundings and did not get off his schedule.

BabyBLove · January 2012

DS slept over my parents house at 2 1/2 months old so DH and I could have a date night. I trust my parents 100%, especially since my mom watches DS while we work. He was fine. I don't want to be that overprotective mom that can't ever leave him for a night. I guess since I'm back to work now, I'm used to being away from him for some time, and didn't find it that hard leaving him with his grandparents. Of course I was super excited to see him the next day because I missed him!

Mrs. Mo · January 2012

DD just had her first sleepover this past weekend. We went to the Pats/Broncos game and knew it was no place for a baby. So, she stayed with my parents. She was perfectly fine.

babyAutumn · January 2012

We left DS#1 with my parents for 5 days when he was 4 months old. I also EBF but left a freezer full of breast milk and pumped the whole time I was away. LO did well and when I got back it took about 4-5 days to get my milk supply back to where it should be. As long as you're comfortable with it, I think you could leave LO when you're ready to. I don't think that there is a magical age when it's appropriate, all just depends on your comfort level and the comfort level of the grandparent taking care of them.

Matt Dvorak · January 2012

I definitely think that it depends on your comfort, and maybe your feeding plans. My LO is EBF and still feeds regularly at night. I think that my parents would be miserable caring for him overnight right now, and that LO would be upset having to take bottles. I am waiting until closer to a year for this reason. Also, If I have a night away I'd like a night away without my breast pump!!

MandiNewMommy · January 2012

I am only about 20 mins from my parents but they kept him the first time at 6 weeks because we had a wedding. She has kept him a few other times

solsburyhill · January 2012

My LO stayed at my mom's overnight on NYE. I EBF so I sent pumped milk and had to pump before bed, luckily I was up till midnight!

I enjoyed the sleep : )

I like leaving him with our parents. They LOVE having him, they are good with him, and I think it's good for everyone. We get to recharge our batteries, the more time DS spends with the grandparents the easier it is for us when we need sitters, and again, they love having him. In fact, we have to make sure both sets of parents get "equal baby time" so things are "fair" so we usually get one date a weekend!

Galaxy8227 · January 2012

Chatterbug6917:
Since week 2 lo has been having " slumber parties" with my mom...he goes once a week and me and dh get alone time together - its great and I know he's In good hands

This is pretty much the same for us. It's not every week but almost--my parents love having him and he adores them. The IL's have had him for 2 sleepovers so far--but both sets of parents live down the street from us and DS sees them all the time so he's very comfortable with them. I honestly feel it makes us better parents to him cause it gives us some alone time and some much needed sleep

jmo866 · January 2012

MIL offered over Christmas when we were visiting the ILs for us to go stay at the Casino hotel over night and I declined. If she honestly had to get up and knew how many times DS was waking at the crux of his "sleep regression" she would have had a heart attack, and I would just feel too bad. We still did a date night, but until he is sleeping better at night I won't feel comfortable unloading him on someone else all night.

nic326 · January 2012

DS 1 stayed with them at 3 months and DS 2 will do it at 5 months. I think a lot depends on who you leave them with too. My ILs are very very good about following our schedule, parenting style, etc and wouldnt try or do anything new without asking us first. My parents, on the other hand, would not keep the kids if we left town