Leaving a 21 mo for two weeks

pevila

My ILs have invited us to go to Italy for two weeks in October, that would mean leaving my 21 mo DD with my parents. My parents would move into our house, my dad would take 1 week vacation, and my mom would take the next week off too, and they will also have extra help. I'm nervous about leaving LO for that long. DD is very close to my parents but she's not weaned yet (I would have 4 months to wean her). On one hand, it is a wonderful opportunity, but on the other hand I'm nervous. WWYD? Does any body have any experience with this (oh, and I don't want to take DD with us ) Thanks!

lindslalala

I have no experience with this(I wish I did!!), but I just wanted to say that I would definitely be going to Italy if I was you! Is it weaning her that's holding you back from saying yes? Are you not ready for that yet? If it's the length of the stay could you go for a week or a week and a half instead of 2?

catycate

2 weeks seems like a long time to me, but I'd love to go to Italy, so it would be hard for me to pass up. I'd probably look into a shorter time.

suv75

I'd take my 2 year old. What parts of Italy? I wouldn't recommend Venice with kids. I would be nervous leaving my kid for that long, but I've never left him overnight. Plus, Italy is too far!

pevila

suv75:

I'd take my 2 year old. What parts of Italy? I wouldn't recommend Venice with kids. I would be nervous leaving my kid for that long, but I've never left him overnight. Plus, Italy is too far!

 We've only scheduled Rome and Venice, for the rest of the trip we would rent a car and see where the road takes us.  

Chapter79

Honestly? I'd do it.  The longest I've left mine (she's 7) is 4 days, and even that's a bit tough..  but I would still do it.   I venture to say it's actually much easier to leave a smaller child than an older one.  When mine was younger, it was all about spending the time with my parents (her grandparents) and she barely cared when I left.   Now @ 7, she calls me all the time when we go away, whines and "when are coming hooooome" and "I missssss you! Get home NOW!" (when we still have 3 days left).  Sigh.  Italy? I'd go in a heartbeat.

notkateanymore

I would totally do it. But that's just me. She'll be with your parents, you can talk to her every day and she'll be totally fine. 

notkateanymore

I've left DD for 10 days and she barely batted an eyelash. She was 2 at the time. Now she's going to camp for 5 weeks next summer. You'll never know how she'll do if you don't try.

MomIn2013

DH and I went to both Rome and Venice last year and honestly, I wouldn't bring a two-year old to either. Maybe if you had family there or something, but just going as tourists was a bit hectic, in my opinion. So I'd tend to agree about not bringing your LO.

I personally think two weeks is a long time to leave a two-year old, but that's just me. I know every situation is different, though, so it could end up being perfectly fine. I'd probably start going on mini trips between now and then if you can, to see how it goes. Like maybe go away for a weekend, then for a few nights, etc. to see how your LO does with it (it would be a bit difficult if you don't have a freezer stash, though, and you'd have to be pumping while you're away, but it might be worth a try).

Stacyc625

I took my then 2yr old to Italy for 2 weeks and it was an easy breezy trip.

For me- it would be all of us or none of us. But that is me.

Love My Lil Princess 509

Too long for me. So I would take her with me.

pevila

It'll be difficult to go to Europe again with my in-laws because they are aging and they're not very active. We have traveled together before, and we had a great time, but Italy (and two days in Paris) with a two year old sounds like a nightmare to me!!! It's just that DD is very active, and I don't see her being in a car for long periods of time, restaurants, museums... I don't think it would be a fun trip for her, so it wouldn't be a fun trip for us either. So it's pretty much go without her or not go at all. We were thinking about going next April, but she'll be older and more aware of time by then. We will (hopefully) go to Disney with her next year. I trust my parents completely, my dad sees DD every day and my mom is great with her, I just get nervous. We have to decide this week, DH really wants to go and I'm a bit nervous about it. Thanks!

laurakaz13

DH and I are military and travel a ton for both work and fun.  We have taken three week long trips overseas w/o DD.  DD stays with my parents each time.  I've also gone away for work for 3 weeks, and DH is currently on an 8 month deployment. 

So I guess I just don't feel as sappy about all this as others.  It's a huge part of our life. 

I would recommend going for a week, but not 2 weeks. As someone who has left DD quite a bit I will say that I start to miss her like crazy after 6 or 7 days. 

 

Lulobug22

I went to Italy last October for nearly two weeks. Ds2 was 27 months and I was just weaned 2 weeks prior. I missed my boys like crazy but they were with my mom and DH and were fine. I was so stressed about leaving them they missed me but had fun with my mom and I called them daily. I'd go and would not take my toddler. The flight alone would be torture IMO.

lisamoe

I wouldn't be able to do it.  Too long for me.

I wouldn't side-eye you for doing it, though, its just not for me.

 

Andrewsgal

amy052006:

If it was a once in a lifetime thing, I'd probably do it after DS2 was one. I'd have to be comfortable with the fact it would probably result in weaning for us, and I wouldn't risk that before that point. I get some kids are better travelers than others, but for Italy there is just no way. There is nothing about musuem, historical sites and sitting sipping wine for hours that sounds fun to me with a toddler. Not would I would to be in Europe and stuck in a hotel room at bed time! I'm all for traveling with your kids, but in my book that sounds like something I would do more around the tween years.

I totally agree with this.

highlights

In a second ;

brooketini

I left both kids when DS was 19 months- DH and I went on vacation and were gone for 8 days. I have to admit, I think I would've had a difficult time being gone much longer. Could you just go with them for a week or ten days? My kids had a great time with my parents visiting, but it was still pretty hard on them.