If you have gone on vacation without DC...
DH and I are going to France in 2 weeks and leaving DS here at home - we will be gone a week. My MIL is flying in and watching him here at our house. He will keep up with his regular schedule with classes, etc, and he knows my MIL well.
He is used to me or DH being gone at different times (in fact, I was just gone the other weekend for my breast cancer walk and will be gone again all this weekend for my college reunion. DH travels for work a lot), and DH and I have left him for weekends several times. We also left him for a vacation (4 days) when he was 11 months old.
Anyway, I am REALLY worried this time because it will be the first time DH and I have left him when he is really AWARE, you know? If you have done this, how did you address it with DC? I don't want to start talking about it now with him and get him worried (He isn;t too hot with the concept of time yet..), but I also don't want to spring it on him only a few days before. I was thinking of making him a special calendar to count down the days until we come back...what do you think? How did it go leaving your DC when they were this age?
Re: If you have gone on vacation without DC...
Just tell him you're gong to get him a present
Just kidding. Sort of.
We went to Switzerland in April for 10 days w/out DD. Like your DH, I travel a lot, so DD is used to me being gone. I was going to do the calendar, but I got lazy. About 5 days before we left, I told her me and DH were going to Switzerland, and she was going to g-ma's and aunties house. She was great with it. I was worried about being too frank and her freaking out about staying home. But I told her matter of factly, and she was like 'oh, ok.'
I don't know if this is an option, but we Skype'd everyday. We called my parents and sister (she spent time at both houses) to see how she was doing. We video Skype'd twice with DD. She loved it, thought it was so fun to see us on the computer. Again, I was concerned that it would make her miss us, but she said hi and went back to more pressing things, like watching a movie. Everyone kept reminding me that it is much harder on the parents than the child.
Sounds like since he's keeping his schedule and staying at his house, that will help out. My mom said the only time she asked for us was when she was really tired. We were so relieved when she did so well. Almost too well without us, lol.
Have a wonderful time in Paris!!
Christmas 2011
Here's my 2 cents so take it with a grainof salt. I left DD and flew to NYC to meet up with DH on a business trip. DD stayed with my parents for the first part and they did their usual routine, but brought DD along and distracted her that she didn't even miss me. I would call and chat with her, but she was having so much fun, she didn't miss me.
She spent the last 2 days with MIL and was miserable and I really believe that she didn't go out of her way to do "fun grandma stuff" to not think of me and then DD was asking for me.
So, I recommend some fun stuff in addition to his usual things to not seem so long and dwell on the fact that you aren't there and then when you check in, you can talk about what he has been doing.
We went to Cabo for a week about a month before DD turned two. She stayed at my parents' house. My DH travels a lot for work so we told her that both mom and dad were going on a business trip, on an airplane to Mexico. She was so excited to be with her grandparents that she really did not miss us. I bet I started talking to her about it 4 or so days before and was very frank. I also really built up how great it was that she got to be with the grandparents all by herself, like a big girl.
I agree with others that you should have your MIL do "fun grandma stuff" to make the week different/special for him. I bet you'll be surprised how well he does.