re: Vacation without your LO

My son was 4 when I left him for a whole weekend.

LO will be 18 months the first time we leave him for a weekend. It will be out honeymoon

DS is 3.5, i wouldn't leave him overnight. Since 3, as all children do, he has developed an understanding of time to some level. He does every bedtime with me though, so it would cause him distress to suddenly change that. I wouldn't put him through that for my own enjoyment. Emotions aside, developmentally he is much closer to being able than he was a year ago. I would guess he would be at least 4 before he'd be ready for an overnight with someone he knew very well and who knew him very well. I'd want him to be sleeping through the night reliably and to know he would have someone who would be patient and gentle with him if he did wake up in the night, and someone who would follow his bedtime routine and not just put him to sleep at some random time they thought was 'right'. I have no desire to leave overnight.

As far as going away for a whole week, kids are still learning days and weeks in Kindy. A week can feel like a very long time to a young child. It would depend on the child's needs and personality. If the child was easy going and they were going to close family i guess age 6+ for a weeks vacation. I was an anxious and sensitive child and i remember being devastated when my dad went away with work - and my mom was still at home with me. I remember getting home sick when i stayed overnight at a friends age 10!! I went away with my school for 5 days when i was 11, i think i was ready then. I didn't have anyone close like a family member, it was a new environment 2 hours away from my parents.. but i obviously knew my class mates and teachers. To stay with family though, i'm guessing sometime 6+ for a weeks vacation.

Attachment research on this says the same, that cognitively kids are not ready and that they need to be with their primary attachment figure during the first 6 yrs. I'm not saying the odd time would be awful, but generally speaking i wouldn't frequently leave my very young child.

My son was nursing all through the night till he was 2 years old so that would be one of the main reasons i wouldn't leave him overnight as a baby or toddler.

Quoting Mama*AtoZ:" DS is 3.5, i wouldn't leave him overnight. Since 3, as all children do, he has developed an understanding ... [snip!] ... the night till he was 2 years old so that would be one of the main reasons i wouldn't leave him overnight as a baby or toddler."

my baby is 3 months and my mother just watched him for the evening and night this past saturday until i got home in the morning..but we all live together, and he laughs and smiles with her all the time so i wasnt worried too much. but it was hard, he was all i talked about the entire time gone, and i was just hoping he wasnt crying because he needed me. you know, sometimes they just need to be held by mommy and all...
so even though i wasnt too worried, there was still a huge weight of guilt that i was out and about. i dont think ill be doing that again for a LONG time.

Quoting Amber Waves:" my baby is 3 months and my mother just watched him for the evening and night this past saturday until ... [snip!] ... there was still a huge weight of guilt that i was out and about. i dont think ill be doing that again for a LONG time. "

I used to feel like that too when i left him in the day.
My niece got left overnight often from 3 weeks old, idk how mom did it!

Any age for me we cherish our time together.