My First Weekend Away Without My Toddler

Aw have a great time!! The one and only time I left my dd, she stayed with my sis & bil. She is totally used to staying with them for the odd overnight and she adores my sis. I decided not to call because I knew it would only upset my dd more but they could call me anytime. I have to say I was away for 3 nights and honestly by the morning of the 3rd day I was soooo ready to see my girl. lol

She took her bedtime bear and was happy when I left, but when I got back my sister told me on the 2nd night, the kids were in bed and she and her hubbie were watching tv and they heard a noise and went to investigate. It was my dd sitting at the front door crying asking when I was coming home. :-( but after that she was fine. lol I have not been away since, but I have to say the welcome you will get when you get home will be amazing!!!! Go and have a fabulous time. xx

I took my first weekend away when me kiddo was 2.5 and I missed him terribly as I kissed him goodbye and until I was out of sight from the house. And then I was giddy. My two nights away during the girls weekend were fantastic, and I only started REALLY missing him during the drive home. Perfect timing.

I called home about twice a day, and was sure to call at bedtime so I could "read" (recite) his favorite book over the phone to him while he sat in daddy's lap. Then I sang our bedtime song and gave him smacking goodnight kisses over the phone. It worked out fine. He and my husband had a great weekend, and as a bonus, it really boosted my husband's self-confidence as "parent in charge" without the mommy-copter hovering.

I'd reccommend that you tell your daughter where you are going and what she's going to do with daddy while you are on a trip with her aunties. Be sure that she sees you leave. (My mom and others used to say "Just go. Go while he's distracted!!" but then he'd realize my absence and start crying and searching room to room, calling for me.) So sad, and "mean", in my book. I always make he sure he knows then i'm going, now, even though it makes the actual leaving harder. Maybe you and your husband could make her a picture book of the things she'll do with daddy (a picture of the zoo, of Red Robin, of the park, etc.) Let her know that daddy with be putting her to bed and you'll read/sing over the phone, and after you hang up daddy with give her a kiss and turn out the light (or whatever your routine is). It may go more smoothly than you think.

Most of all, have an awesome time. You deserve it!

next weekend I will be leaving my son (5) for the first time w/my mom while I go on a ski vacation. I know that the times he will probably miss me the most will be in the morning and at night. So I got him some little dollar store presents to open when he wakes up or goes to bed. Just things like a stuffed animal for bedtime or a little toy for in the morning. I don't know how your daughter will react, but I think this will keep my son busy and make him feel special while I am gone. Good luck! I am so nervous and excited about my weekend away!!!

One of my favorite quotes about mothers:

"She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along." ~Margaret Culkin

my advice is it might not be as bad as you think it will be. when i'm gone from my daughter for any length of time, things tend to go better with her caregiver (my parents or fiance, or even her father) than with me. Just have your husband keep her schedule and things pretty normal for the weekend. maybe do a few fun things with her, that he wouldn't normally do to make it special for her.
as for the phone calls. my daughter is used to being away from me (she goes to her dad's every other weekend, and to my parents one night a month), but when she's at my parents she will ask to call me, and it doesn't upset her. If your daughter is used to talking on the phone i think this is a good idea. but if she is not used to talking on the phone, it would confuse her and make her think you are home and hiding (my daughter thought that for a long time, since she could hear me but not see me).
something you could do to help her at bedtime would be to give her your pillow to sleep with while she's gone, cause it will smell like you. or even have a daddy daughter campout in the living room as something fun.

Enjoy your getaway! don't stress too much about this.

Don't call.....enjoy and have fun...she will be fine and it's only a couple of days......toddlers doesn't understand time or relieve from hearing you over the phone, she will get upset .... I know is very difficult the first time, well for me still is and she's 7 ! But while I get worry and stress my DD was having a blast with other family members ......

I know this will seem to be against some of the other advice but please read all the way. I say do not call, but give permission for them to call you and have a preset time you will call. The first time I left my son (I was his comfort object) they had a great time until it came time for bed. They called and we talked and went through my part of our bed time routine and hung up. a little over an hour later I had a call with a desperate husband and a crying child. I sang and read my son to sleep. (Make sure you have a least a couple of books memorized or written down if this is your routine) This way you are not calling when things are going good and causing more difficulty for your husband, but you have that connection still.
It will be hard but you can do it.

My first trip was awesome. I don't know why you would be nervous. Just enjoy yourself and have fun away from the family. YOu deserve that break. I only called my husband to let him know that I arrived. Your daughter will do a lot better than you might think. Have a lot of fun.

I haven't read your other responses, but as a mommy with a same-aged child and I travel for work monthly...
- CALL EVERY DAY! It will not upset her more in the long-run. They are old enough to know you are "gone", but too young to understand time and "when" you will be back. I didn't call in the morning on my last business trip b/c there was an emergency that I needed to attend to and my son thought "he lost me".
- Make sure daddy knows the routines, but also be okay with the fact that he won't follow them!
- Encourage daddy to do a couple of special things with her... dinner out, watch a movie together, etc so that she has something to tell you about when you get home.

Don't forget to day good bye before you leave and bring something home for her when you return! Be prepared for her to be "off schedule" for the first day or so after you get back.

Have a great time!

I just came from a week long trip away from my 2yr old. I can tell you it was not easy for me, but daddy was so involved with him he kept him busy. I spoke with him on the phone and he did fuss a bit and didn't want to talk but it could just be him having a bad day without me. NIghts were bad, but he adjusted to daddy's routine of getting to bed. I came back after the trip and saw a grown up little person different from the "baby" mommy used to pamper. So it was good in a sense. I must tell you it didn't take long after seeing me again though for him to return to "baby". I see clearly how different moms and dads are in taking care of the kids.

To help the transition, talk to him about you leaving before you go even if you think he will not understand. Let him know you will come back soon.

Nothing beats the reunion when you get back and see the smile on the faces and the tight hugs, but do try to enjoy your time with your sisters, because you may never get that opportunity to be away from kids that long again any time soon - :-))