Would you go on this trip?

[Dianthus]

I would love to see Israel. I would not leave my kids. My kids are 12, 10, 7 & 1.5. I have family I can trust, but I have only left one child overnight with my mom that was 5 years ago when he was under 2 and would make a 2 day camping trip miserable. Otherwise, the only nights away have been 3 times at the hospital having babies. My mom is older and I think it's too much to ask her to watch all 4 kids for that long. I completely trust my other family, but their households and schedules are different enough that I don't think I'd want them entrenched there for that long.

And my kids like to travel. A big part of me wanting to travel is a desire to show things to them. So no, I wouldn't go without them. I'd just save for a family trip. And my husband would be frugal and save his per diem.

 

[Scarlett]

My thoughts.  
 

Part of my decision would depend on what my husband wanted.  If he really wanted to go, and child care was covered to my satisfaction I would go.  
 

However, and this is probably because I am getting older, international travel frightens me because of all the conflicts.  I know I am probably too ignorant to know that the trip you are describing is very safe….but that would factor in.

If I am honest I would not have left my son when he was 7— but—— he was an only child and I was in a terrible marriage with his father, so I would have MUCH preferred staying home with my son than going anywhere with my then husband.  
 

But that is not your situation.  Three of your children are old enough to need very little supervision…..and I am sure the 15 year old helps with the 7 year old.  If I had a family friend I could trust to hire to be the grown up in the house,  there is a high chance I would do it.

Is it an option to go for one week only?

[QueenCat]

I wouldn't go to that particular location. Elsewhere? Maybe. But when my kids were younger (and I only have two), my parents would have come & stayed with them. I'd likely have only been willing to go for a week. I know we went away a few times for 4-5 days when the kids were growing up. I don't recall going away for longer before upper high school/college.

[catz]

Oh well, if I didn't have someone immediately in mind that could stay with my kids and be a trusted caregiver for 10 days, that would probably be a deal breaker for me even though I'd really want to go (I'd personally travel almost anywhere, especially at a steep discount).  

[Spryte]

5 hours ago, catz said:

Oh well, if I didn't have someone immediately in mind that could stay with my kids and be a trusted caregiver for 10 days, that would probably be a deal breaker for me even though I'd really want to go (I'd personally travel almost anywhere, especially at a steep discount).  

Yes, not having a plan for a family-friend type to do the caregiving — dealbreaker here, too. I wouldn’t be comfortable with hiring someone for that long.

[Bootsie]

I love to travel and we traveled extensively internationally with our children.  I would not, however, have been comfortable leaving the kids at home for 10 days while DH and I traveled internationally.  Part of the reason for this is that we never had any good choices of people for our kids to stay with; if we had parents or siblings that our children were used to spending a week in the summer with, maybe we would have taken this type of opportunity.  I would also consider how much the 50% cost of the trip is.  DH and I often found that these type of arranged trips were expensive even when discounted by 50% and the money would go much further when we planned something on our own for a family trip which we could take the kids.  

[Lucy the Valiant]

I would jump at the chance.

[shawthorne44]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

DH and I often found that these type of arranged trips were expensive even when discounted by 50% and the money would go much further when we planned something on our own for a family trip which we could take the kids.  

This is an important point, and you are right.  The planners aren't spending their own money and don't want complaints about something not being nice enough.  I could likely plan something for the family that wasn't much over the 50% fee.  

[regentrude]

I love to travel; however, I would not leave kids while both parents are on an *international* trip, unless they can be with extended family who can handle it if parents were delayed.

An international trip can easily prolong due to aircraft issues for a few days, and with Covid, unplanned delays of several weeks are a possibility. Any childcare arrangements must be made with that in mind.

[prairiewindmomma]

My friends went to Europe for Spring Break. Mom got covid and had to wait an additional week before she could travel to return home.  

So, whatever childcare plans you have need to be flexible, and I'd check what travel restrictions would be in place in Israel should you test positive before your exit flight.

[freesia]

Yes, I would. We traveled to another country with just our five month old and left a 4,6 and 8 year old. If I remember correctly, the grandmothers tag teamed. But I have friends who I would trust and kids that age aren’t much trouble to watch.

What I wouldn’t do is go if you are not American citizens and have no family in the States. When we lived in Canada, I only traveled to the states alone if dh stayed home. People gave me a hard time about it because “the border never closes “ ( we lived right near the border and I wanted good Mexican food!) but then it did after 911 when ds was 10 months old. While I did have an uncle in Canada, he was 2000 miles from us. I know our close friends would have kept ds safe, but no, it wasn’t worth the risk! 

[Frances]

On 5/24/2022 at 6:48 PM, Calizzy said:

Within the group of colleagues there are enough people that I like that I don’t think it would be a problem. A bigger issue is the kids. Some might remember, I posted a few months ago about my step dad letting my 13 yo drive a car in my residential neighborhood. We’ve written them off for unsupervised babysitting. I think I’d have to hire someone.

Then it would probably be a no for me. If I had trusted and willing grandparents to leave with them with, as we did, I would be fine. But having to hire and trust someone (new?) with four kids would be an entirely different thing.

Honestly, visiting Israel holds little appeal for me. I generally dislike flying and long time changes. For the travel distance, there are many other places I would prefer to go. Traveling with work colleagues could be ok as long as there is lot of free time and you are allowed to skip activities if desired with no negative repercussions for your husband.

[regentrude]

5 minutes ago, freesia said:

 

What I wouldn’t do is go if you are not American citizens and have no family in the States. When we lived in Canada, I only traveled to the states alone if dh stayed home. People gave me a hard time about it because “the border never closes “ ( we lived right near the border and I wanted good Mexican food!) but then it did after 911 when ds was 10 months old. While I did have an uncle in Canada, he was 2000 miles from us. I know our close friends would have kept ds safe, but no, it wasn’t worth the risk! 

This. A friend's wife was stranded for six months abroad because she wasn't a citizen and the INS decided to run an extended background check before she was allowed to return.  Her dh brought the toddler to her overseas so she at least could be with her kid. It took the involvement of a senator to get her back into the country.

[DreamerGirl]

Hard no.

The number 1 rule DH and I follow when we travel internationally, we go as a family with kids. Barring that, only one parent goes. We have made a lifestyle where one parent is able to manage household and kids without the other. We literally have plans in place for cooking, housework and childcare to make it easy so the one parent is not overwhelmed.

DH is employed FT, I work PT so I have been the one gone most recently mostly for old parents needing help.

The biggest reasoning is if the unthinkable happens our kids are not orphaned. We have guardianship plans in place, but would try everything humanly possibly to avoid that. Travel is one of the biggest things and before COVID I would not have considered that.

Especially after COVID and the whole borders suddenly closing, quarantine we rethink twice and once more every single trip and I say this as someone who would not blink about taking flights ever and have gone in 5 hours notice. 

 

[Wheres Toto]

In normal times, I'd go.  Dh and I went to Greece when our younger kids were 2 and 4 and left them home with grandparents.  One of them had dd and one had ds.  Oldest dd was 15 and stayed with her dad.  It was a business trip for Dh, we were there for 6 days.  I LOVED it.  I went around to the museums during the day by myself while he was working, then we had dinner each night and a few days at the end to tour together.    

Now would be even easier since my youngest is 14 and they could stay with their sister who is 28 (or she could stay at our house with them).   The only thing that would make me hesitate is Covid.   Traveling internationally right now seems so risky.   You could feel perfectly fine, get a positive test and not be allowed on the plane.   And that's better than dealing with the possibility of getting sick in a foreign country.  

[KungFuPanda]

I absolutely think pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is an opportunity for personal growth. It really is OK to prioritize fun for mom and dad once every decade or so. You don’t want to be those old people who fall asleep in a gondola because you waited until retirement to travel. 
 

If you have people that can keep your kids alive for a little over a week, then GO. Be a couple. It’ll be over in a blink. You’ll see the kids the day you leave and the day you get back. EVERYONE will survive 8 days apart. 

[eneignur]

I would definitely go because I want to visit Israel so much and I also love traveling. This trip looks like a very nice opportunity to get to know the holy land and make new friends there.
I am not a Jew, but I like this country and the way they built it in the middle of a desert. The last place I’ve been on vacation in Hawaii, and I like various Oahu activities, but it is time to get to know something more.
Israel is also a good place for religious people to see where the main events of Christian, Judaic, and Muslim narratives were taking place.

Edited July 4, 2022 by eneignur