Mom and Me Getaways:: Why you should take a trip with ‘just one kid’

 

Mom and Me
Mom and Me
Mom and Me
Mom and me

A couple of years ago, my husband and I were invited to the wedding of a dear friend’s daughter in Chicago. My husband was not going to be able to take time off, so I embraced the opportunity to take my oldest daughter on a “Mom and Me” weekend getaway (with permission from the bride to bring a child guest!). It was such a great experience that the next year I did the same with my second daughter, minus the wedding. Two years and two kids in a row established it as a 2nd grade tradition, so this year, it is daughter #3’s turn for a Mom and Me weekend, and I can’t wait!

Here are some reasons I think it is worth it to take a trip with just one of your kids.

Special Attention & Bonding

I don’t know about you, but I spend most of my time with my kids outnumbered. With three daughters, there is constant talking, bickering, and jockeying for attention. When I took the first two on their “Mom and me” trips, it was so nice to get to focus specifically on that one child. (It was also lovely to JUST have one to look after!) I got to see my oldest smile so big while we danced together at the reception. I watched my middle daughter bask in the attention of her mother without appeasing a whining little sister who had to go to the bathroom…again. I also found out just how much of a TV addict the middle one was when I awoke at 4:00 AM to her watching cooking shows! Not all moments are rainbows and unicorns, people. But all moments are memories that just the two of us can share!

Cost-Effective

This is probably no big surprise, but traveling is expensive! Taking just one kiddo on a special trip is much more budget-friendly than hauling the whole fam-bam. For my getaways with my girls, it was also the first time each one got to fly on a plane that she would remember, having long since aged out of the free lap-child ticket. On each trip, we got to indulge in little splurges that would have been a solid “No way” if the price tag was times 3. Things like room service one night, dessert at dinner, or a special carousel ride at the zoo helped us make those fun memories and helped the daughter feel that much more special.

New Experiences

Another point that is probably no big surprise is that when there are no siblings around, your travel buddy may be a lot more willing to try something new! My usually-anxious oldest was able to relax and enjoy an adventurous bus ride without fretting about her little sisters. My middle child, who is also my pickiest eater, was willing to step out-of-the-box in ordering new foods at a restaurant. Everything we did could be turned into an adventure, and without an audience to hear them whine, they didn’t! This might have also been my little secret trick to get them to do what I wanted to do, but shhhhhh…they don’t need to know that!

It’s Fun!

Finally, traveling with just one kid was downright fun! It was a relaxing break for this momma, having only one to look after (see #1) and getting a break from the daily routines. It helped me bond with each daughter throughout the whole process, from the planning to the reminiscing. It gave the girls priceless memories and stories to share with their sisters and friends upon our return.

Hope for the Mom and Me Getaway

With the youngest daughter’s trip tentatively scheduled for “sometime this summer,” I am already looking forward to it. She’s my baby, my littlest, my last, but hopefully not the last time I get to take one of my girls for a “Mom and Me Getaway.” I hope that as the girls get older, they still want a special time with Mom. Maybe it won’t be a grand trip. It could just be a one-on-one day around town, but the memories and the bond will last far beyond!

Andrea
Andrea is a wife to an amazing chef, mother to three active daughters, and teacher to prepubescent tweenagers. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, baking, and ignoring the laundry piles.