Taking Our Kids to Italy with Us???

We are traveling to Portugal in October. We're meeting my English in-laws there. Our two kids, 3.5 and 16 months, will be traveling with us. We took our daughter to England when she was about 17 months old. She did really well for most of the trip. We had low expectations, made sure to not set ourselves up for stressful situations, and had a great time. (Again, LOW EXPECTATIONS are key. :-))

If traveling is something that you want your kids to experience, there's no time like the present to start. If your parents are there, they can help out a bit. However, if you're looking to have a nice, romantic vacation with your husband, then leave the kids at home and just enjoy your time. It all depends on what your goals are for the trip. We definitely want our kids to travel and see other cultures so we're exposing them to everything that we can.

Good luck!

I'm not sure if you are close to your parents or not or how much they can assist you in watching them. I can't imagaine not taking them to see grandma and grandpa. How many opportunitites will you have in the future to take your children to see their grandparents. I would take them since your parents will be living there. I bet your parents would watch them for you while you and your hubby want to spend some alone time.

I think for the cost, it would probably be easier if you left them here. You would have to get them passports, and for a long plane ride like that, I'd also think that a seperate seat on the plain would be more comfortable for everyone also. That's alot of money, for something that you have no guarantee they will even remember. Plus, it might be fun to go just you and your husband. I'd leave them behind just this once.

Wow, your trip sounds wonderful. Like others have said, I think the decision to take the kids depends on a lot. Do they see your parents often? Where in Italy are you planning to spend most of your time? What type of activities do you want to do? How long will you be there? I think that if you're planning a fairly laid-back trip and are in more family-friendly cities and spending a lot of time with your parents, that it would be great to take your kids. However, if you plan to be on the go a lot, want to visit the bigger cities and want to do lots of activities, it might not be the best trip for young children.

I have never travelled internationally with my kids, but I would do it if the trip was right. Kids don't have a lot of stamina and need regular meals and down time. They also need time to run around and let off steam. If I were spending three weeks on a villa in a place like Assisi, I'd take them in a heart beat! But if I was spending three days in Rome, then two days in Nice, then three days in Florence, etc., and spending all that time visiting museums and ruins and whatnot, I would probably not take two four year olds. I did a trip to Italy where we moved around a lot and I could barely keep up!

It sounds like a great opportunity if the situation is right. What will be more fun for your kids? A week or two with your husband's parents or the trip to Italy? There's lots of time to travel as they get older. Don't feel guilty if you don't want to take them on this trip. :) Good luck!

If it's a once in a lifetime thing I'd take the kids and take a ton of pictures....

If you plan to go back maybe leave them with their other grandparents and have a little romantic type honey moon all over.

My mom took me multiple times to Europe between when I was say 6 months and 6 years. I remember little clips of some of the trips. I've been told that when I'd return, I would "translate" what my cat said. Four is a fine age to start traveling. They are old enough to understand they are in a different place, you can teach them a few words, they'll remember a little especially if you talk about it. And if you have plans to be traveling with them in the future, and definately to Italy for the grandparents there is no reason NOT to take them now and start to get them adjusted to being in a different place/language/food. You will probably not be able to do so much sightseeing but find "busy" things for them instead.

We've taken our kids to Ireland tons of times and even to Italy once. Although they were 2 years and 2 months and don't remember anything. My son remembers his last trip to Ireland when he was 4 and still talks about it and we're going again in Feb, so it will solidify the memories. Will yours really get alot out of it? It's hard to say, but one thing to consider is that if your parents are there you can have your alone time while they watch the kids.

I think you may enjoy yourselves more without them, because they always have a different agenda then what you do. If you have expectations to do something that day and they are not cooperating it will be very frustrating for you. If you have someone that will watch them, I'd leave them.

I think kids get a lot out of being exposed even just to a foreign language, not to mention culture. The sound of the language, the sounds of the street there, the flavors of the foods, all of that will make an impression on them! I remember traveling to Mexico as a child, I take my kids to Mexico now ( 2 and 5 y.o.), I would do more travelling with them if I could afford it!
As a language teacher I would encourage everyone to have early exposure to any other language--even though you may not be aiming for comprehension at this point!
Have a great trip!

L.,
First off I wanted to tell you that I have a 5 year old daughter named Ainsley. We got it off the West Wing :o)
As far as the trip I would say to take them if you think they will be well behaved enough. We have traveled with out kids a lot and they always seem to love it. It's surprising because everywhere else doesn't have all the kid friendly things to do but they had fun.
The only reason why I'd say to leave them is if the cost would be a stretch for you. You don't want to go broke for a trip that they probably won't appreciate as much as it'll cost.
Best Wishes,
J.
Mom to Ainsley 5, Peyton 3 (angelman.org),foster/adopting boys 4 and 1 and maybe another soon :o)

I would take up your husband's parents offer and go to Italy as a couple. Four is still young for memories. You are planning on traveling internationally as a family in the future, so that sounds perfect. Italy can be a romantic trip for the two of you.

Lucky you...I'm sooo jealous! We wanted to go to Italy for our fifth anniversary in October, and we were absolutely planning to take our son, but since I'm not working, it's too expensive.

If you want to travel as a family and get your children used to it, I see nothing wrong with taking them. They may not remember much, but so what. It's your experience as well, as a family. Take the pictures and tell them stories about it, and they'll get a kick out of knowing they were there. And you never know what kids remember. I took my first plane ride when I'd just turned six and I still remember a lot about it.

We've taken our son on a few road trips and I agree with the person who said low expectations and flexibility are the keys.

Oooh, that's tough. My first instinct is to leave them behind. At 4, it's hard for them to travel, let alone internationally. Plus, you spend most, if not all of your time caring for them. Can you truly enjoy the experience?
I say, if you're planning on travelling with them internationally, in the future, I'd wait.
I'd be happy to go with you and my husband can watch your kids! :)

How long has it been since your parents saw the kids? If its been a long time, I would say take the kids. I work with a lady who has 5 year old twin girls and they have taken the children to France once a year since shortly after their birth. (Her husband is French.)

However, if they have seen them recently and since you have grandparents willing to watch them, I say go on your own. My husband and I took a week and went on an Alaskan cruise, leaving my son with my parents. We had a blast and it was so nice to reconnect as husband and wife, instead of as father and mother. We now take shorter trips alone so that we can enjoy the things that made us want to get married in the first place. Yes, we miss the kids. But as a couple, it has really helped us.