This Summer!

If you have a camper than it should be no problem! My kids were camping as early as 4mo. They are now almost 9 and almost 7 and they have been on road trips from Michigan to Florida, to Texas and Yellowstone!! Tell the "other party" to get out and have some fun and live a little!! You can relax for a few days after the vacation at home.

I say that if you can't convince him to go somewhere, then you make a plan that is do-able for you and the kids and GO FOR IT! My hubby doesn't like water parks, so just me and the kids go and get another friend with kids to go too.

Well...vacations ARE a bit different once a child enters the picture. BUT what's the alternative? Never doing anything or going anywhere for 18 years?
I LIVE for our weeks at the beach. We've never missed O. since our son was born. He was not quite 6 mos. old the first time we took him. We find it best to get a house or condo with full kitchen, etc so we can fix quick breakfasts & lunches rather than schlep everyone out for every meal.
But cooking dinner is not an option. I'm on vacation too, right? :)
It gets easier as they get older too.
When they're little it's less stressful if you keep it low key and keep them to their routine/sleep schedule as much as possible.
In your case, I vote for a week in FL!

S.--at this point, I think I'd go ahead and start making reservations...for 3! Go without him. This is O. of those things that you & he may NEVER see eye-to-eye on...but what does that mean? That you or the kids NEVER get to go anywhere? Totally not fair! Especially since you can clearly afford it and there's no "real" reason NOT to go!

Yup, like Amanda W. said, plan a couple of days at the end of your trip to be at home to unwind, do laundry, take naps, etc. & there should be no problem. Vacations aren't all about sitting silently next to a pool or getting trashed out at a club, they're about spending time with your family that includes a change of scenery. It's good for everyone, even if you don't go far or spend an arm & a leg on it!

Since you would only have 2 kids with you, you are not outnumbered.

How active of a parent or participant is your hubs?

The baby is actually pretty easy at this age to go camping with. Bring a playpen and a backpack and the little one is safe while cooking, or place the baby in the back so he can see what's up and take turns.

I would only consider camping IF your 'person' was super helpful and vigilant at all times around the kids. If he thinks he's off by himself fishing, or napping, I'd lean towards not going.

Honestly, it's really different being outside with kids. They seem to be so easily entertained and are happier IMHO. It's like one big long picnic for them.

Keep your expectations of 'fun' low....just walk around, throw stones in the streams, find the local park, do things at their ability. A change of scenery is always a boost to the family bond.

Hope you go and have fun!

Time for hubby to get with the program for the next 18 years or so: You vacation in places and in ways that work for the KIDS. If the kids are happy, you will be happy. He has to learn to take pleasure in seeing THEIR pleasure. And not traveling at all will deny the kids a lot of chances both to have fun and to learn. Yes, adults need their grown-up time and pursuits as well, but that doesn't happen when away on vacation, unless perhaps you stay with the kids once they're in bed and he goes out to a movie or whatever. Oh, and he does the same for YOU.

I bet some of his stress is having an infant along and yes, it does require more gear that if it were just the two older kids (car seat, diapers, etc. etc.). But it's doable if you're realistic and if he just relaxes about it.

Meanwhile, your six-year-old is at a perfect age for Chicago. The science museum is wonderful--pure heaven for a kid this age. The planetarium is right next door to it. And the seven-month-old isn't walking yet, which is terrific; the baby stays in a stroller with one parent in charge, armed with tons of baby books and distracting new toys the baby hasn't seen yet, while the other parent goes off through the museum with the six-year-old. Families with kids of such different ages simply have to "tag-team" it. If you don't, the older child is always hearing, "We can only stay a short while, the baby will get tired...we can't go in that dinosaur exhibit, the sound effects are too loud, the baby will be scared...we have to leave now, the baby's crying" etc. Imagine how much fun that is for the older kid. And how many learning opportunities the older kid would miss. You and the hubby need to be willing to take things in turns with both children, and that can even include one of you hanging at the hotel all afternoon with the baby for baby's regular nap schedule, maybe some by the pool time, etc., while the other parent takes the older kid to...Go up the Hancock Building to the top for the views, go to the children's museum that's by the lake, etc. etc. You definitely sound up for this, but you may have to convince your husband!

There's a "Chicago card," I can't recall the formal name. It's a discount card on lots of museum entries and other tourist destinations in the city. You pay for it and it's hefty but it saves you money in the end if you actually use it wisely. Check into it. And with hotels --better to pay more for a good city-center hotel that's minutes from stuff you want to see, than to save cash on some far-away hotel at the airport etc. and spend too much time getting into town and back every day. You want to be able to send one adult "home" to the hotel with the baby quickly and easily whenever you want or need to.

In my opinion a vacation with the kids is a lot of work, but its still a vacation and your a family now. Choosing to have kids, was a choice made and therefore you can't just put your life on hold or do all vacations without them. Although, the vacation won't be totally relaxing, it definitely can be fun!

yes, it is work to go away with the kids. its also fun and its memories for all of you. im sure you both see already how fast the time goes, before you know it the kids are gonna want to be with their friends instead :( ... these are precious years and you cant get them back. my best advice is to choose your vacation carefully. some are a lot more work than others. some vacations we have gone on were completely exhausting, i felt like i was forever packing and unpacking bags and hiking back and forth to the room. other places that were more family friendly were a world of difference. we go to this little place upstate where everything is included, everything is right there, its all about the kids, lots of activities for them, everything is close, if your kid only wants to eat cherry tomatoes and melon for a week, thats what he gets, that kind of thing. no lines to wait on, no long distances to get to anything, we dont even get in the car all week. the beach is small and contained. i can actually sit down! there is a little patio where we can chill out after the kids are sleeping and they are still right next to us. the place we go isnt fancy and its way too much money for what you get, technically, but its worth its weight in gold for me, its a true vacation. ..... honestly, if you have 3 kids like me, but you would only be taking the 6 year old and the baby who isnt really even mobile yet, this is as easy as its gonna get for a while! i would jump on it :) talk to friends with kids the same age as yours and see what places have worked for them, check out tripadvisor.com also. good luck.

Don't think about it as a vacation or getaway but a way to expand your children's education. Yes you can go to the beach and have fun but there are museums and other cultural places to take the kids too. Get off the main highway and take a few back roads and really see the place you are visiting. Once they start learning history and geography in school you can show them how your vacation relates to their history or geography lesson.
Theme parks are great but they are fake going to real places teaches them something.

I think it is my responsibility that my son (5 yrs) have childhood vacation memories. Hence, he must have childhood vacations. We have been taking him to the beach every summer since he was 5 months old. We have been to Montreal, Seattle, Charleston, Florida, NYC and a bunch of other places with him. And yes, it is way more work than it was when it was just the two of us.

We go for a week every summer, no matter what! There are more relaxing/enjoying moments than not! We go to a resort where everything is within walking distance. We just do the beach, pool, playground all week!

Some people like to talk themselves out of having fun.
Plan it, stuff hubby in the car, and enjoy!

Well, I mean he's kinda right, but that doesn't mean you get to just hide in a hole and not go anywhere! My husband decided we can no longer refer to vacations as "vacations" if the kids go along, we can only call them family getaways! LOL!

I'm not sure how to really convince him except to say that maybe this is what all families deal with and at least your getting a vacation from the baby?! I would decide on like 2 or 3 options and present them to your husband. Tell him that these are your top selections and he can decide which one of them you do.

Is it possible to get another family friend to go with you and do a dual vacation? Something like that may entice him to go and then you could share kid watching duties for at least one night and get a night to yourself, or at least just have a buffer of some friends so he's not "alone" with you and the kids, as horrible as that sounds! ;)

I hope it works out for you! I agree you need time away, even if it's a lot of work for mom and dad, the kids will love it and remember it forever!

How old are the kids? That makes a significant difference.

For instance, I can't even begin to imagine that camping in a camper with my 4 year old and 18 month old would be close to enjoyable. However, if they were 11 and 8? No problem.

Your only taking the 6 and 7 y/o?? That will be a piece of cake! I vote Chicago or Florida, I live in St. Louis and just dont think its that fun, for kids anyways. You need to get him on board, especially if you have someone to watch the baby! We went to FL for two weeks last year, with a 5 y/o and 1 y/o, it was a lot of work, but soooo worth it. I miss the ocean deeply. :(