Currently, Edward has been traveling but this would be the first time both parents would be leaving their children.
They feel anxious, excited and guilty about going away and want to be as certain as possible that the trip will be a positive experience for everyone.
We shared our guidelines that not only worked well for our families, but also left everyone feeling good about the decision.
Do
1. Only leave your children with a responsible caregiver that they know really well and that you feel sincerely cares about them.
2. Have them cared for in their own home.
3. Have all behavior expectations and rules posted and clearly understood.
4. Discuss any activities that they caregiver is planning. Make sure they are appropriate and planed for approved times.
5. Ensure that no one else is in the home that you have not OKed
6. Make a calendar with the locations of your trip for each day.
7. Select some highlights you have planned for yourselves so they will be connected to you at all times.
8. Share some information about your location and activities that really connect to pre-travel conversations.
9. Roleplay before you leave so they are expecting some questions from you. This area can be tricky. Since if you just ask a general question like “what are you doing today?” they may not know the answer, nor have any idea what you expect.
10. Give them some age appropriate responsibilities so they will feel important.
Do Not
1. Get too emotional. This can be very disturbing for your children. Keep it warm, friendly and caring.
2. Show distress. If there has been some incident or injury, tell them you trust the caregiver.
Well planned travel can be a wonderful advantage! The key is to make it work for everyone!
Good luck!
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