Grandparent Trips

[talkamotta]

On another thread it was suggested that maybe a thread on Grandma trips should be started. So thats what Im doing.

This year I took my 7 grandchildren to Longboat Key. We didnt do much except play on the beach or play Marco Polo in the pool. I had to bring one parent but the others werent invited. Its was a grandma trip. We saw manatees swim into the bay so we read about different mammals and fish that live in the ocean.

Last year, we went to Bryce. The grandkids slept in my tent and we told scary stories. We went on hikes and just hung out. I find out all kinds of stuff when parents arent around.

When a few of us (not grandchildren) went to Flagstaff/Sedona/Grand Canyon area a couple of years ago, I really thought the grandkids would have had so much fun. The added advantage would be all the education they could have seen first hand. Walnut Canyon for example has been well preserved.

Ive taken my grandchildren to Florida (Orlando) of course but we took the kids to Kennedy Space Center. Im sure they learned more things they will remember in that one day than they did in the week I pulled them out of school.

I try to make grandkid vacations not only fun and memorable: I will try to throw in some education value.

What are some of your experiences?

[Holly in South Jersey]

As a school employee and member of the school attendance team, I'd say try to keep the trip to one per school year. In NJ, if the kid misses more than 10 school days, even with doctor notes, the school really gets on the parent, because the state gets on the school. In these days of NCLB there's all kind of new mandates.

As a grandmom, I say go for it!


Holly

[riverdees05]

We have five grandchildren, but the most we have taken on a vacation is four and most of the time two. We took four, ages 14-5 to Panama City Beach last spring break, took two to Cocoa Beach/Orlando in May and took four & three parents to Park City, UT over the fourth of July. Have some plans for trips next Spring and Summer.

[DianneL]

I have two grandchildren, a girl 8 and a boy 6. They are home schooled and therefore can take their spring break, fall break, etc. when they like. So, we have taken them on trips (with their parents) to Sedona, Grand Canyon, Disneyworld and Gatlinburg. Always fun to spend the time with them.

[talkamotta]

Originally Posted by Holly in South Jersey

As a school employee and member of the school attendance team, I'd say try to keep the trip to one per school year. In NJ, if the kid misses more than 10 school days, even with doctor notes, the school really gets on the parent, because the state gets on the school. In these days of NCLB there's all kind of new mandates.

As a grandmom, I say go for it!


Holly

I didnt mean for mean for us to take them out of school. Although I did take my oldest grandson out of school a couple of times over the years. Two years ago, him and his dad took a cross country road trip for two weeks. He is an honor roll student, so that was good. The school thought that was wonderful because he was going to Washington D.C. Virginia, etc. the same trip that the senior road trip has planned.

Since I have been traveling more, history has come alive for me. I can picture how things happen when I can see it in person. For example: Chichen Itza, you can picture how the people lived. A different culture. You can appreciate how intelligent they were especially in mathematics and how it applies to life.

This is one of the gifts I want to give to my grandchildren.

[Karen G]

Originally Posted by talkamotta

This is one of the gifts I want to give to my grandchildren.

I think that's very cool--your grandchildren and their parents are very fortunate to have you as their grandma. I look forward to being able to do the same thing if I'm still able to by the time we ever have any grandchildren!

[luv2vacation]

Originally Posted by Karen G

I look forward to being able to do the same thing if I'm still able to by the time we ever have any grandchildren!

My thoughts exactly. Hubby and I are dying to have grandchildren and one of the reasons is that we want to be able to take them places. Unfortunately (for us), neither one of my 2 DD's (25 & 26) has any interest right now in anything but their careers.

In the meantime, I usually invite my sister and her granddaughter (10-yo) along. I'm even considering taking just her granddaughter to WDW with us in January. We're very close but it would be her first trip with JUST me (no Mom-mom).

[Blues]

What a great thread!

We took our 5 yo granddaughter (and her parents) to Disneyworld in April. We've had her at home for a week at a time in the past, but this was the first 'trip' that we've taken her on. We anticipate doing this yearly if possible; and mostly with just the 3 of us (DW, me, DGD). Indeed, we're planning Disneyland in CA for next summer (as a driving vacation), and her parents have already declined coming along.

We'd love to take her on something more educational as her age permits. DW and I have even discussed a trip to somewhere in Europe when she gets older. But I'm not sure what the right age may be. I'm thinking at least 8, and possibly age 10 or older. Thoughts?

[Dori]

I can't wait to begin the Grandma's Roadtrip" scenario. We are going to be first-time grandparents in late November. We are hoping DD and DSIL and the baby will join us down in Florida for a week in February. It will be a few years until we can whisk our grandchild off to vacations sans mommy and daddy.

Dori

[vacationhopeful]

My sis was born when Mom was 42;sis had her last kid at 39. Naturally, our parents were old and we lost them when her 2 youngest were still in diapers 5 years apart. Her husband's parents had him when they were 20. And I am equally distance in age between her in-laws and her & her hubby.

When her youngest boy was 4, he refused to go home with her after driving the 140 miles up to my house (estate business). It took me 4 days to bribe him to go home - he LOVED getting up at 6AM, being on the remodelling projects with the subcontractors, eating breakfast & lunch with them (& me), and falling asleep at 8PM in under 3 minutes every night. No Gameboy, no WIFI, no Nick - just hot, humid outside work, then water the fruit trees in my garden at night. He even got a tool bag - a real tool bag with 16 oz hammer, razor knife, open wretch set, allen keys, 25' tape measure, hack saw - yes, he was 4 years old.

He just went home after his 4th yearly (and now 8 day trip) - he is seven. He help install a burglary system (RF) alone with me in a empty house one night til 9PM (after the copper pipes were cut out). The guys were too busy putting 3 separate loops in for domestic hot and cold water and 3 loops of hot water heat lines. Last year he dug up 330 red bricks from a back yard walk under 3-6 inches of dirt and stacked them in 98 degree weather;vacuum rugs which no one had done in 7 years with 2 cats. I give him a check that he knows he has earned on Friday; this year he got a bonus check for 14.5 hr day - we walk out the door everyday at 6:15AM and his bed MUST be made before going to work and he must eat something, too.

His two older brothers (13 & 15) thinks he is nuts - he requested cable to his TV in his room next year. And he knows he will get a raise each year he comes up and works. This is NOT make work; things we did 2-3 years ago, we might be back in doing something else. We do a lot of bathrooms, some kitchens, windows, doors, and paint everywhere. The only requirement is any new tool he sees being used, I have to tell the parents - he stares at the sawzall, the trigger torch, 2.5lb sledge hammer, and wants a screw gun since year 1 (every year it is on his Xmas list, it is on his Mom's NO list, too).

Don't know if anyone would think that is a "grandparent" type trip. But the real set of grandparents cannot believe I will take any or all 3 boys anywhere and everywheres. I even took the 13 yo with me to Ft Lauderdale for a week this summer - that was a really good age for that trip. The grandparents don't even do overnights at their house 15 miles from the boys' residence.

And don't ask what I have done to these kids on Xmas morning for the last 12 Xmas ... just the boys have to cook a full breakfasts for all adults before open ANY presents - past 5 years, 3 homemade quiches, 3 sets of baked muffins, fresh fruit and juice & coffee on the Lenox Holiday china in the DR - served at 9AM. (breakfast planning/division of duties during afternoon of 24th. KP starts at 7AM Xmas ).

The first year was baked brownies, 6 years of muffins, then 2 quiches and last couple of years 3 quiches ... I have pictures; I just make sure they use a teaspoon (not a tablespoon) for measuring the SALT and taking things out of the oven. And I test the coffee. The adults like the spinach and feta cheese quiche; the boys mostly like the cheese and bacon, with the ham & cheese okay. Mom and Dad eat a piece from each boy's quiche; it is what parents do.

Basicly real conventional stuff - the memories, sharing of family history, structure and discipline, learning, helping others, no Gameboys, exposure to a real/different world, work ethic. Just wish I could train one of them to do my income taxes .

[clsmit]

Can I be a foster grandkid for all of you? Y'all are awesome grandparents!

My mom took my kids for the first time this summer to "Camp Gram" at her house. They learned to sew on a sewing machine and made beautiful 4-patch pillows! And they cooked and cleaned up after the huge labradoodle that sheds everywhere. The kids had a great time and can't wait to go back! I'm glad the my mom is interested enough in them to spend the time with them. No fancy timeshares for her; it's all about quality time. They get the fancy timeshares with us.

[Dave M]

Nice thread!

I retired just over two weeks ago and have embarked on a planned Grandpa's trip program with my six grandkids. As they get old enough, I'll take them, one or two at a time, almost anywhere they want to go that meets with parental approval. The idea is for them to have fun, perhaps including a wee bit of education fun.

For three days this week I'm entertaining two granddaughters (13 and 9) in my old digs (pre-retirement) in Boston. We're staying at Marriott's Custom House. Today (their arrival date) we took a Duckboat tour among other things. Tomorrow, it's the Museum of Science, some IMAX documentary shows and a fun restaurant. Thursday it's the New England Aquarium and walking a few portions of the Freedom Trail. We'll finish the day off with the current teenyboppers' craze group, a concert at Comcast Center by the Jonas Brothers.

Then I’ll put them on a plane back home to Florida on Friday.

My oldest grandson (11) wants to go to LegoLand near San Diego. If he doesn't change his mind, we'll do that within the next year. The other three kids (6, 4 and 3) are still a bit young for me to take them on such a trip.

I'll continue doing this from time to time as long as I'm able. As the kids get older, they might want to go further afield (Europe?) or join me in SC for days at the beach. Or they might decide traveling with Grandpa is for the birds. Either is okay with me. But the offer stands.

I'm having a ball with my granddaughters! And feeling seems to be mutual. When they called Mom and Dad this evening, the 13 year-old's first words to Mom were an excited "We had a great time today!"

[applegirl]

Hey, vacationhopeful and Dave M....can I be your adopted grandchild? It sounds like too much fun!

Janna

[luv2vacation]

Originally Posted by Dave M

We'll finish the day off with the current teenyboppers' craze group, a concert at Comcast Center by the Jonas Brothers.

Oh, Dave, you are a brave soul. Remember to take your earplugs - not because of the music but the THOUSANDS of SCREAMING pre-teen girls!

I remember when my girls were younger and my Mom and Hubby took them to see New Kids on the Block. My mom actually WANTED to go. That was fine by me. Hubby said, however, that he never knew pre-teen girls could scream so LOUD.

[vacationhopeful]

I grew up almost across the street from my grandparent's house - just 140 arces of their fields separating the 2 houses. If the cows got out, it was just as much my problem as theirs. When I entered their home, things were done differently. The rules and goals were never the kids' - and those special cups of tea (more milk than theirs), was still a treat I didn't get at my parent's house. They had 4PM tea every afternoon - not very formal, just china tea cups, silver tea pot, sugar cubes, and an assortment of cookies. The conversation was that of the business of the farm and schedules.

I never thought I should WAIT til the boys got to be a set age. I had a 2 yo decide he wanted to stay overnight at my house - he was fine, even though he said like no words. His slightly order brother had more than a few words like stay with me & Mom, but he didn't flinch and went off for his adventure.

The 7 yo informed me that he too wants to go to Ft Lauderdale someday - like his 13 yo brother did this summer. The 15 yo boy was supposed to go to California to another's aunt's, except he could not decide if he really wanted to go. I had NO interest in fueling a "pick the best trip" contest between the brothers. The 13 yo has always had a big animal interest - Florida was his style of trip (sort of like Dave M's concert experience ).

My neice in CA has dreamed of Paris, France - my bet in the family is, I could past off Budapest as Paris and she would be just as happy. I did take that neice just the last NYE week to Key West to watch the conch shell drop - she had no idea what Key West was like. Such a sheltered life in CA. Her 21 sister did a few things in Las Vegas with me and her mom in early December for 3-4 days.

[laura1957]

Originally Posted by luv2vacation

Oh, Dave, you are a brave soul. Remember to take your earplugs - not because of the music but the THOUSANDS of SCREAMING pre-teen girls!

I remember when my girls were younger and my Mom and Hubby took them to see New Kids on the Block. My mom actually WANTED to go. That was fine by me. Hubby said, however, that he never knew pre-teen girls could scream so LOUD.

I took my 2 daughters who were around 14 and 11, my 11 year old niece, and a 14 year old friend to see NSYNC years ago in Virginia Beach - It rained - POURED - lightning, thunder... but they had such a wonderful time it was worth every minute. But I think I had a headache for the next month!!

[clsmit]

I agree with the earplugs for the Jonas Brothers! The screaming is loud, but the music is played louder! My ears rang for 2 days after the Hannah Montana concert! Bring them for the kids, too. My daugher even said it was loud.

And if they get bored, the new MIT museum is supposed to be very cool. There is life across the River Charles, you know!

[Holly in South Jersey]

When my youngest daughters were 8 and 10 we spent several days in DC, then went to Williamsburg. They are now 25 and 27. The 27 year old remembers much more about the trip than the 25 year old does. So my unscientific advice would be wait til they're 10 or more if you expect them to remember it well.

We did a family trip to Orlando last summer. At the time grandson Eddie was not quite 4, and granddaughter Julie was 3 months old. A year later Eddie remembers the pool without steps, the Rainforest Cafe, and the plane. Heather traded us into Star Island for that trip.

This November theyre going to Westgate. My neice owns there, and Heather traded in. They've invited me along and since it's over teacher convention weekend, I'm going for part of the week. My sweet SIL says he always wants me to travel with them, because they can get a night out without worrying about the kids- who better to leave them with than Grammy!

Holly