Plan a Couples-only Vacation

It's Good for You!

By Heather Johnson Durocher

Still, the fact that Isabel had positive experiences with daycare and staying with grandparents prior to the trip reassured Nelson.

Parents do need to know if they, as well as their child, are ready for the separation. A child's age and development level are good gauges, experts say. "Up until 7 to 9 months, before separation anxiety sets in – if it does with your child – parents can leave without too much difficulty," says Susan Newman, Ph.D., a social psychologist and the author of Little Things Long Remembered: Making Children Feel Special Every Day.

Building up to a longer trip away is wise, adds Butterworth. Begin with a few hours away before trying an evening out and graduating to a night or two away, he advises. Starting when the child is young is critical, too. "If you start it at an early age, by the time the child is 4 or 5, the child will understand that even though I am important in my family, I am not always the center of the universe," he says.

When the timing is right, a trip without children can be magical.

"I would certainly recommend that every parent try to get away for a small vacation, be it a weekend or a couple of days," agrees Isaac Farbowitz. "When you spend a few months tending to a baby's needs every second of the day, sometimes a little time alone can do wonders."

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