When did you leave your kids overnight?

We left Nathan with my parents at 18 months overnight for a Christmas party. But Colin didn't stay overnight until he was 2, I can't remember exactly when but I think it was probably 2 1/2 - 3. At that point it was more of a problem because grandparents didn't want to keep both kids at once. Nathan just spent the night for the first time at one of his grandparents' last month and he is 7. We only got him to stay because his cousin and little brother were staying.

My daughter was about 9 months.

We left Jacob overnight at DH parents house when he was a month and a half old. He was born the day after our anniversary and we hadn't had time to go out, so we left him there just to go out for dinner. We came back and they offered to take him for the night (he was already sleeping 12 hours straight and I was no longer breast feeding) so we said yes and he did great. Plus, we felt comfortable leaving him and they brought him back around 8 the next morning so it was nice to have that one night. Since then he's spent another night at DH parents and one night at my parents house. He loves the time with them and it's nice for us to spend time together alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mommy to Jacob

I left Matthew overnight for the first time when he was seventeen months old. I went with a few colleges to the NAEYC conference in Chicago and was gone for three nights. Thinking about it and getting ready was worse than the actual trip. Of course everything reminded me of Matthew, it was an early childhood conference, and I thought about how much he would enjoy different things if he was there. All in all a wonderful trip and good bonding time for Matthew and my husband. Matthew didn't punish me too much when I got back. I'm looking forward to April when I go to Indy for their EC conference. Great girls weekend and a tax write off!

I didn't leave her over night till she was over a year old I was a nursing mom and it's difficult being away that long I already work a full time job. So I have not let the new baby over night anywhere yet.
And won't for a while.

We have never left our children overnight. Either I have gone away, or my hubby, but never at the same time. I don't have anyone that I would trust to take them overnight. We don't have family here, and really I don't trust my teenage babysitter for an overnight. She is good for a couple of hours, but definetly not overnight.

Amy D.
The Jewelry Lady!

We left our son when he was 2 months old. We had a dinner to go to and it was going to be a late night, so my parents offered. My daughter didn't stay at my parent's until she was almost 2! They have only ever stayed at my parent's house and no one elses'.
Discovery Toys
Educational Consultant
www.discoverytoyslink.com/jhood

Our children didn't spend the night with someone else until they were two. I think one did it at 18 months only because of an emergency in our home. Then the three kids were out of the house when I spent a week in the hospital with my appendix--that was the worst thing that my kids have happened to them. It was so sad to talk to them on the phone and hear their little voices asking to come home, knowing that I was not doing well in the hospitl. I would hold back my tears until I got of the phone with them. I still cry about it today--that is the impact it had on us.
I always figured that they had no clue why they would be at someone elses house and we never really had a reason to send them for a night-execpt for aunts wanting them. Grandparents don't seem to want to have them over(two out of my three kids haven't been to one grandfathers place--his choice)