I just wanted to offer my opinion, as someone who was not too long ago a child...

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least three real trips where my parents left me (their only child) at home with grandparents. Nassau (age 3?), Hawaii (age 4 or 6), London (12). Other than missing my parents a little, I was certainly not scarred by the experience and it led me to respect that my parents have a life and a relationship that came before me and doesn't really involve me - and I'm completely okay with that.

They both worked full-time, so it was important for them to occasionally get away - just the 2 of them. It did not happen all the time. I was in school and day care since day one, but that didn't change their mind. I also was sent to my grandparents many summers because they had more activities (pool, fort, playhouse, pets) for me to do, rather than sit in daycare all summer long waiting for mom to pick me up. I had so much fun with my grandparents!

My DH was one of 4, and I think his parents also took a handful of parent-only trips (you'd have to with 4 kids!), but more importantly, and unlike my parents, they had weekly kid-free dates. And all the children respect them for that.

Also, whether or not children should accompany parents on a vacation depends on the nature of the vacation (a 3 year old will not enjoy Paris). My DH was brought along on many world travels, but he was too young to enjoy a lot of them - at age 5, the Louvre is just boring. At 10, a 10 day trip to Vegas and the Grand Canyon was 70% lost on me. But, I was taken to Disney more than any child could ever hope to be, so I came out okay!

Yes, children grow fast, and soon they'll be off in college. But it's one week where you're working on recharging your batteries, and the kids need to learn to be on their own occasionally. (Otherwise, you get a kid who freaks out at sleep-away camp.) Grandparents are wonderful sitters! Everyone can survive a one-week vacation without the kids!

kerikeri: Here are our reasons for leaving our 2.5-year-old with his grandparents or my sister-in-law and her family (for us, no one else will do). My husband and I view it as creating an independent child. We did not want our son to be one of those children who cry the minute their parents weren't around. He's stayed with his grandparents and my sister-in-law and her family from 1 to 4-5 nights (1 night if we had a wedding or a concert to go to and we'd be back home late; and 4-5 nights for our wedding anniversary trips - he was 1.5 years old for our 4th anniv., and 2.5 years old for our 5th one). Had a blast, each time. Never cried. Could very well be that it's just his temperament. Who knows but the bottom line is that he's an independent little guy and we love that.
Our 2nd reason is that we also want to make sure the "parents" in us don't overtake the "couple" in us. How many times have you not heard the story of couples who suddenly realize they're married to a stranger when their kid goes off to college?
This does NOT mean that parents who choose to be with their children all the time are wrong. It just means one does what works for them.
By the way, our family vacations are also a blast.

I still feel bitter thinking of my mom leaving me with distant relatives during her vacation.

I have adult children now. Never ever I had a day away from them unless it was absolutely nesessary. With the younger children the trips were shorter, that's all. There is no "too young" age.

Then they grew up and stopped going with me, but that's another story.

I imagine there would be a difference as a child in being left w/grandparents who you know well and love versus a distant relative. I don't know about anyone else, but my kids' grandparents spoil them so much that they often don't want to leave their house!!

I was about seven when my parents took a week long vacation. I had so much fun at Grandma's house I didn't care if they were away!

We travel with every possible permutation of attendees... and its wonderful... Sometimes I just take my kids (my daughter and I went to Venice last year the week before Christmas)... Sometimes I just travel with my mother in law (I took her to the Christmas markets in Germany last Thanksgiving - leaving my father in law, husband, and 3 kids home to deal with the meal themselves). This summer I spent a month in Europe with my niece, daughter, and me... my husband joined for one week. Every summer the entire family (including mother in law) go to Europe... Every year - once or twice... my husband and I go to South America or Europe without our children. When my husband and I leave - our mother in law watches our children (they love it and she loves it.. she lives in Michigan - and us in Colorado - so if we didn't do this, she'd see our kids much, much less)... I think a couple of things... Whatever you feel comfortable doing is great (as long as you aren't being constantly exclusive)... and as long as everyone in your family is happy - its really no one else's business what you do...

I agree with your statement snowrooster. My relatives are great but unfortunately live out of state so my son does not know them well so I would never leave him with them. That would not be fair to him.
My son has so much fun at my sister-in-law's (she has an 11-year-old and 5-year-old who are truly wonderful with him) + a big fish tank....my husband and I are a bit hurt when he doesn't really want to leave, even after we've been gone for 4/5 days!

I guess what it boils down to is that it is perfectly okay to leave your kids and go on vacation if you feel comfortable with this.

My husband and I attended a convention last year where one company did not allow any children over the age of six months.

Somebody earlier mentioned about having homesick 12-13 year olds at summer camp, which reminded me:

When I worked as a camp counselor, I was shocked the parents would send their 6-year-olds to camp--this was an 8-week camp. A few of the little kids could handle it, but most of them were miserable. That's just to young to be away from home for EIGHT WEEKS.

I think an 8 week summer camp is pretty long for little kids. Definitely.

I always loved going to visit family (grandparents, aunts, uncles) without my parents and would sometimes go with my friends to visit their grandparents too.

It was great.