If you live away from family, do you travel for the holidays?

[HannaAddict]

No, we had the same discussion and came to the same conclusion. Do what works for our family (us and the kiddos) and if it works to travel, say when they are older or it is something we can do, then great. Otherwise, we stay home and don't try and please everyone. Your sister has no kids and has been invited and wants to sweat you for not flying with children??? She probably doesn't have any idea how hard it is to travel with kids (we look like a traveling circus when we travel) since I really had no clue until I had kids. Don't feel badly, just keep the invite open and someday when she has kids you both will have a good laugh over this - as you request she fly across the country to see you! Ah, the holidays.

[MacMacMoo]

We are military. We never do Christmas travel because it's to chaotic. Also getting leave is tricky since they can only let so many people be on leave at one time, if we do any fall/winter travel its generally late October or early November.

We aren't vising any one of importance this winter. We are going on our first us vacation. All the other trips have been to see parents/siblings and that's not a vacation.

We dealt with a lot of crap before getting married and made a great many realizations about DH's family. They make a great big fuss when he's in town or convince him to come, but they make very little effort to come visit him.

[klwa]

I'm only about 3 hours away by car from my family, but I rememebr how difficult it was the first year that DH & I decided to put our family first & not travel on Christmas Day. We didn't have children yet, but knew we didn't want to have to run as soon as Santa came to someone else's house once we did have kids & decided to just make the break then. One brother had children, and he went balistic. I would not be able to see his children if I didn't some home for Christmas. I was killing my mother by not coming home, etc. (He lived 2 miles from my parents & less than a block from his in-laws. So, the concept of makign all of the families happy just didn't occur to him.) I stayed calm & just said that, no, I was doing what was right for MY family, and I'd see them soon. Momma & I worked out a date for the famiyl to "do Christmas", and we've been fine ever since. Is there a way you can "do Christmas" with your sis/bro/parents a week (or, heck even a month) out from Christmas? So you still have Christmas Day as just your kids & Santa, and then the extended family can still have the fun of Christmas.

[maestramommy]

We used to travel more before kids, and when we had just two kids. Right now it's very hard, because Laurel isn't the greatest traveler, and traveling by air with 3 carseats is just tough. It's much easier to pay for my parents, for example, to visit us. We do see the ILs a little more because they are closer, so the flight at least, is a fraction of the time. And we are currently mulling the possibility of driving 12 hours instead of paying for 5 tickets. But it's a struggle either way. We know it's temporary though.

For you, I can totally see why you would want to stay put for the holidays, and I agree with the stability factor. It's too bad your sister doesn't understand that