Trip Without 2 Year Old

I went away when my eldest was about three, with his favorite babysitter (and her sister) to stay over and watch. My son had so much fun he didn't even notice I was gone. I called to say hi and he couldn't give me the time of day! When I got back, he realized it meant his beloved sitter was leaving and he started to cry. Too funny...

Anyway, keep it simple. Just say mommy and daddy are going away overnight but you'll be back in two nights. Tell her how much fun she'll have with teacher and she can tell you all about it when you get back. Don't let your emotions about leaving color your words or your tone; she'll pick up her cues from you. Keep it light and airy and don't overplay it. Call if it's convenient. If she REALLY needs to talk to you, the sitter will call you.

Trust me, this is a gazillion times harder for you than for her. With the right set up, it's likely your daughter will be having too much fun to miss you...and that's as it should be!

Good luck.

i would let the teacher explain to her whats going on in the moning like you would have done if you were there. tell the teacher if your little girl needs or wants to talk to you please call you. good luck and have FUN

This is going to be harder for you than it is for her! She will be in good hands, having fun. At this age she will likely not be panicking that you've abandoned her or anything like that.

When talking to her I'd just emphasize that she'll be spending some special time with her teacher, that her teacher will be bring her home from school, put her to bed, take her to school, etc. and you'll be back soon. I would tell her exactly what is going to happen to HER (don't focus on you or your activities) so she doesn't feel confused. When we left my son at this age, we just said we were going to Boston and we'd bring him back a special toy. That was all the information he needed.

Talk about something fun you'll do together when you return. That way she has something to look forward to and that the babysitter can remind her of if she gets upset. Like, "Remember, when Mom gets home, you will be going to the park! Let's talk about all the fun things you can do at the park! Let's draw a picture of the park!" We use this tactic with our 2-year-old son (who has issues being dropped off at daycare) and it works very well for him.

I would leave the calling up to the teacher. Obviously you'll want to call the teacher to check in! But I would not interrupt things by talking to your daughter if she is playing happily. It will only remind her that you aren't there! Of course, before you leave you could talk to your daughter and tell her she can have her teacher help her call you while you're gone (assuming you'll be available to answer).

Good luck!

I think that she'll survive the 2 days. We did 5 days at about 32 months and that was a bit much. Don't stress yourself out too much. She'll be having lots of fun.