My first thought was that you should travel with the children and a nanny but I think that was just my knee jerk reaction to Erin's misgivings about leaving the children. It was a fear based response. Leaving your children with loving grandparents for a few weeks will be a wonderful bonding experience for the kids and their extended family. As the kids discover they can trust and have fun with other adults they will become more independent and better travelers. It will also help Erin detach from her fear and ensure that neither of you begins to think of the children as obstacles to your personal growth. The cost of plane tickets for two children and a nanny can be excessive and, since one of your children is sensitive, there is a risk when trusting a non-relative with such a great deal of responsibility in a foreign country. They might be too harsh because they too will be under some stress. If you and Erin can travel to a foreign country for a week or three, and combine business with the thrill of experiencing the trip together, you should definitely do it. How lucky you are to have that option.  |