Parents To stay over or not?

[MaryA]

So, after my mini-rant in the "meet season" thread, I was wondering...
As I said, by the last few meets of the season last year, my daughter was exhausted (as was I, but I'm beside the point ) and this year's schedule is even more grueling. Most of her meets are between 2-4 hours away. Last year, if she had an 8 am meet, we'd stay in a hotel the night before and if she had a 5 pm meet, we'd stay over the night after. (Noon meets are wonderful!) But I'm wondering, do you think it might be less tiring in the long run to get up early (DD would sleep in the car) or drive late into the night to get home, so that we would have one full weekend day to relax and/or recover and two nights in our own beds? Which do you find less exhausting? I know a lot of people make the meet trips into mini-vacations, but a) nobody needs 5 mini-vacations in a 6 week period and b) my elderly aunt loves going to DD's meets, but it's hard for her to get around very much, which limits what we are able to do.

Thoughts? Personal experiences? Is this something anyone actually studies...like from a child development or child psychology standpoint or anything?

Thanks for any imput!

 

[bogwoppit]

We often stayed over for meets, just me and dd. I would use Priceline and bid for a bargain room. We loved thosed one on one trips and we kept them cheap, packing breakfast and lunch in a cooler. We always drove home after,she could sleep if she wanted to.

I found long drives there and back on the day of the meet were too much for me, let alone her.

 

[clrmom]

We will usually on stay if the meet is super early. If it is in the afternoon, we will usually go ahead and drive home. However, both of us go and if the kids are asleep we enjoy our conversations as we drive. We also don't have very many meets that are far away (farthest was 3 hours). When my son used to compete, we had more far away meets (several that were 4 or more hours away) so we were more likely to spend the night.

 

[MaryA]

We often stayed over for meets, just me and dd. I would use Priceline and bid for a bargain room. We loved thosed one on one trips and we kept them cheap, packing breakfast and lunch in a cooler. We always drove home after,she could sleep if she wanted .

Yes, I actually find myself wishing that we went to more meets just the two of us. I love my aunt, and I'm happy that going to DD's meets gives her pleasure, but as it is, meet weekends always turn into a complicated affair, with multiple stops to pick up various family members, negotiating where to stop for dinner, etc. At a minimum, it's my aunt, DD and I at every meet. Sometimes there are as many as 7 of us... a minivan full! Again, I am grateful for family who live near by and who want to be involved in my children's lives. My aunt also does more than her share of taking DD to practice. I could never tell her she couldn't come to a meet. But it does make things more complicated, especially with her limited mobility.

 

[JessLW]

I think that for an early morning meet staying over is probably less tiring than getting up super early and driving. For late afternoon meets, it would kind of depend on how late it went, but if I could get home before midnight I think I'd opt to come home. I do think that sleeping in your own bed and having a day to recover makes a difference. Just being on the road is tiring. We travel a lot and whenever we go on trips I always try and plan for a down day between getting home and work/school. It isn't always possible but when it is it makes a big difference. Maybe try it both ways this year and see which way seems to work best for you guys?

 

[gymgal]

We always stay over the night before if it is longer than 2-2.5 hours commute. I don't like her cramped up that much just before a meet. Only exception would be a late meet where we would go early to cheer on teammates in earlier sessions and she can walk around a lot. We try not to stay over after the meet due to costs but if the meet doesn't get over until 9p and it's a 5+ hr commute, we would stay.

I would just say play it by ear. Reserve rooms for the whole weekend and then cancel what you don't need when the schedules become available.

 

[ZZMom]

We would generally stay over the night before if the meet was early but try to get home after if it wasn't going to be too, too late. It just always seemed like everyone wants to get home after the meet is over.

Best Wishes,

ZZMom

 

[UnoMas]

Always a tough decision. My DD and I are NOT morning people, so if an early morning is involved we always stay over. Late nights...just depends on what all is going on that week/weekend. Of course, I have 3 on the team so we usually have more than one session/day so we usually stay over.

 

[SignHere]

That sounds a LOT line my DD's meet schedule...

I would pretty much stay over the night before an early morning meet. It would make a big difference. Also, I would get the hotel on Priceline, too. With so many meet, are you SURE your Aunt won't mind you having a little mom and daughter time? I'd put it that way... We really enjoyed the time alone! Very fun for us!

 

[gymmomtoo]

For early morning report times, I'd definitely stay in a hotel the night before with a 2-4 hrs drive. But I'd probably drive home afterwards, if it's a late report time--mainly because I couldn't afford that many hotel stays in a season!

 

[vagymmomma]

I'm definitely a fan of staying over (before or after) and making it a little more of an event. I'm directionally challenged though, so I don't like rushing and worrying about finding a meet site. Plus, I really think it helps DD stay calm. We're fortunate because I travel a lot for business, so I have lots of points for free hotel stays. Even DS likes to tag along for the hotel visits (even if it requires attending yet another boring girls gymnastics meet ).

 

[mommyof1]

Yes, I actually find myself wishing that we went to more meets just the two of us. I love my aunt, and I'm happy that going to DD's meets gives her pleasure, but as it is, meet weekends always turn into a complicated affair, with multiple stops to pick up various family members, negotiating where to stop for dinner, etc. At a minimum, it's my aunt, DD and I at every meet. Sometimes there are as many as 7 of us... a minivan full! Again, I am grateful for family who live near by and who want to be involved in my children's lives. My aunt also does more than her share of taking DD to practice. I could never tell her she couldn't come to a meet. But it does make things more complicated, especially with her limited mobility.

If other family members besides your aunt are going, how about taking two cars? Your aunt and other family members could make it a day trip together, and you and your daughter could stay overnight, just the two of you. That way you and your daughter could relax and focus on the meet, without having to spend the entire time dealing with logistics and mobility for everyone else (I know from personal experience how challenging and tiring this can be!).

 

[sglemon]

I consider each meet differently. Even if a meet is 2 hours away, and we have to be at 8am, we will most likely stay the night before, if it is later in the day, it maybe a one day trip. In addition to travel time, I take other things into consideration, like when I will be traveling, traffic if it is a major metro area, session time, etc... My dd and I usually go alone, because with her 3 siblings and father comes, she usually does horrible, because she can't sleep at night and the constant interaction tires and stresses her out. They are usually very relaxing mom DD trips, and because she is one of 4, it is alone time we get no other time in in the year. I usually try to stay just one night, we find it less tiring the less time we spend in hotels. But there are times, she may have a 5pm session 5 hours away, we would leave first thing in the morning, but that is usually the only time we do major travel the day of the meet.

 

[my4buffaloes]

That really depends on the time of year (weather can be a factor) and how far. 2 hours away I would not stay over after unless an unusually late start (8 pm start last year 2 hours from home). We usually don't stay the night before because we don't sleep well in hotel rooms and she will go back to sleep in the car if we get up early and drive. If it ends by 10 I am coming home.

 

[momofagymmie]

Usually if the meet was more than 2 hours away and at 8am we would spend the night before hand. I found that the long drive was worse before an am meet than after a 5pm meet. So unless it was really far meet we usually just drove home afterwards..

 

[GymBee97]

we do the stay over on distance meets. yes dd can sleep in the car but I can't and those long drive are just too much so its a stay over usually just me and DD once in a while if its cheap enough hubby comes too. Those long trips we don't encourage family to come and watch and if they do they have to get there and back on their own. We also try to see if we have family near by to stay with for free.

To drive down 3 hours then a good 4 - 6 hours at a meet then a 3 hour drive home isn't relaxing at all and that extra day at home is exhausting.

 

[lhmom]

If it's early, it's been best for us to stay the night before. DD has had teammates arrive late when the parent got lost or ran into heavy traffic coming in the day of the meet. It gives me peace of mind and we start the day much more relaxed. It's also been fun to plan things with her teammates (dinner, etc) when we stay somewhere overnight.

 

[wallflower]

I always avoid staying the night after if I can. It makes me feel tired to travel the next day.