Vacation with Grandparents

M is spending a month with my parents for summer break. Actually she will tell you she is spending 35 days. She is joining the 34% of children who spend their vacation time with relatives. This would not be so nerve wracking if they did not live three states away.

 

My parents see this as a wonderful opportunity to spoil her rotten. They have mentioned it numerous times in our planning stages. Now, I understand it is a grandparent’s privilege to do a certain amount of spoiling. That’s pretty much a given. But I am hoping that their tried and true parenting skills also kick in and give her a modicum of discipline too.

 

Some planning tips we have garnered over the last few weeks:

 

• Get a “Consent for Healthcare” form notarized in the unlikely event that said child will need Medical Treatment. If he/she has to go to the Emergency Room or doctor for any reason, this form will allow the grandparents permission to make medical decisions. It also contains insurance information, family doctor information, allergy information etc. You can even make it have a start and end date if it makes you feel better.
• Get an extra set of insurance cards for said child. Most insurance companies will issue extra cards at no charge. This way the grandparents have the insurance card for your child if they do need to visit a doctor. As an aside, you can also get additional Health Savings Account (HSA) credit cards issued in the grandparent’s name for use over the vacation for potential doctor’s bills. 
• Is your child participating in an activity at the grandparents that will require a waiver to be signed? For example: a class that they will be taking with the grandparent. Get a copy of that sent to you to be signed prior. This relieves the potential of the grandparent’s signature not being accepted on the waiver. 
• Phone. We looked into getting a pre-paid cell for her trip, but found that adding another phone to our current family plan would be cheaper (even with the required service agreement). She will be able to call us anytime and we are able to block most unwanted features on the phone. This way she does not eat into my parents minutes and we can monitor the phone.

As the time nears we get more and more nervous about M being gone so long. She on the other hand is getting more and more excited.