[mbyrne230]

Hello Everyone, looking for some advice please. My 21 year old son is studying abroad for a year. My husband and I want to visit him for a week. We have to leave our 17 year old son at home and would like him to stay with his granny and aunt. They are lovely people who will spoil him for the week and he knows them well and is comfortable with them. We are going to discuss it with him tonight. My worry is how to tell him we are leaving him for a week to visit his brother without making him feel left out. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Oliver2011]

Most 17 year olds that I know would love a week of independence. Can he stay at home with Aunty and Grandma checking up on him?

[odinn7]

Is he really that fragile that at 17 he has to be let down easy so as not to feel left out? Tell him, "We're going to see your brother....haha, just fooling....You're not really going."

Ok, don't do that but why the worry about letting him down easy?

And as Oliver said, he'd probably jump at the chance to live alone for a week!

Think of the parties he could have!

[smoothy]

Yeah.. the first thing that came to mind was this movie...

Project X (2012) - IMDb

As well as a number of others... even if he might not on his own... peer pressure might influence him.

Yeah... I'm thinking what can go wrong... staying with the his aunt and grandmother is a good and safe option. And shouldn't upset him unless he really might consider doing things he shouldn't.
.

[Fr_Chuck]

I guess why can he not go ? You are going over seas ? You said abroad ? And not going to take him, Has he been there before ? Is it a matter of money ?

Yes, if this is a trip over seas, to see his brother, and he has never been there, and he miss his brother, I can see him being very angry and perhaps never really forgive it

[mbyrne230]

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately Oliver, his aunt and granny are a bit too far away to check on him regularly. Odinn7, the parties are another worry. Smoothy, I agree with you, thanks for that. Fr. Chuck, yes it is a matter of money. We can't afford for all three of us to go and his brother will be coming home next year. I think we'll just tell him that his aunt and granny would love a chance to spend some time with him for the week while we're gone and hopefully that should be OK.

[teacherjenn4]

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately Oliver, his aunt and granny are a bit too far away to check on him regularly. Odinn7, the parties are another worry. Smoothy, I agree with you, thanks for that. Fr. Chuck, yes it is a matter of money. We can't afford for all three of us to go and his brother will be coming home next year. I think we'll just tell him that his aunt and granny would love a chance to spend some time with him for the week while we're gone and hopefully that should be ok.

I'd try to find a way to purchase one more ticket. As much as you miss your son, I'm sure he misses his brother. Make sure you notify teachers well in advance if you can take him along.