I’m sorry your kids don’t support your retirement. Maybe they feel you’re not capable of taking care of yourself anymore or maybe they feel they want your free babysitting don’t know. But I think it sounds like a great plan. But as far as the grandkids go that’s why we’re not here full-time either as well as I would suspect quite a few who are waiting a little bit longer to be full timers. Anyways, your choice your decision.

I came to Florida after 110 inches of snow in Boston. If I miss it I can be there in 4 hrs. My kids visit, friends visit. we did not snowbird because why worry about one place while in the other

If you can afford it you don't worry. That's what insurance is for.

To the OP, do what meets your needs not your kids. We’ve been sunbirds for several years, spending the summers up north to visit family and escape the heat. I’d guess that eventually we’ll get tired of the back and forth and stay in TV year round but until then it works for us.

Please tell your wise that moving to TV may will increase her husband’s happiness, health, and longevity. She will get to spend more time doing fun things with you. Hope she can find meaning in that.

New grandkid in theory - When one learns that a new addition to the family is on the way, they get overwhelmed with goose bumps and excitement.

New grandkid in reality - When one learns that a new addition to the family is on the way, they think “Oh No”, not another reason for the wife to find why we can’t spend more time at our Villages home. Fingers crossed that the kid is born on the same day as one of the kids that already keeps us from being at our Villages home.

Missing the Grandkids
 

For Christmas two years ago, we purchased an Echo Show from Amazon for each family and ourselves. It is almost the size of an 8x10 photograph. It sits on a small table beside our eating table. With this we can see and talk with any of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. If I feel the need to talk and see them, I call. We are able to be there while they are opening gifts for holidays and sometimes we eat dinner with them as they sit on our table. I found it helps me not to get homesick and it is fun. Our children encouraged us to purchase here because they know we are so much more active in The Villages and they don't have to worry about us. Good Luck with your decision.

Same here! There was no way we could keep our CA home and buy here too. We chose to move here this year leaving all 3 adult children and one year old grandbaby behind in Calif. We’ve been here two weeks, and Thanksgiving was our first holiday without them. It was definitely bittersweet, but we are pushing 70 and had no more time to waste sitting at home in our empty nest with mostly nothing to do. Our kids were shocked, but supportive, though we only saw them 2-3x a year even when we lived close to them. They were all very busy with careers, and grandbaby lived 4 hours from us. Hopefully we’ll be happy here because it’s definitely full time for us.
We FaceTimed with them on Thanksgiving, and honestly if we were still there I would’ve been the one cooking all day, something I don’t enjoy anymore. It was nice seeing daughter-in-law hosting and cooking, and everyone helping her. They’ll definitely come visit us as they’re able, and we will do the same.
Next year we’ll figure out how to all get together sometime between TG and Christmas, but this year having just arrived after driving across country for 8 days we won’t be flying back there for Christmas. We’ll all survive. ;)

We are in the process of moving down permanently within the next few weeks. I have had the grandchildren dilemma for the last 8 years! My son has been stationed in ND for the past 11 years, met a local girl and got married. We go to visit a few times a year and they come to us in NY. This past summer they came down to the villages, plus my 2 other kids, and they all went to the parks together. I did camp villages with the grandkids, we did the air boat thing, etc. They loved going to the squares at night and dancing. They had such a good time. We do the facetime/ meet groups with the kids. One of my daughters bought a house and I have a room there for when we visit them in NY. There's no reason to stay here in NY. Can't wait to leave the high taxes in Long Island!

I could not live anywhere but here. I go back to visit but can’t wait to get back. They also enjoy coming here to visit and are happy that they do not need to worry about us down here.

This can also be done on an iPad using FaceTime. That’s how we “spent” Thanksgiving this year with our kids and toddler grandson who are all in California.

[QUOTE=Kathy B.;2160375]This is a tough one. We’re lucky; my parents bought here in TV over 30 years ago, so the kids have been visiting since they were toddlers, and they love it here. When we bought our house and I expressed my concerns to my eldest son, he said, “Mom, we’re closer to grandma & grandpa who go to FL than we are to our grandparents who are here all year.” It told me it really is quality over quantity. Here are some things we do to help:
*We go back to MN in the summers and “overdose” on grandkids’ activities.
*We usually go back for about 10 days before Christmas. We love the early Christmas because they don’t have to leave for another gathering & the grandkids have their “first” Christmas with us. Plus the travel is cheaper. I even have the house decorated & the tree up before we leave in the fall.
*We give them the option of receiving either Christmas gifts or a flight here during their spring break. They’ve chosen the flight every year so far. It is SO fun to have them here and we get them 24/7.
It has worked for us for the last 9 years and we feel like the luckiest people on the planet. That being said, it’s not for everyone. Best of luck to you.[/QUOTE

For us it’s California where all of our kids and toddler grandson are, but doing Christmas with them early every December in Calif is such a great idea because 2 of our 3 kids were always juggling Christmas with their spouses’ families and us on Christmas, so they’d all be happy to have Christmas with us early. Thanks for the great idea! We’re new here, and spending our first Christmas ever without the kids since we’re closing escrow on our home on 12/15, so we have to stay here. Now though we’ll feel better knowing there’s a plan for future Christmases. And thankfully there’s also FaceTime. :)

Depend on ages of grandkids. Young, good idea. I missed some fun stuff with them. Teenagers - not as good a idea. They will be too busy for you.

Exactly my sentiments. I'm just up the road from you in RI and the plan is to head back at some point in our lives. In the meantime we enjoy the time we are here, then the time we are up north in the summer.

You can add me as being in the minority and I don't mind it at all. From Ricky Nelson's lyrics "You can't please everyone so you got to please yourself."