I'm just trying to get a sense of what is right and fair. We have joint custody and trade off on a 3 day-4 day, 4 day-3 day basis. It is set up so we always have Friday nights and every other Saturday night so that she can date.

She asks for a lot of trading days so she take vacations without the kids. Right now we have had them for two extended vacations (more than a week each) already this year, and will have another this summer. Her parents are taking them for 2 weeks (strangely, she thinks we should pay her back for her parents taking the kids even though we are not going on vacation and would rather have the kids) and we will have them for 2 weeks at the holidays. All told she will have 5 vacations without the kids this year. But she is really pushing us to take them for another 2 week vacation in October, as she says she really needs more vacations away from the kids.

I have told my DH that she should do what other parents that choose to take vacations without their kids do, get her family to cover or hire a babysitter.

What do most folks do?

For reference, there are 2 girls ages 9 & 12. We have been married for a year and they have been divorced for 5 years.