Dream trip only for a few days

The wish to see more than one has time for is very common among travelers. The temptation to try to fit as much in as you can is pretty strong. I'd encourage you to focus just on Paris while you are there. Pick one or two things that really interest you each day.

Some good advice that often is shared on this forum is to assume that you will be back. It might not be for awhile, but you will be back. Although it seems like it might be a long, long time away, many of us on the forum know that those child raising years actually go by fairly quickly in the scheme of things and you will have opportunities again.

You can look in the Rick Steves Tour book on France ( Best of France), you can probably get it at your local library. It has all the main sites, info on how to get there, how much to enter, he also grades the sites with stars as must see and down from there. I found it very useful for planning. I didn't do all the things I had planned, but LOVE Paris and have been back several times.
I would recommend a tour boat on the Seine River at night - it is magical and you can board several different places. We boarded just down the steps from the base of the Eiffel Tower and bought our tickets out of a machine. The wonderful/beautiful ride was about an hour.

With only four days for Paris, I would spend them all there. That being said, there are a million day trips that you can take: Giverny, Versailles, Reims (Champagne), Chartes, etc.

My first trip to Paris August 2008 was a gloriously lengthy to me at the time 10 nights, having added 2 nights before and 2 nights after a RST Best of Paris in 7 Days tour. We enjoyed a fine day trip to Giverny to see Monet's gardens; there was a full day's journey to Versailles while on tour. Having that much time in such a large, historic and culturally rich world-class city was absolute heaven. Having the time to attend to the importance of attempting to experience the city on its terms, rhythms and style while watching and trying to mirror local residents' belle vie made for our beautifully great, if brief, stay in the City of Light. Drinking in the scenes, experiencing the sites, marveling at the ancient structures in Paris takes a lifetime but is certainly wonderful for a visitor to enjoy during a swift foray. The vote from my camp is to stay in Paris and venture out as far as the spirit moves you. Have a wonderful time.

These are good problems to have! We definitely want to do the Seine River cruise for a dinner one night! It truly looks magical! If we do decide to leave Paris, we were thinking maybe Loire valley or Champagne for a day trip? The castles and countryside/villages just look so enchanting!

With this amount of time I would definitely stay in Paris. Certainly there are day trips out of Paris, but there is also plenty to do in Paris.

With only four days my suggestion is to spend the entire time in Paris. Believe me, you'll not run our of things to do. Rather than a dinner cruise, you might want to consider a really nice dinner in a good restaurant and then a cruise after the sun goes down to see the city lit up without the distraction of eating.

You don't even have time for Paris; don't even think of going further. Reflect on your 'dream of Paris' and do that. Less is more. If you are not interested in museums consider one day trip to a small town or city in the region; there are dozens of choices within an hour of Paris by train. Here are a few we have done recently; I didn't start doing this in the early days of travel, so for the most part these are not the main day trip sights like Chartres, Auvers su Oise, Rouen etc.
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/day-trips-from-paris/
IN addition to Chartres and Auvers su Oise consider Reims if you enjoy Champagne -- you can visit the Cathedral, Basilica St. Remy, and WWI Museum and a Champagne house to tour the cellars.

Consider acquiring a 'Paris Walks' book -- Frommers has a pretty good one. These let you do self guided walking tours of interesting neighborhoods in Paris and may help you achieve that dream of Paris.

Here is another vote for staying in Paris. On our first trip to France we stayed in Paris the whole time (10 days). Rick Steves says that there are a handful of cities that are definitely worth at least a week’s stay: Paris is one of them.

I also among those that say STAY IN PARIS. Really not even a need to take a day trip. 4 days in Paris already is short, so take advantage of each moment there. Bonne visite!

My suggestion to is spend the entire time you have in Paris as your time is so limited as is, unless there is something outside of Paris, say in Versailles, Reims, Meaux, or Fontainsbleau, or elsewhere you are so desperate to see.

I sooo hear you about squeezing in time around young kids. We went to Europe last in 2006. I had my first child that fall. We are going back this summer...yes, that's 12 years later. :) But we're taking the kids with us and I'm really excited about it. We have done a lot of fun US and cruise-based traveling with the kids as they have grown, and this has really helped train them to be good travelers who I'm actually excited to take to another continent!

I would suggest just doing Paris. Focus on the adult things that, if you brought your kids back with you in the future, they would find boring. Save the kid-friendly stuff for when (not if!) you bring the kids with you.

Stay in Paris! You could have one day trip in the back of your mind, so if you get your fill of Paris, you could get out of the city for a day. But I doubt that will happen!