Personally for me - it is more distracting to NOT have my family with me during training. For me it is simply too long to be away from them, and the strain of trying to commute home on short weekends obliterates any potential benefit.

I've taken them with me to several full blown training events, among them an upgrade, a transition to another aircraft, and a new-hire initial. From little babies to ages 5 & 7 - I've never had any problems.

Of course we all know our own families. So if you can trust yours to respect what you're up against and if you have the self discipline to keep focused, then it can be a great way to spend time together in a far away place.

My wife even builds flash cards for me, quizzes me and practices call outs. (in fairness - she used to be a pilot a long time ago)

I'm just saying - everyone is different - and what doesn't work for some often can for others.