6 ‘Vacation’ Days Every Mom Craves

I finally washed my hair. It had been over a week and I kept putting it off for 10 more minutes of sleep, 10 more minutes of quiet time, 10 more minutes of ‘autonomy.’ As I rinsed the suds out, enjoying every second of the soothing, hot shower, I thought about how overwhelmed I was… how I really needed a day ‘off.’

6 Vacation Days Every Mom Craves

Do you remember your life before kids? Since my daughter is only 2 years old, I still remember it vividly. I remember how cavalier I was with ‘free time;’ how I would waste away an entire weekend in pajamas, or take a week off of work to essentially do… nothing.

A week off? Wow, most Moms I know would settle for 3 hours ‘off.’  How much time does Mom really need? One day isn’t enough because there are so many kinds of ways to spend the time.

The 6 ‘Vacation Days’ Every Mom Craves

  1. Drool on Yourself Day: Stay in pajamas all day because you are being lazy, not because you haven’t had more than 30 seconds to yourself. Legs up on the couch or recliner, binge-watching Netflix and eating cereal out of the box. Other than possibly your dog, no one else is home and there are no demands on your time. Ahhhhh…. feeling relaxed yet?
  2. House Cleaning and Organization Project Day: Do you need an entire day to work on those in-depth house projects? Oh yeah! I don’t know about you, but I could seriously use an entire month! Spring cleaning, wash those windows, purge the closets and pantry. Finally organize the Tupperware drawer so that when you go to get a container for leftovers the entire contents of said drawer don’t topple onto the floor. Or, maybe since the kids are not home (hint hint), you take the opportunity to get rid of the infant clothes, purge the toys, make a few dozen trips to Goodwill. It doesn’t matter because the fact that you finally get to check these persistent projects off the to-do list will make you feel positively light! Ahhhh… feeling on top of things yet?
  3. Hobby Day at Home: This is different than ‘Drool on Yourself Day’ in that you are relaxing with a purpose. You are ‘sharpening the saw’ so to speak, and having a fantastic time doing it. Finally, you have time to read that novel you picked up months (years?) ago. Finally, you can do crafts that don’t involve glitter, felt, markers, toilet paper rolls, or washable paint. Finally, you can try that delicious looking, yet utterly complicated, recipe you saw on Pinterest. It doesn’t matter, this is your day. Ahhhh… feeling recharged yet?
  4. Spa Day: Oh, how I sometimes daydream of flitting around in a white, fluffy robe, sipping cucumber water, waiting for the most amazing 1 hour of my life to date (ok, that is a stretch… but I am telling you, a good massage is, well… it is pretty hard to beat). You don’t need to pay big bucks to go to a fancy day spa (although, gift certificates to one make great Mother’s Day gifts! hint hint!). However, the idea of being pampered for an entire day sounds absolutely decadent, doesn’t it? And, if you have Spa Day with a girlfriend, you may actually get to have an adult conversation that isn’t punctuated by the steady chorus of, ‘Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!’ Just one day. Ahhhh… feeling decadent yet?
  5. Mom’s Day Out: You can call it a ‘Mommy Field Trip’ if you would like. It doesn’t matter… Mom is going out and she gets to set the agenda.. without a diaper bag. Art museum? Yes, please! Long lunch at your favorite French bistro? Can I come too? Shopping at a store with fragile and breakable items? What a luxury! A matinee movie? Alone? Just you, a tub of popcorn and some junior mints? My oh my… this sounds like fun! This sounds like a great adventure! Ahhhh… feeling energized yet?
  6. Deep Dive Project Day: I hesitated to include this, but because I am a blogger I really have to. What I wouldn’t give for an entire day at home, with no one else around, to do as much work on this little blog as I can squeeze in. Redesign, writing, printables, an e-book, social sharing and networking… you name it. At any given time I probably have 1000+ things on my blogging to-do list that may never get done (and I know I am not alone). The thing is, many Moms have passion projects like a blog, that they just never have enough time for. Sometimes, the best way to get to the next level on your passion project, is to be able to do a deep dive. So yeah… having 8-9 hours at a time available for this would be simply amazing! Ahhhh… feeling accomplished yet?

6 Vacation Days Every Mom Craves

How to Find the Time You Crave

So, in a way I realize I am living in fantasyland… or retirement (take your pick). When is Mom ever going to get this type of ‘vacation?’ Well, here are some ideas:

  • If there is a Mom in your life, give her the gift of time… quiet, distraction-free time! Take the kids one Saturday. Maybe a group of Moms could organize a rotational ‘recharge’ co-op, where once a month each Mom gets to have a chunk of downtime, while the others watch the kiddos.
  • Regardless of whether or not you are given the gift of time, schedule mini-breaks into your day, week, and month. You may never get an entire week, or even an entire day. However, it is important for you to intentionally take time for yourself anyway… even if it is just an hour.
  • It is important for Mom to recharge. In the professional world, many people use vacation time to take a ‘mental health’ day. The appeal of a mental health day is that you get just enough time to recharge. You return to work with increased enthusiasm and passion for your job. This idea of renewal is even more important for Mom– regardless of whether Mom is a SAHM, WAHM, or work outside the home Mom. It is draining to be the caregiver. So, take care of yourself too!

So, what do you think? Are you ready to go on vacation yet?

Thanks so much for reading!
Sara

 

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One Comment

  1. Oh, my goodness it is so hard to get my husband to understand how much I love when I have a day to myself and can actually clean really good! He is always just sit down and relax, I will as soon as I get this thing cleaned that I have been dying to clean!