Hey ladies. I'm just writing in out of curiosity more than anything. How often do you guys spend time without your children? Time to go to hair appointments, nail appointments, things like that. Or even nights out with girlfriends or maybe a day to yourself to tidy the house. Weather it's day care, school or baby sitters. I'm not without my kids often at all. When I rarely head in to Woolworths the ladies who work there comment on the fact I'm without my kids because it's so rare. I don't feel like I need more of a break but I often wonder if I would benefit from some 'me' time. I also have friends whose kids spend time with grandparents one day a week from very young, 2-3 months old. Which I also think is lovely for them to have that bonding time. But it has just got me wondering, we all parent so differently so I am curious to see what works for other families, and maybe I'll decide to treat myself to half a day here and there :)
5 Replies
My youngest goes to daycare once a week. My oldest is at school. Works for us. My youngest is 2.5..
Every night my husband has the kids (2 year old in bed and a 4 month old) for half an hour or so and I go for a (very slow) run. I get me time and he gets some time with bub. He also usually tries and takes the 2 year old out for a couple hours on the weekend so I can get some housework done. I've also just started playing netball so on training nights I stay at my parents and they have the kids.
My weekly shop the kids come with me but once a month I go to a larger town where there's a woolies to do a big shop and I try and find someone to have the kids those days too. I'm very lucky that I have lots of family nearby that are always happy to help - I think they'd actually rather I left them with the kids more often!
When my son was before school age I always had one day a week of childcare. I used that day to do things for me like haircut, catch up with someone for a coffee or lunch, get some exercise in, get some housework/errands done faster.
I was always a single mum so that time was my only time. I wish in hindsight I'd taken more time.
My sister and her husband have a good system going. She attends tap class one night a week and he plays sport one night a week. They both give each other time off (approximately evenly, sometimes one gets more than the other but it all works out) to catch up with friend etc. They've both been on holidays without the kids together and apart. They really both put in the hardyards with the parenting.
Never :-) sometimes hubby takes him for a boys outing for a few hours but generally we go everywhere together. I love it!
About 2 or 3 days a week. If Im working full time then one day and Ill take a few hours after work some day and then Ill go and get them.
last year I was with them 24/7. Before that it was different again. Ive finally found the balance and can afford it and have their relative that takes them on the weekend which I never had before, Im much much more mentally sound now.