Ah, summer.........a time of staying up late, sleeping in, hanging out.....oh wait, that's not us, that's our kids.
For years, my daughter would ask, EVERY single first day of school vacation...."Why do you have to go to work momma, it's summer vacation?" She eventually caught on.
It's also a time of VISITATION. AKA, mixed feelings.......don't want to seem TOO overly excited or people will think you don't love your kids. Don't want to seem TOO overly sad or people will think you haven't gotten over your ex. We can't win.
But why not be excited? Single parenting is rough, ROUGH I SAY! A much-needed break is, well, necessary.
My kids would go to their dad's in the Fort Worth area for 5-6 weeks every summer. It was pure heaven! Oh sure I missed them - but not at first. The first week or two was restful, peaceful. No one to feed, bathe, entertain, run around. No fighting with siblings, no whining, no messes, no noise. But after the 2nd week, it got old.
The missing would begin to creep in.......I'd open their bedroom doors & just stare at the beds. I'd catch myself looking at their pictures longer, more intently.
By the 1 month mark I'd be crazy - literally lost without them. Who are we as moms without kids around to need us?
So, my point? My point is, enjoy it. They always come home........YOU have more time with them then their father does. Let them enjoy each other, while you enjoy some well-earned alone time.
Take a candlelit bubble bath, heck, have a candlelit dinner! Yes alone! Or invite some gals over for a group dinner (not the bath, that's just odd). Go to Brush with Art and make a ceramic piece as a welcome home gift for each of your kids. Go out & shake your groove thing with girlfriends. See rated R movies!!!
Unfortunately, not all of us have the luxury of visitation. Some kiddos have no dad in the picture. But surely there's SOMEONE that you can reach out to so that you can have a little mini-break. Let them go to grandma's or an aunt's. Save up some dough & send them to Hidden Falls Ranch for a week - that is an EXCELLENT Christian program & they even offer scholarships. Maybe you can trade off with another single mom for a weekend alone.
Take some YOU time. It is SO important for your mental health.
Share some of your "missing my kids" coping methods here. Or, some of your ideas for exceptional ME-TIME!
