The Case For Leaving The Kids At Home

Hey Parents. I think it’s time we had a little chat. Yes, I’m looking at you. Pull up a chair and tune in, because this is going to be important.

As moms and dads, we devote most of our time to our kids, don’t we? If we’re not spending three days trying to build the Millennium Falcon with Lego, we’re knee-deep in laundry that just does not seem to end. Our lives are making lunches, playing catch, and watching Paw Patrol. Every weekend is a mirage of rest and relaxation, but after your fourth baseball game of little Jimmy’s tournament, you remember: silly adult! There’s no such thing.

Except there is. What if I told you, there is a way to get some much deserved down-time? What if I told you that you can do it guilt-free, knowing it will make you a better parent in the long run?

Tune out little Sally flushing your FitBit for five minutes and hear me out. This could change your life.

Parents, I want you to leave your kids with someone you trust for a week, and go on vacation… without them.

Yes, I said without them.

Don’t think I don’t hear you scoffing. I hear you scoffing. I expected you to scoff. It’s a knee-jerk reaction, and you clearly have not thought it through. Just let me make my case first, and then you can continue scoffing if you so desire.

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: divorce rates are awful pretty much everywhere in the world. Of course you marry the one you think you’ll be with for the rest of your life, and you can look lovingly at him or her right now, feeling secure that you were right. The thing is, good relationships need attention. They need care and nurturing just like your children do. If you don’t take your relationship with your partner as seriously as you do the raising of your children, you already have the odds stacked against you.

You can change those odds by putting as much effort into cultivating a healthy marriage as you do into raising great kids. It’s not just for you and your spouse, either. A great marriage between mom and dad makes for happy kids. In fact, caring for your relationship is an important part of raising a joyful, healthy family. It’s part of raising kids. It’s crucial, and ignoring it is like ignoring that pile of laundry you can’t seem to finish.

At home, there’s always something happening. The old cliche is true, “you turn your back for one second…”. There really isn’t a way to fully focus on you and your spouse at home, or you run the risk of a wall covered in lipstick or finding the dog wearing a jar of mayonnaise. If you’ve ever tried to work from home while your kids are there, you know it’s less possible than seeing time travel invented in our lifetime. Thinking you can actually get some quality time with your spouse at home is like hitting the roulette table and betting on blue.

There is only one way to truly get some R&R in and that’s to take a childless vacation. Not only will you find some true rest and relaxation, rejuvenate your relationship and be doing what good parents do, but you’ll be saving money not having to order little Jimmy dinner each night, only to throw most of it in the garbage.

A happy marriage between mom and dad is as important to your kids as three square meals a day, so don’t deprive them of that. Great parenting starts with great parents, and great parents are happy parents. So, get to it. Book your childless vacation now!

Then maybe go fish your FitBit out of the toilet.