What’s It All About?

If you have read the story, you have seen the picture that this story was based on. I was sitting on the couch on a cold winter day, and looked over to see my cat laying inside of a travel bag. Like most stories, the first line popped into my head, and it went on from there.

This story is about allowing adults time away. Whether it’s an evening out while a babysitter provides care, or a week at a relatives house while the adults take a vacation. Often kids want to go along. It’s about encouraging time apart and celebrating the chance to get together to share your experiences later.

As a young child, I had some issues with separation anxiety. I would panic when my mom left me at school. If she didn’t hug me goodbye, I would be inconsolable. My mom would often have to be called back to give me a hug so I could continue my day. It’s nice to have a child who misses you when you leave, but there are limits.

Lessons for Children

It’s okay to let your parents take time away. As mentioned, I was a child who struggled with this. I have struggled with anxiety my entire life, and know how important it is to work through these issues early. Help your child enjoy time away. Help them work through the fears they may have.

Lessons for Adults

Adults need time away from children. I have spent enough time with tired parents to know this, and enough time with children to understand why. Adults and children often have different energy levels. It is often difficult for adults to fully enjoy the activities that children enjoy, and it is difficult for children to enjoy those that adults enjoy. Not to mention the fact that some of those adult activies are very illegal for children to partake in.

It’s okay to need time away from children, and it’s okay to take the time you need. Look at the behavior of your child when you leave. If it reaches the point of an irrational anxiety level, like mine did as a child, it might be time to look into why it is happening and address it.

Ideas for Getting Away

As someone who has spent several hours caring for other people’s children, I know how important it is to help children get over their fears about being left with a stranger. I’ve dealt with tears from children in the beginning, only to have them crying at the end of the night when I have to leave. Being left with a babysitter can be a scary situation. The best thing you can do as a parent or guardian to get the time and approval to leave is to find a childcare provider that your children like.

Let Them Have Fun!

The favorite babysitting experiences I had were the ones where the children were allowed to have fun while I was there. They had the children’s favorite pizza on the way, they were allowed to stay up late if I was okay with it, and we could just have fun. The worst ones were the ones where the parents had left a meal the kids didn’t want to eat, expected hours of homework to be completed, and they were expected to be in bed before the sun went down. It’s not fun to be the strict babysitter, especially when the children don’t know you very well.

Yes, kids do have things they have to complete during the day, especially if it is a school night. I am not an advocate for homework. I think eight hours of school is enough, but sometimes children do have homework. They may have chores, they may have responsibilities. Giving them a break from some of their responsibilities when a babysitter comes can help them enjoy the time. If your kids look forward to having someone come over to watch them, they may be more likely to allow you the time you need to get away.

Journals

If you are going away on a vacation and leaving your children with a caretaker, it can be a fun activity to journal. If your child can write, you can encourage them to write about their day. If they can’t, you can ask the caretaker to write what they tell them. When you get back, you can share your journals with each other. For added fun, you can either draw pictures or take pictures with a camera to share your experiences.

In Conclusion

It can be difficult to get the time that you need away from children. It’s okay to need time away, and it’s okay to take the time you need. If you don’t get the time you need, it is easy to get frustrated and possibly even resentful. It is far better to take an evening off. Give yourself a fun night and allow your children to have a fun night as well!