When you make the decision to start a family, you make a lot of small decisions all wrapped up in one big decision. You make the decision to give up your freedom forever. I don’t care how many people tell you that you aren’t giving up your freedom having a baby; you are. Even when you have free time away from your child, you will never be truly free. You will be on vacation worried about your baby, you will worry on date night. You will worry while she’s in school. You will worry. However, having a baby doesn’t mean you have to give up everything. There are some things parents should never give up when they have kids, because keeping these things in your life will make you a better parent.
Date Night
Never allow anyone to make you feel badly about leaving your child home while you have a date night. Your marriage needs attention, too. You will be better parents when you have time to be adults, to be romantic, to have an uninterrupted meal. You will miss your child and love her more when you get home.
Parent-Only Vacations
My husband and I take two trips every year without our kids. We also take four or five trips every year with our kids, not to mention several long weekends with them each year, so we definitely deserve a break from time to time. We take a long weekend getaway during Valentine’s weekend with two other couples and we do a mommy/daddy only trip sometime during the year. We never leave for more than four or five days on this trip, and we miss our kids like crazy, but we feel so good when we come home. Recharged, relaxed, happier. We have meals without crying children or toys on the floor. We sleep in. We take long walks. We enjoy time alone.
A Clean House
Kids are messy, but if you teach them not to be, they won’t. Our kids know that when we start singing the clean-up song, it’s time to clean. They pick up their rooms, we straighten up the house, and then they take their baths. While they are in the tub, I run the wet jet over the floors, dust the furniture quickly, and place the dishes in the dishwasher. When our kids go to bed, we have a spotless house. It’s pretty awesome. You will feel much more controlled, confident, and happier with a clean house.
