May 23, 2018

When Mom Leaves Town

Sometimes it feels like as much work to leave town without our kids as to not go in the first place. But guilt trips are no fun. Here’s why traveling without our kids is worth it- for everyone- plus some ways to make it a little easier on our kids.

Does it seem like just as much work to leave your kids behind for a couple of days as not to go in the first place? 

 Do your instructions for family operational procedures during your absence run more than five pages? 

 We’re here to tell you that, as Margaret puts it, “the flip side of that little bit of bad is so, so good.” Getting away from our kids— for work, for the weekend, for a friend’s 40th— isn’t just good for us. It’s also an opportunity for our kids to realize that “only Mommy” stuff they pull when we’re around is not as necessary as they might have thought.

 In this episode we discuss 

 

 why our kids mysteriously behave better when we aren’t around 

 why the best time to call your kids when you travel is in the morning

 * why nine years old is peak-anxiety age for travel nervousness

 measuring your time away in “wake-ups”: that is, in terms kids can understand

 why FaceTime isn’t as good of an idea as it seems

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