My husband has embarked on a three-night Dads-Only weekend of debauchery every year for the last five years. It only dawned on me last year that I haven’t done this with my mommy friends. Ever.
It’s been discussed, but it’s hard to coordinate everyone, let alone agree where to go and what to do when we get there. Only one thing has been universal: consuming gallons of wine is mandatory.
Soon the Mommies-Only weekend topic became moot. I wondered if we were all talking a big game. One thing I knew to be true: I needed a break. A full weekend away from all of my responsibilities. A full weekend for me. And I had to make the leap with or without my fellow mommy friends.
So I did.
For my first Mommy-Only weekend, I chose peacefulness and pampering. A spa weekend. Forty-five minutes away from our house. To say it was divine would be an understatement.
Here are a few things to consider when planning a Mommy-Only weekend:
1. Figure out how to spend the time – Ask yourself what you truly love and miss doing. Favorite activities can range from relaxing to adrenaline pumping. Pick your passion.
2. Budget – Do any friends or family have an affordable option they can loan or offer at a discounted rate? Or is a full 5-star experience an option? Perhaps the weekend can be a Mother’s Day gift?
3. Distance – Consider time and budget. How much travel time? Far enough away, but close enough just in case? Gas vs. plane ticket costs?
3. Set up “A Village” – Any additional help needed for the homestead, partners, and/or kids will make the weekend less daunting, especially if it’s the first time for everyone.
4. Media Exposure – Before the trip, set the precedent on pictures, videos, video-chats, texts, emails, and phone calls. If a true break is needed, it’s okay to keep this to a minimum.
5. Be prepared for an array of emotions to flood out of your soul when the journey begins. Emotions that might make one fishtail into a U-turn and go back to the grind. Emotions that might make one want to drive 100mph to get to the holiday destination faster. Or both. Just try not to simultaneously laugh and cry hysterically like a crazy person while driving. Not that I did any of those things. At all.
6. Happy Homecoming – As parents and partners, make a promise to be in good spirits when you leave and return to the homestead. A positive attitude by both will set a solid family precedent for the weekend. Upon return, everyone knows it’s easy to gruffly hand off the kids to spite the weekend away. However, if there’s a plan to be a team to the finish, it can build trust in everyone that it was truly acceptable and rewarding to have Mommy-Only weekend.
Taking a Mommy-Only weekend can be daunting and intimidating. But it’s for less than 48 hours, and it’ll be over before you know it.
Be brave! Enjoy yourself. You deserve it!
