If you watch Tik Tok or any of the new reels, there is consistent new message that we’re hearing from parents around the world; “Forget those kids,” has been the raining mantra for parents as they are navigating parenthood and life with kids. For many of them, it is just a comical reminder that, mom and dad need a break sometimes, and that regardless of what is happening, the kids always have what they need, so forget them and live!
When we become parents much of what we once did, most believe that the freedoms are impossible with kids. I will say, I don’t disagree in full. Things definitely require much more orchestrating and planning to happen, but it is possible to still live the life you once planned with kids.
Kids alone aren’t the only factor that can often sway us from traveling. Work demands, lack of support, travel anxiety, economy prices and the list can go on. On average, most adults travel only one time a year. Many of our vacations include trips around our kids for spring break, summer vacations and holiday trips. Not often are parents planning trips to rest and reset from the daily demands of parenting. We are finding that parents are burning out at high rates because of the lack of planning for personal vacations and breaks.
After being on lock down from the pandemic and pausing travel for some time, I was fortunate to experience my first out of the country trip in five years. Let’s be honest, as mothers we go through these cycles of continuous anxiety and mom guilt when it comes to doing things that don’t include our kids. It’s a consistent battle of balancing the daily titles and the true woman at our core.
On my recent travels to Dominican Island, I made it an intention to meet other married couples with kids and pick their brains on advice of longevity, happiness in marriage and success on raising kids. Without a doubt, many of them shared the same advice even across various cultures, ethnicity, and race. Their perspectives were all aligned.
Here are a few nuggets that each couple shared:
- Find things that you enjoy and continue to do them often.
- Allow you kids to see you make yourself a priority.
- Travel with other couples and friends who aligned with who you are as a person.
- Create a support system with your kids that you can trust to watch over them when you are not there.
- Make taking vacations and breaks apart of your yearly planning: If it’s not on the calendar, it won’t happen.
- Remember that you were once a person before marriage, kids, career so don’t forget about him or her.
I brought back more than just memories from our trip; I inherited some amazing lessons and advice that will carry throughout my life to make me a better person, spouse, and parent. Affirm today, “forgot those kids” and take that break, vacation or staycation that you’ve been thinking of. Trust me you will be happy that you did!
