First Weekend Away Without Kids
Written 8 December 2024
We have just returned from a weekend in the UAE without the kids. They stayed with their grandparents for 3 nights, and it was our first time being without them for more than 24hrs.
In the months leading up to it I probably maxed out at around 7 out of 10 on the anxiety scale; it’s one thing being away from them when you’re just down the road but it’s another thing leaving the country. What if something happens to them? What if something happens to us? But that gradually those feelings scaled down as the trip drew nearer and by the time we got on the plane I was fairly matter of fact about it all.
Nevertheless, I expected to be an emotional wreck for at least some of the weekend… but I wasn’t. I thought we would receive messages about the kids crying at bedtime for mummy and daddy… but we didn’t! It was all very much a non-event. I should really have known this, given how much we had prepared for the trip. The kids had several sleepovers at their grandparents’ over the few months beforehand, so that everyone could get used to it. We talked to them about the trip openly and allowed them plenty of opportunity to express any feelings of worry or doubt. During the weekend, the kids were kept occupied with fun activities and we had a packed scheduled of wedding events so that helped to distract me, too!
As we return to London I’m feeling relieved; it feels like a milestone has been reached, proof that it can be done with the right support (we are lucky to have willing and able grandparents who live 20 mins away) AND now it’s done we can focus on getting ready for Christmas!
NOTE: 7 hours on a plane with no kids provides for plenty of thinking time (maybe too much) and I’ve been having some pretty deep reflections on life and motherhood, but I’ll save those for another time.
If you’re thinking of planning your first getaway without your little one(s) then I hope you have the support you need to make it work, and if time is on your side then my advice is to prepare yourself and them as much as possible, both logistically and emotionally.
If you love the idea but it seems just too farfetched right now, then don’t give up hope. Think about what steps you can take to make it more viable. If you’ve got no relatives nearby, then maybe start looking for a babysitter you can develop a trusting relationship with, so you can open up the opportunity for even just a few hours of child-free time. It may take some time, but don’t think for a second you don’t deserve it.
