"No kids tonight ... Is it wrong that we high-fived in the kitchen this morning?" - Facebook post
"Absolutely not," I wanted to scream at my laptop, "Enjoy your night - just the two of you -- alone! No guilt!"
An old friend (one of those people that you knew in high school, haven't talked to in decades, and reconnected with on Facebook) posted the above status on her Facebook page last week. While we haven't spoken in decades, it's clear that we share a similar story. She married, she had children, she divorced, she fell in love again, she remarried, and now she is blissfully happy.
She and her new husband are the modern-day version of the Brady Bunch. They both brought kids to the marriage, and have a full house when they are all together. While they love their kids dearly, we can all relate to the excitement of having a "free" night to just enjoy each other. But, there is a bit of guilt that tends to creep in when we get a smile on our faces at the idea of a kid-free night. Enough of the guilt. No, it absolutely not wrong to high-five in the kitchen at the prospect of a kid-free night.
I love my kids with all my heart, and love being their mom with all the daily responsibilities that come along with being an engaged parent. And, I have learned to appreciate the times when they are at their dad's house. I found it tough at first. I felt like something was missing. I didn't appreciate the time away from them. I wasn't sure what to do with that time. Boy, how things have changed!
I quickly realized that this time was a gift. When I was first married, I often wished for a quiet night (or weekend) to myself to do things that I needed to do, or wanted to do, just for me! Read a book and take a bath with a glass of wine - uninterrupted. Clean out my closet. Learn how to ballroom dance (OK - not really!). Restore old furniture. Go for really long walks. Have a "Breaking Bad" marathon - and watch an entire season in one sitting. Sleep in ... 'til after noon. Go on a date ... and another one after that. All things I had hoped to do, but never had the time when the kids were around. When they were little, I couldn't leave them alone uninterrupted. As they got older, I needed to drive them to this or that sporting practice or extracurricular event. Sure, I could hire a babysitter, but that gets expensive.
After I remarried, I learned to relish the quiet time even more. Again, there was some guilt as I wanted to create new experiences as a family every weekend, not just every other weekend. We learned to adjust. We learned to schedule "adults only" social activities on the weekends when we didn't have the kids, and keep weekends with the kids focused on doing activities as a family. And, we started to look forward to those "every-other-weekend-it's-like-we-just-got-married-and-have-no-kids" weekends! You know what that means, right? When the cat's away, the mice will play!
I have often said that I think more first marriages would survive if parents would continue to invest time in "their" relationship so that once the kids are grown and gone, they can enjoy spending time with each other vs. looking for a new partner.
Our lives are hectic and fast-paced - work and social activities overlap with kids' school activities, community commitments, and more. We often feel pulled in different directions. Isn't that true for most couples with active families? The nice thing is that we know that every other weekend we will be able to reconnect and focus on each other. We can have a romantic candle-lit dinner at home, we can make love in the middle of the day without worrying about anyone walking in, we can choose to go kayaking or antiquing all day, and not have to worry about getting home to shuttle anyone to an activity or prepare a meal. In fact, if it weren't for our two dogs, we wouldn't even need to go home!
To my Facebook friend in Michigan, I say, "Have fun! I hope you high-five your husband again next weekend too, and two weeks after that! Enjoy your time alone just as much as you enjoy your time with your kids. Give your full attention to both situations and learn to value and relish them for what they bring to you."
What about you? Have you learned to get rid of the guilt and relish your kid-free time?