Sunday, February 22, 2015

Sometimes Mama Needs A Time Out

I put myself in time out this afternoon.

It involved telling my husband through a few tears "I think I need to get out of here for a minute", my husband telling me "go for it, take a break", hopping in my van, realizing said van peels out like whoa on wet roads, and going to the mall for a hot second.   Ok, ok, I know, I really took one for the team.   But the truth is...I actually did.   The team needed me to go away for a bit.  Mama needed an attitude adjustment. 


I had been in the house basically all day on account of staying home from church with Sister who was puny yesterday.  Sister had launched into her typical late afternoon in between nap and bed, not quite dinner time, hangry, hold me, no don't, wha wha, I want to swipe those glasses off your face, hey that ponytail looks fun to pull, etc, mood, making me dodge her, therefore offending her greatly and audibly.   Brother was making a grand mess of the living room I kinda sorta attempted to clean earlier, making me wonder why I ever even bother to pick up toys.

I was annoyed at my kids.

I have learned a few things in this wacky parenting realm, and one of them is that when I get annoyed at my kids, I need to momentarily get away from my kids, or else we all spiral down into a puddle of angst and tears and macaroni I have yet to clean up.  Maybe, if I'm the only responsible adult in the house, that simply means I shut the bathroom door, lean against the vanity and literally hide from my small humans for a moment.  (Yes.  Moms of little kids really do this.  It's not just a thing you read about on the internet.)  Or, if my rockstar husband is at home, I may cash in on the luxury of tapping out.

So I left.  For a mere 45 minutes.  I went to Sears and spent some of a birthday giftcard.   I bought a sandwich and a coke and headed home.  And that was all it took.  I was refreshed.  Now, I may or may not have mixed said coke with SoCo after the kids went to bed but hey, irrelevant.

Parents of the world, when you need a break, do you take it?  Spouses of the world, when your partner in parenting madness needs a break, do you encourage it?  

Hide in the bathroom for a minute or two.  Shut yourself into the guest room and close your eyes for half an hour while your spouse fields the kid craziness.  Or get out of the dang house completely if you can.  Go to the mall.  Wander around Walmart.   Drive to the Walgreens parking lot a few blocks from your house and sit in your minivan listening to the radio for half an hour.  (I may or may not present that suggestion from personal experience...no comment.)   Just get out of dodge for a little bit.  Take one for the team.  Your team will thank you in the long run.

2 comments:

  1. A hearty AMEN sister! This is me too. I once shoved myself under my bed and hung out with rather large dust bunnies as I heard my kids stampeding like elephants up the stairs to my room. I hid behind my locked door yesterday as my preschooler sat on the other side asking me to do a puzzle with him. I unlocked the door of course which makes me mother of the year in my house. Ha.

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    Replies
    1. Hiding under the bed is a new one on me!! That's awesome. I don't think I could fit under our bed. Too much junk!

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