As parents, especially when we have babies, even a couple of days away from our little ones can feel like a month and we are more likely to feel guilty about leaving them for a few hours much less a few days. The drawback to a career when you are a parent is that sometimes business travel is required whether you are a mom or a day. We focus a lot on how moms feel about taking those types of trips because we feel that moms have a choice more than dads do when it comes to working outside the home.
Give Yourself a Break
First and foremost, if your job requires that you go away for a day or two, don’t rip yourself to shreds over it. If you are leaving your little one in capable and loving hands, then you might take advantage of the business trip to enjoy a short vacation.
My husband has traveled on business frequently over the last few years including during my pregnancy and during the first year of our daughter’s life. There were times when I would envy him those three or four days away because he caught a break. When you travel for business, you spend maybe six or eight hours of the day working and the rest of the time is yours.
You can go back to the hotel room. You can take a long hot bath without being interrupted, you can get more sleep and you can finish a meal without it being punctuated by your baby’s cries or needs. You can see to your own needs for a few minutes.
Dialing Down Mommy Mode
Even when we’re away from our children for a few hours during the day, we’re still in Mommy Mode because we know we will be with them again in a short time. We know there are things we need to do for them whether it’s the breast pump, the laundry or picking up supplies for them at a store. A business trip can let us dial down the mommy mode and exist in person mode for a couple of days.
So don’t feel guilty. Embrace the day or three away and let it relax you as a person so that when you get back, you can focus on your little one and enjoy being back with him or her. So don’t feel guilty and don’t lie to yourself about it – having time to yourself is not something to feel guilty about. If it makes you feel better about yourself and it makes you feel better period – it’s going to be better for your baby.
Have you ever felt guilty about taking a short trip away from your little one?
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