How about a game of pretend? This time, instead of playing make believe with your child or children, how about playing make believe with yourself? I am not talking about walking away from all of your parental duties and obligations here, but just spending an hour or two pretending that you are NOT a responsible parent—try not to think about, talk about, and focus on parenting and your child for just one or two hours…
It may sound like crazy talk, but it really isn’t. We all need a break and then we can come back to our busy lives with full focus—getting away from the identity of mommy or daddy for just a short period can be incredibly therapeutic. You don’t have to go out club hopping or spend an hour drowning your parent identity at the local pub. In fact, it might be something as simple as getting a massage or going to a movie. The only rule is that you have to turn off your parent vibe for a short time and cultivate other parts of your personality.
Ask yourself—“If I wasn’t a parent, what would I be doing?” Maybe you would have ice cream for lunch or spend an hour lingering at the book store—get a trusted sitter (one that won’t call you on your cell phone or interrupt your fantasy) and go to ice cream and the book store. Read books that have nothing to do with parenting and immerse yourself in your temporary fantasy. Just keep asking yourself what you would be doing if you were childless. If you are anything like me, it will probably only take an hour or two and then you will be feeling so grateful that you have a family who needs you and children who love you that you’ll be quite ready to take on the role of parent again!
See Also: When Your Child Throws a Tantrum in Public
Letting Your Kids Control Their Free Time