The ‘Week of Glory’

A few years ago, shortly after I met my friend Jen McGuire, she mentioned something about her “Week of Glory” (WOG) which turned out to be a kid-free week at home.  Over the next week I watched as she updated her Facebook status with before and after shots of some pretty major accomplishments in her home – the kinds of things I could just never seem to get done after having kids.

The next year, around the same time, posts came about another WOG with even more amazing results complete with photographic evidence.  She was taking care of things around the house that had been on my to-do list for literally years that I just could not find the time needed to attack them, at least not since my oldest was about 18-months old (4 1/2 years ago!). 

I do remember thinking when my husband and I made the decision that I would stay home with our daughter full time that one advantage would be all the projects around the house that I could finally complete.  After all, she would be napping 2-3 hours a day right?  Look at all that free time I would have!  Well, as any mom knows, what little kid-free time there is in a day whether it be during an afternoon nap or after bedtime, is quickly sucked up by the daily chores and upkeep tasks that have the highest priority.  There is rarely extra time for me to do much of anything else after dishes, laundry, picking up and meal planning.  In fact I’m lucky to get all of the essentials taken care of before I just mentally, and physically, check out.

This year when Jen hinted her WOG was around the corner, I realized the value of extended kid-free time more than ever.  In fact, I was pretty jealous that I didn’t have more than a few kid free hours in a row.  The truth is, I thought that leaving my kids for an extended period of time when I didn’t have to felt a little selfish, but I was starting to see that it was actually somewhat the opposite.  Jen has a 4-year old and 3-year old twins, she told me that in sending her oldest to one grandparents house and the twins to the other grandparents for a week it actually gives the kids some valuable time apart and her older son gets some ‘only child’ time again.  She also plans her WOG around her husbands vacation time every year so that they have plenty of quality time at home together while knocking out their to-do list of major projects.

Around the same time as Jen’s WOG this year, we were all up north at my parents cottage.  My husband had to come back home for a work meeting and the original idea was for me and the kids to stay at the cottage with my parents and he would go home to work for a few days and come back up for Fourth of July.  I had a little light bulb moment and only hesitated briefly before seizing the opportunity, after clearing it with my parents I decided to go home with my husband and leave my kids up north with Grandma and Grandpa!  I knew my kids would be a lot for them to manage – a 2-year old on a lake is pretty constant anxiety (and full disclosure, my husband and I are going out of town for a week without kids in August so I didn’t want to push it too much!), so my husband agreed to only going home for 2 full days but now, having done it, I have every intention on working my way up to a full week in the future. 

I have to tell you – It. Was. Wonderful! And not just the ‘checking-things-off-the-to-do-list’ way.  My husband and I went to dinner and actually talked to each other, without interruption.  I slept in a little and went to the grocery store alone.  Sure, any of those things could happen at any other time depending on our schedules and date nights, but when they all accumulate in a 48 hour period in addition to steam cleaning carpets, organizing kids outgrown and next season clothes and about 10 loads of laundry it is amazing.  I actually feel like I got something major accomplished for the first time in a very long time.  And rather than feeling ‘wiped out’, I actually felt energized from completing my projects.  The break from the daily grind (that yes, still follows us when we go places like Up North) was so worth it!  Of course our kids had a great time apart from us but we were all happy to be reunited. 

I encourage all parents out there to consider installing a Week of Glory, or even just a Few Days of Glory, at least to start.  I don’t think many people consider a vacation of staying home alone but it is totally worth it and can be just as restorative as a spa visit (and much less expensive!). Even if you don’t have grandparents or relatives close by for your kids to stay with, it would even work with some carefully coordinated overnights at friends houses or exchanges with friends who want to experience a Few Days of Glory themselves.  Once you become a parent little breaks like this do tend to feel selfish, but in reality taking time for yourself can only make things better for everyone in the long run.

Photos courtesy Jennifer McGuire