After years of being a parent, it’s time to break free. Time to set off for a weekend away without the kids. And here’s how to do it!

First, rope the grandparents in for childcare duties. Make an itinerary of who needs to be at what activity and when. Assemble all the correct clothes for each activity and fold them into neat piles. Make a list of who eats what. The kids are ready. Now it’s time to get the parents ready for a weekend away without the kids!

The Planning

Ideally, you’d plan everything you’re going to do. And plan it well. Right down to the very last detail.

In reality, you’ll be so busy sorting out the kids’ itinerary, clothing and childcare that you’ll plan nothing. Not a damned thing.

At best, you’ll remember to pick up a city guide at the airport.

At worst, you’ll arrive at your destination city with no idea what’s going on. Or where it’s going on. Or, indeed, how to get to there from the remote airport, miles from your destination city.

Truly, this is a test for your winging it skills.

But, you’re parents now; you are well equipped for winging it. You’ve got this. Trust me.

The Packing

Ideally, you’ll have made a well considered list of outfits suitable for all your planned activities.

..unless you failed to plan anything.

Instead, you’ll have to just fire in a selection of tops, bottoms and maybe a dress ‘for best’. And hope that any residual kids’ sticky fingermarks or snotters can be picked off with a fingernail. Or removed with a well placed bit of spit and a rub of your finger.

Just don’t forget some pretty shoes. Something shiny and glam on your toes might distract from the rest of your mismatched and not terribly clean outfit.

….something like these rose gold sandals from Daisy Roots will do the trick! (Check out my review here. Make haste and you might still catch my EXCLUSIVE 15% DISCOUNT)

The Reading

Welcome back to the once lost world of reading! Of reading whole paragraphs, whole pages even, without interruption.

Now you’ll realise that, after years of childcare, you have the attention span of a goldfish. A goldfish with early onset dementia.

Anything more than 15 words in a sentence will make your head spin.

But do pack a book or two.

….you’ll definitely have space in your bag.

….the question is whether you’ll make it further than the first paragraph.

At the Airport

Is that all your bag weighs?

Where’s the rest?

Have you forgotten something?

You’ll even want to ask the check-in staff to weigh it again.

It can’t be right!

You must have left something behind!

But, no, you haven’t. You just aren’t laden down with booster seats, travel buggies, a portable activity set, general arts and crafts and football paraphenalia.

…and no bag of assorted snacks and drinks.

At Security

So, relax, without kids, this is all the stuff you’ll need. Really.

..which is why you’ll wish you had checked the contents of your handbag before you went through security.

As you fish out unnecessary felt tips, a glue stick, google eyes and a one-eyed Easter chick.

….and let’s not talk about the spare of pants for a small child.

A Quiet Flight

No kids. No interruptions. Peace and quiet.

Time to kick back, relax and get your book out.

….unless the couple in front of you have a tiny baby. Which they will. Obviously.

But at least all that wailing and squealing will make you feel at home. It will be your white noise.

And it will give you an excuse for why you keep forgetting that you read that sentence already.

And it will give you an excuse for why you keep forgetting that you read that sentence already.

And it will give you an excuse for why you keep forgetting that you read that sentence already.

Let the kids free weekend away begin

By now, you know that you probably don’t have any matching clothes packed. And certainly none that are entirely clean.

You have nothing planned and no idea how to get to the city you have chosen for your weekend away.

You’ll have a book that you’ll read in 2 minute bursts before your head spins around, checking where the kids are.

….oh, at home, with Grandma.

But do try to relax.

Recline the seat.

Ignore the wailing baby in front of you.

….it’s not your baby

….it’s not your problem.

Get yourself a glass of champagne.

And raise a toast.

To the mummy and daddy who are having their first weekend away without the kids.

Cheers!

 

(Want to see what we got up to on our weekend without kids in Vienna? Join the Empty Nest Mummy mailing list to make sure you never miss a blog post.)