A Millennial Mom’s Guide to Guilt Free Travel

We Millennial mom’s have travel cravings, admit it. Even when we think about it we feel guilty, admit it. The Xennial mom’s out there; you too belong to the Guilt Flock ain’t ya? Admit it.  The little twinges of ‘I will be a horrible mother if I leave my kids’, ‘the kids schedule would go topsy-turvy’, ‘my husband would go bonkers’,  ‘oh-no-I-can’t –use-the-family-budget-just-for-my-selfish-indulgence!’, ‘what would people say?’. STOP! ………………. Now BREATHE….

What you are about to read will give you some respite from all the bad conscience over your responsibility as a parent and gently nudge you to take the first baby steps to take that much needed vacation.

# CTRL+ALT+DELETE that guilt trip: This is the first and foremost thing to do if you plan on debuting on a kids-free vacation. Trust me on this, you going away for a while will teach your kids to understand that their mama also has needs. It gives them the self confidence that they can manage on their own on some things and the rest Daddy or the caregiver will take care.  I can already sense your brain triggering away questions like, ‘what if the kids get sick?’, ‘Can my husband handle it?’, ‘My husband isn’t that experienced in all things kid-ish, he will have a horrible meltdown!’ OF COURSE HE CAN! He is their DAD!! When you both became parents for the first time, it’s not like you came all prepared for parenting like it’s already programmed in the genes! What you had was your child’s pediatrician, some advice from your elders, a few tips here and there from friends and the always handy Google (which instead of listing assuring tips is more of a Boogeyman scaring the hell out of both of you). So chill, your hubby will survive taking on the solo-parenting samurai style, the kids will survive and YOU will survives. If your kids are not accustomed to being without you, start leaving them with the husband or family member for an hourly errand, and then take some bolder steps of taking a day out after a few days. Leave them little surprises or a letter or a video message. This will make you less of a neurotic worrier and the kids less clingy.

# Create a good support system if you don’t have any: If you think the daddy is going to have a tough time the first time you take that getaway trip, work out a schedule where friends and family turn over for those ten days or seven days. Share with the hubby a few fun activities and nearby places to visit and keep all post-its of ‘what you need and where to go for’ emergencies. You will be amazed to know that every day is a party back home. Yes the house would look like a hurricane tousled it and the pantry will be a cholesterol booster of junk food and ultimate sugar rush, but YOU KEEP SHUT, SAY A LITTLE  PRAYER OF THANKS AND BE GRATEFUL that your wonder of a husband did what he had to do to make it work. Yay!!

# Budget and plan the blues away: The ever hanging sword of guilt on most SAHM’s is using the money from the family budget for a getaway vacation. ‘I can’t possibly use that money for my trip, my husband has worked too hard for it’. Well if this creeps up at any point in time, I need to shake you out of this right now and ask you to save up. If this pacifies your self-inflicted guilt of a soul, then you better start SAVING for that trip you want to take. If you know your family budget, then you have a pretty good idea what gets saved on a weekly/monthly basis. And be absolutely driven and dogged about saving and then, only then your dream trip will turn to reality. If even that makes you feel like pinching money from the hubby then there are various ways to earn a little income as a Stay at Home Mom. But believe me when I say that your partner will absolutely understand your need to get away for a while on your own. The main ingredient used for this recipe to succeed is COMMUNICATION.  Your partner knows the role of a mom is quite a legit full time job with no pay. He knows that you get exhausted and their heart melts to see an energy sapped woman in front of them instead of that cheerful, lively girl they had met at a friend’s / relatives / college gathering. When you tell him that you need deserve a break and why you need it, he would be the first one to support you if you talk it out in a mature manner. So tell him if there ever was a way to get some downtime then this was it. AND tell him that you have started saving up and there is no pressure. Your darling of a husband will quietly start saving for you and surprise you, who knows by helping you plan your trip. In fact he might give you handy tips on planning such a trip. You better start planning for a couple getaway too for a much deserved break for just the two of you after your travel stint.

Heed these tips and come back as a refreshed, rejuvenated mama to your babies and the ‘ravishing girl’ your husband once knew and dated and see the sparks fly in this new persona.

About 'Women Special Tours':  Would you like to go for a ‘Ladies Only Trip’ which is full of fun, excitement, games and unforgettable experiences? Then you are looking for us. If you have any query or you want us to share your travel stories at our blog, contact us at ToursWST@gmail.com or +91 – 9810555106.

About the Article Editor: Kimberly Jane Thomas is a Blogger, Writer, Communications Trainer, avid music buff and loves literary fiction; but more than all these, she loves to listen to the animated conversations of her kids. She considers life a blessing in the guise of challenges. She wouldn’t have it any other way. You might meet her someday during one of our tours.