You've got a week childfree - how would you spend it?

[galaxy101]

If you had a week child free for the first time ever, had annual leave... how would you spend it? What sort of things would you do?..

We kind of do at the end of this month although we’ll still have our 8 month old because he’s still BF and I didn’t feel able to let him go just yet (my older DC are going on holiday with my Mum). Our baby honestly is the quietest person in the house anyway so we barely remember he’s there most of the time .

We’ve booked a few days in the Lakes.

My DParents are having the DC for 5 nights over the summer. I have told DH that I'm going to spend that time laying in the sun next to a pool, with someone frequently presenting me with luridly coloured alcoholic drinks. He's welcome to come, but whether he does or doesn't, that's what I'm doing 😁

I would SLEEP! Holy crap would I sleep :D I'd chill with my DH, go to the cinema, get my hair cut, have a leisurely shopping trip all on my own and take all the time I wanted. But mostly I would sleep.

Definitely plan to sleep!!! No 5am wake up calls for a week is going to be bliss! Will get lots of wine in too

Be careful not to put yourself under pressure because you're getting what you dreamed about for the last few years and now feel that you need to milk it for all its worth. In similar situation, I've spent a lot of time worrying about whether I shouldn't be having more fun, getting more done etc. and then the week was suddenly over....

For me, getting proper sleep is the main priority :)

Sleeping, catching up on tv programmes I recorded over a year ago, reading (hopefully in the garden in the sunshine), possibly a bit of cleaning, spending some times with DH, eating dinner in peace at sensible times rather than at 10pm after DC have finally gone to sleep, maybe get a hair cut.

I have this exact same scenario- my kids are going on holiday with grandparents for a week for first time ever. I'm booking a holiday abroad and going to sun myself up without having endless hours of applying sun cream to wriggling monsters & being on pool lifeguard duty. I actually cannot wait

Sleep
Read
Drink wine
Sleep
Eat chocolate and cake
Drink whiskey
Sleep
Read
Yoga
Sleep
Eat chocolate
Go for a stroll without taking most of the house in my bag
Sleep
Read
Cook a meal for myself that will get eaten without complaint
Sleep

As you can tell I'm in the thick of it with sleepless nights/early mornings with a 2 year old and 6 week old

I went away for the week on my own and it was bloody amazing.

Im going to make a point of doing it everytime exDP takes DS away!

Tipsy, reading books in the sun x

As a single parent, a week child free would be me totally alone. Bliss, not had that for years.

I'd spend the first day tidying, sorting,cleaning g etc, and finish the day with a relaxing shower and a clean bed.

Rest of the week would include coffee with friends, some day trips out, and also time spent with my feet up, chilling with a large Mojito. 😁

And if I got advance notice, I'd prep my dinners for the week to have lovely meals without much hassle......

I would head to Cornwall or to the Yorkshire Dales for a short break.

Dp and I try to have an adults holiday when my ds is away with his dad. Nice to go to places that aren't necessarily child friendly.

Otherwise I would have long lie ins, read, declutter the house, long walks, hair and nails done, days out shopping, Netflix, lots of wine!!!

Spain! 😎

asleep :)

I've known about this since the start of the year, really beginning to wish I'd have booked a holiday! Oh well, chocolate, alcohol and box sets it's is!

We have two shorter versions of this over the summer (we love my DM who has all but insisted!). We are planning to go to the theatre in the first on (DH is on a stag do and I will go to work for the rest) and the second is still being conjured with. Last year we went to a posh spa and had nice meals out. Really nice to talk to DH without either being shattered or multitasking as a family entertainment system.

Take myself off for a holiday to soak up the sights/culture somewhere. Go to the theatre, out for meals, sightseeing. Just do my own thing when and where I liked. Bliss.

(Currently decluttering house and decorating kids rooms anyway and my teens can help with that so damm sure i am not spending precious time doing it myself!)

Ds2 is off to cadet camp for 2 weeks soon if only I could palm elder ds2 off on his dad for a few days and I got time off work I would be off like a shot😁😁

I’d probably go to work and save the leave for a different school holiday.

If it was a “use it or loose it” situation, I’d go to Berlin and Prague.

I’d definitely have booked a holiday!
I do get some time to myself (infrequently, work in a school so when I’m off the DC are also off and obviously no annual leave), half an hour here and there. The older 2 are teens so in and out. Youngest doesn’t really do that yet unless he’s gone somewhere with family.
I really really crave being in my house alone sometimes. I often come home for my lunch just so that I can be on my own at home!
If I hadn’t booked a holiday I’d probably just plan to sit in my garden with vodka all week and shoo dp out at all times

Sounds like bliss. I would:

Clean the entire house, so it can be lovely & clean for the entire week & not be wrecked by tiny tornadoes.
Go the the gym at least every 2nd day.
Have several pamper sessions - face mask, long baths, etc.
Cook lovely meals that you'd never normally bother to do while the DCs are around, as it's too much bother, time away from them refereeing arguments, they wouldn't eat it, etc, etc.
Sleep in, really massively, at least once.
Take the opportunity to declutter any of the crap from the DC's rooms that they will complain about if they see it leaving the house, but won't notice once it's gone.

sleep, sleep more sleep.

Then crack on with writing my novel.

drink lots and lots of wine

sleep some more...

I'm currently taking a few weeks off between jobs. I'm :

Seeing friends for lunch and drinks
Doing a short photography course
Doing all those jobs around the house and garden that never get done (yesterday I cleaned the windows inside, the day before I sanded some new wooden play equipment for the garden)
Sorting out about two years of photos into photo books
Doing financial admin - I've moved money around to pay off a chunk of the mortgage
Baking

Day drink