If you're an introvert where do you go to 'escape' your noisy family?!

[rosseyv]

I know this won't last forever and soon enough my kids won't want to be around me, which will be devastating. However, right now I have an almighty desire to run away. I'm either at work (loads of people, intense) or at home (noisy, intense kids).

In the summer I do get away for a night or 2 and sit on a beach reading a book, take long walks alone etc. But where could I go in the winter?

I need to recharge and my home is absolutely not a haven. I have zero opportunity to recharge, and it's actually making me feel quite ill!

Any tips from fellow introverts will be gratefully received!

On the corner of the settee, reading a book or article or something, and retreating into my own head.

After work, I used to sit in the car round the corner from my house for twenty minutes with a flask of tea before facing the evening onslaught.
Even now with a houseful of grown up children and grandchildren, I take a break in the car with a cup of tea and a biscuit. So much talking! So much noise!

deffo a couple of nights in a hotel somewhere.

dreamy!

Like the sound of this, but can't think where to go in the winter (north west area).

I wake up an hour before the rest of my family to have a quiet coffee to myself. I walk, run, or go to the gym.

I stay up late after everyone has gone to bed and lounge on the sofa or do my computer admin. Usually I don't go to bed until 2am - I need my solitude more than I need sleep! When youngest is in school I'm looking forward to lovely days of having the house to myself.

When my kids were little the only place I could get any privacy was in the toilet. 🙃

My bedroom. Or Costa.

Bed!

Sit in the car for immediate refuge?

Long train journey with book and snacks. Maybe wine.

I stay up late too.

My children always want to talk at bedtime when I'm just empty of anything else to give. But I listen anyway - my mum never too the time to listen to me.

I used long baths in lockdown when I couldn’t escape the house.

Like a pp, we still have a ‘quiet time’ rule after lunch when we’re on holiday, even though we’re a decade in from naps.

I also use my commute as ‘no one bothers me’ time, but I know most people don’t find a rush hour tube that relaxing.

Now its generally much better as I have a day when they’re at school and I have the house to myself.

I buy a coffee and go and sit in the car at a favourite viewpoint. I sit there for an hour or so, enjoy the view and the peace. Even in winter I love it, I just wrap up warm.

I should have said, I have a very quiet family. I crave the solitude.

I did this too.......highly recommend it as teenagers don't tend to like weeding, they came a couple of times, i put them to work clearing ground and they never followed me again😜

Can you just google “nice hotels in TOWN/AREA” and pick one you like? Or look on booking.com?

Mine are adults now but when they were kids, from around the time where bedtime became later than 8pm, I'd just say they needed to be upstairs. They could read, watch tv, play games whatever but the evening was my time. I needed some time to myself. Also sometimes I might have wanted to watch something that wasn't suitable for their age group. They always accepted it fine. Obviously we'd have the odd night where we all watched a film or whatever but mainly they were happy spending some time in their rooms.

Maybe you're being too polite! Being "mum" doesn't mean always ignoring your own needs. I'd try being a bit more firm about it tbh.

My bed. Thought they often come and join me. Or the bath.

When they were little and I worked full time in a really intense job (DH was SAHD, I did night feeds), I used to pull over on my way home and have a 20 minute nap in a lay-by.

Op I am north west too and this hotel is nice. The food has always been amazing when I have gone and it's always been quiet. The bar is nice and quiet too.

I've stayed here on my own also for a break.

I think they even have a proper fire.

Usually though I just go for a walk.

I hear you, OP.
My DH & DD both have autism and i need time alone through my day. I also work with people, so I'm talking all day & I find it really draining.
My go to places are:
I get up early every morning to have the house to myself. I read & do my thinking then when they won't both be chatting away,
Costa coffee opens early - 06.30. I go there to read & have some peace,
swimming either early or late in the evening,
i have my own bedroom,
a weeks holiday on my own - bliss!
I realise that these make me sound very anti social, but it's what I've worked out that I need.

In bed in a dark room with a film on low volume. Bed is my fave place at the min. I've been known to hide in bathroom and during summer it was long walks. I get to work half hour early so I can and sit in car with radio on.

I have been known to lock myself in the car with the radio really loud so I can't hear them...

I'm loving these ideas. I need to implement absolutely all of them!

You need a she shed!

I definitely do!

I've been known to run 'errands' and stop at McDonalds.

I also stay up late (or go to bed early)

Studying for a qualification (so sit in the office for a fair few hours at the weekend)

I go out to the back of the garden, it’s pitch black out there so kids won’t follow me. Sometimes I hide in the garage… just for a bit of breathing space.