to experience a disproportionate sense of peace at the two times a week when I am unambiguosly family-free for an hour or so?

[hatwoman]

4pm on Monday. dh takes dds out to activities. I, though working from home, feel a sort of peace descending on the house and on me.

5pm on Wednesday. I drop dd2 off at an activity: I have an hour before I have to pick dd1 up 30 minutes drive away. I relish the thought of driving slowly while listening to pm on the radio and/or pootling round the supermarket looking for tasty snacklets and/or a nice t-shirt or some random thing I've been meaning to get but keep forgetting.

It's not relief I feel. It's just a wee bit of peace/contentment. And excitement that I could, should the need take me, eat a whole bag of marshmallow or a giant bar of Green and Blacks and no-one would disturb me or be any the wiser.

aaaahhhh.

Yes, bliss.

oh yes, absolutely. Had the afternoon to myself on sat and it is just lovely. Nothing more to be said!

thats is reasonable hatwoman you need a break. Dont we all

YANBU peace and contentment is exactly how i would describe today - I have mondays off work, but the last 4 monday have been bank holidays or school holidays, today was a "my monday" i went to look at a potential job, bought a kettle and laid straw under my strawberry plants - all by myself and in relative silence, bliss!

oh, and i had 2 choclate bourbons with my tea earlier, and yep no one knows!

Sometimes I just stare at the wall and drool in total, perfect silence.

Not unreasonable. Just because you have kids doesn't mean you have to enjoy their company all the time. Enjoy your peace:)

YANBU. I have two mornings (well 2 hours) to myself twice a week. Those four hours are the lungs of my life. Without them, I think I would cease to function.

my only time to myself is my drive to and from work and I love it.

YANBU.

YANBU

Me too. I like it as quiet as possible too - no TV, Radio... just peace.