My weekend without the children... everything goes to pot!

[Schoolques]

Mon - Friday - I work in professional role. I have two young children. I work hard and my house organised and tidy. I eat healthily. I exercise. In short, I am a bona fide adult!

Then... on the two weekends a month my children are with their father, I eat endless junk, don’t tidy and slob. Sunday afternoon is spent frantically cleaning, tidying and sorting - back to adult in me.

I can’t help but feel a bit... shabby? The food in particular as I really look after myself but wow - that goes out the window before the children are at the end of the road!

Any other single parents let it ALL go on their weekends without the children?!

I lived on my own with DD for several years, and when she would go to her Dad's I was exactly the same as you!
My motivation went out if the window, the desire to do anything productive just vanished.
I think it comes from having to be so on the ball with work/home/school/children in the week that when the pressure isn't on there is no onus to do anything!

Thank goodness not alone

Sprawled on sofa mumsnetting with a bag of Doritos. Wouldn’t cross my mind for one second to eat Doritos any other time.

But for some reason, it’s like these weekends are ring-fenced!

Yep,
My DD only sees her dad for 4 hours per month. Tomorrow is those 4 hours. She will be picked up at 10am. I will be eating biscuits in bed and Netflix-ing by five past.

Sounds blissful to me, if i have rare child free time i tend to do the same - grand plans go out the window and i end up binge watching Netflix and eating junk. I do agree with a PP, think it is because you are exhausted from too much adulting the rest of the time.

Gosh, I’d love two weekends a month to relax and eat crap. I’d love time during the week to exercise too. I’m working 13 hour days and spending my weekends doing the food shopping and tidying and homework wrangling. If you have to be in that situation, sounds like not a bad way to spend it!

Recharging your batteries takes on many forms op...

I get a few hours to myself at a time not whole weekends, but mostly I spend them doing very little at all except eating food and coming on Mumsnet
I always kick myself for not being productive with my limited time, but honestly I think I need the headspace more than anything else

If I had a whole weekend I would spend at least the first 24 hours stuffing my face, sleeping and watching TV. I think it's noteworthy that you clean before they come home. Proper adulting right there.

That's me! The last weekend kids were at their Dads I ate take-away Fri-Sunday & stayed in my pjs. I even have a cleaner who comes EOW so don't even tidy. It's Bliss!
Right now, I've just finished chip shop chips and am drinking a Dr pepper.
Otherwise, Im a senior teacher, work full time and my children eat home cooked dinners and aren't allowed fizzy drinks.

(that's what my evening are for) which is way worse than 2 weekends a month

I wish I could relax in to it more though.

Right, done with Doritos. I think the children still have some Easter egg left

Sounds like a perfect way to spend a weekend without the kids or work, you deserve it OP, you’ve earned it, just sit back and enjoy!

I’ve already eaten my kids Easter eggs lol, hope they’ve forgotten about them!

Don't feel bad. Single parenting is bloody hard! It's your recharge time and when they come back Im not stressed, grumpy mummy anymore.

They haven’t but just spied the delicious granola I brought ages ago as a treat. Right, huge bowl coming up. And a film. But I usually spend the evening trying to decide.

I’m promising myself that I’ll make tomorrow productive

Someone I know possibly me watched 30 episodes of Chicago Fire last weekend as they me were child free for 4 days

Yes, me!
Much as I adore my children, I live for these weekends without them!
And I have a whole heap of shite food in for tonight, for my delight and delectation!

Oh, you're still adult-ing OP, enjoy it! Work hard, play hard?

Allow yourselves these days to do as little as you want and of course anything you want. Take it as one of life's little pleasures.

Our DC left home so DH and I moved abroad for work. We came here in August and today was the first time we tried (and failed) to use the oven. Our fridge is full of posh tonic water and cheese. We don’t need to set a good example to anyone any more and we’re loving it. Enjoy your child-free weekends, OP.

My husband took my 3 primary school age children away for 3 days a few years back. I swear i laid on that sofa for 3 days straight & just binge watched Supernatural whilst eating crap.

I miss it......

I've been alone with ds since he was 13 months. He had sporadic contact with father and no going elsewhere since he was 2.5.

I like this now at weekends even when he's here if I have no plans.
I work FT, he has SN and is a swimmer. I'm a fully fledged adult who adults daily and drives him to his club, goes to gym when he trains, bakes for the swimmers, is part of the commitee and also helps at meets and organises all league galas etc.

But also on weekends where I don't have meets to attend I can easily get up Sunday, eat shit, watch tv all day and only shower and dress to take him training and go to gym in the evening! Alternatively I've taken him training early Saturday, come home, got back into pyjamas and spent all day slobbing.

I don't think of it as going to pieces or not having my shit together. I see it as the reason I survive the madness that is the rest of my days

It’s good to let the halo slip and have some me time!

Don’t feel bad - it sounds sublime!

I joined tinder as I result of feeling similar... now have a lovely man to have hot sex and proper food with on my child free weekends....

I’m married and DH and I are both doing the exact same. DC have gone to visit the DGP for the whole weekend. So far we’ve munched a whole bag of share crisps while waiting for our takeaway and sipped on a few G&Ts. We do plan on moving tomorrow after a nice lay in but only to get dinner out. Enjoy the relaxation, every parent deserves it.