As joyful as being a family is, sometimes, you just need a bit of space from each other. The kids need to feel that they are trusted enough to have their independence from time to time and you need to get some adult alone time in too.
While there isn’t a clear-cut method that works for everyone, working out a way for your whole family to recharge and take some time alone is a really good idea. If nothing else, spending some time apart will give you new things to talk about!
Weeks Apart
When you are feeling run down but the kids are full of energy, it can be really difficult to keep everyone happy. The summer holidays are a key time for this as the kids are at home and getting bored quickly.
A kids camp like Camp Regis AppleJack is a great idea. You can send your kids along knowing that they are going to have a brilliant time doing all the activities and making friends and you can have some peace. There are different age groups and you can send your kids for the full season or just part of it for the first time.
Weekends Apart
Spending a day or two apart is much less extreme and can be beneficial for very young children and their parents. Kids who have separation anxiety may need a bit more support, to begin with, but gradually learning to spend time apart is a good way to boost their self-confidence.
Sleepovers are a lot of fun and if your child has a close friendship group, it’s a good idea for the parents to organize some sort of rota. That way, you get to have a couple of nights off for every night you are hosting the party. Sleepover hosting is pretty easy too since you can stick on a nice film, fill them up with pizza and popcorn and let them get on with making a fort to sleep in. Just remember you’ll need to supply breakfast too.
Evenings Apart
Having an evening a week to do an activity that is just yours is a really important way to assert your personality away from home. Whether you are a grown-up looking for people your age to hang out with, or a kid who needs time to run around, evening activities are ideal.
Some kids go all out for activities and want to do everything but others might need a bit of a push. Encourage your kids to try lots of new things and then choose an activity they would like to do each week. Choosing is an important part of learning so give your child this freedom even if they are only really choosing from pre-approved options!
Spending time apart is a good way to strengthen family bonds as when you come together again, you will likely appreciate each other more and have plenty to share. Getting stuck in a rut is a normal problem for families but as you can see, the list of remedies is long enough to accommodate everyone.
