OK ladies, book the girls’ weekend because experts say that we all need a ‘mumcation’ without the kids!
Now, before you throw things in an overnight bag and charge out the door, read on to find out why time spent away from our kids is so beneficial. Cos, you know, vindication and all that!
Mothers should take ‘mumcations’ without the kids
In 2018, American psychology professor, Dr Nava Silton, told news site Fox5NY that mothers should take holidays with friends and leave the kids behind. Dr Silton says, “Motherhood can be very stressful – whether it’s financial stresses, time stresses, just trying to get a whole lot done in a very short period of time. I think it’s really important for mothers to be rejuvenated and refreshed.”
The break away from day-to-day life as a mum is important for a mother’s wellbeing, and therefore good for the whole family dynamic too. The ‘dadcation’ should definitely be a thing too!
Why not just holiday with the kids?
Whilst a change of scenery can be good for the soul, any mum who has been on a family vacation knows full well that you often return more tired than before you left! A holiday with the kids is just being a mother in a different environment, often without the conveniences of home.
You will feel guilt for skipping out on a few days in your child’s life (or even a week, if you’re lucky) – that’s only natural. But your soul will thank you!
The rise of the honeyboomers
The trend to take a holiday without the kids has become so common that there’s even a name for the parents in their 40s and 50s who are enjoying these childfree breaks – honeyboomers. According to consumer site PureProfile, honeyboomers take breaks for various reasons. Rest and relaxation was top of the list, followed by a chance to work on their love life and seeking adventure.
Have you taken a break without the kids? What would be your ideal mumcation?
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Written by Julie Scanlon
Julie is Editor for Kidspot NZ and our MVP. Her hobbies include laughing uncontrollably at her own jokes, annoying her family by asking questions about movie plots, and never taking anything too seriously. She speaks a little Spanish and a lot of Yorkshire.
Favourite motto to live by: “It ain’t nothing but a thing”
Just reading the article is making me itch to do it…my mumcation dream would be a spa holiday complete with all the works…sipping summer cocktails by the beach, then having a massage afterwards, complete with aromatherapy…and sumptuous food in between.
I had my first every mumcation in June for a friend’s 40th birthday. We went away for a night – had a road trip, enjoyed wineries on the way up and back, great food, good company and lots of laughs. I came back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle day to day life again. It was just what I needed. If you are able to, I would recommend it – even one night like we did (though we are planning a two night trip next year!) is enough to break the monotony of day to day life.
I had a kinda mum-cation when i was pregnant with number 3 i went down to my mums for the weekend without the other 2…it was bliss being able to sleep in until 8am and eat an actual meal hot haha but i did have them on my mind all the time and found by day 3 i was feeling quiet home sick. I think if i was to have another mum-cation id send the kids away and have one at home watching crappy tv eating bad food getting my nails done and going to bed late because i wont have to get up early.
sounds like a fabulous idea – will have to wait until the children are a lot older. I think even a short daytime mini holiday would also be beneficial to mums
I love this article!! My girlfriend and I recently went on a ‘mumcation’ to Tonga and it was awesome 🙂 I missed my two kids so much but it was exactly what I needed and I know that I will probably not get the chance to do this again with baby #3 due to arrive in the new year. I think it’s so important for parents to make time for themselves, it’s not always about the kids.
I think maybe I’m a bad sad, as I went away for a week without my kids and all I thought about was them and how much they would of loved it. I missed them terribly and every experience I had was great but I had wish the kids had been there to see it too. My kids are older though and I wish when they were younger that I had taken a weekend away at least once a year to recharge. I love holidays with my kids especially if we eat out all the time and I don’t have to cook.
I would love to take a holiday without the kids, it would be amazing!! We didn’t even have a honeymoon since we had no-one to watch the kids. ( I missed my own wedding reception for the same reason but that’s a different story) I might have to wait until Mr. 4 is older and is less clingy but it would be heaven!!!
Oh I would love a Mumcation……..not sure if or when it will happen though haha. We just don’t have the budget for anything like that being on 1 wage, plus I have a disability so quite hard. We are about to go away on a wee family trip out of town next week though, I’m looking forward to that, especially since the Dad in law is paying! 🙂
We used to take a weekend off a few times a year and my nana used to have our children but my nana is blind now so can’t have the kids alone. There’s only one or two other family members that have our children so it leaves us with little or no choice but to take them with us. It’s definitely great to have a break though. We got one break so far this yr and went to Ed sheeran concert together just me and hubby. It’s definitely a treat.
This is exactly what my husband and I are doing this will be our first trip away without the kids I always feel bad not being with the kids. This trip is overseas so I will feel bad knowing it’s a plane trip away if anything goes wrong but I know we need to do it.
We have taken off overnight for an anniversary without the kids but I usually holiday with the kids in tow. It’s actually not normal for us to holiday as a family. So my husband will go and have a dadcation plenty – Beervana, GABS, you name it, he has plenty of great and fun excuses. For me, I go away mainly to see something or do something with the kids and usually without him. Even our recent cruise, many many people couldn’t understand why I was taking the kids at all. Lol but the kids clubs did mean I got a lot of me time at least. Probably I will go away more alone in future, but in the meantime I like having them there and I feel a lot of guilt if they miss something I did that I know they would have loved 😅