How To {survive a weekend alone...with kids}

thank you, Liza

In the last few weekends, Kent went away on two "Mid Winter Camp" trips. Here are five tips on surviving single parenthood that worked for me.

1. Keep expectations low 
Your vision statement for the weekend should be, "I exist to help my children eat three meals a day, clean their bottoms, clothe them (if going out in public) and keep them from extreme physical harm". No crafts, house projects, forced warm fuzzy moments or personal care for yourself.

2. Stay the course 
Bed time and discipline should stay the same even though you may be tempted to put them to bed at 4PM and let them rule the world for "a mere" three days.

3. Eat the food 
Go out to eat (Chick fil A for us+extended play time on their playground) and cook easy meals. As in, a pre-made pizza on Saturday night and leftover pizza for Sunday lunch. Let that food fill the solo parenting void in your soul. Eat so unhealthily that when your spouse returns you put your hand on your hip and exclaim, "That's it! Starting tomorrow, we're vegans!"

4. TV time
A movie each night! And if that's already your norm, make it two movies! There are no technology limits while you wing things alone.

5. Brace yourself for the aftermath 
My fellow youth pastor wife friend (hiii sjcp!) agrees with me- kids tend to lose their minds when the absent parent returns home or when they return again to work that week. Then, the tired aging ha ha ha youth pastor wants to catch up on sleep and we, the wives, want to either a) also catch up on sleep b) run for the hills c) make him do the nineteen house projects that we've drummed up while he was away. I don't have a good resolution for the aftermath yet. Just brace yourself. And if your spouse returns after the weekend away only to depart again three hours later for youth group (really?!), take your kids to the church playground, stick some earbuds in and listen to a podcast while shooing them away. Boom.