Going Away Without the Kids

There’s one thing new parents learn within the first year of their child’s life: it’s no longer easy to go away alone. By ‘away’ I mean more than a date and then a mad dash home to see how the baby’s doing. I mean at least an overnight stay together. Why is it difficult? For one, some parents have a hard time trusting others to care for their child as they would. Other parents are too afraid something tragic will happen while they are away, or they’re afraid they won’t know how to connect with their spouse aside from being parents and talking about the kids.
My husband and I have been married for almost seven years now, and in about a week, we’ll be going away for three days without 2 of our 3 kids. It’ll be the first time since our son was born five years ago that we’ll be away together from the two older kids (the baby needs to come with us since I’m breastfeeding). We’ll be heading up north to a lakeside inn near the place where my best friend is getting married.   Even though my kids will be staying with my very capable and trustworthy parents, I still have a bit of anxiety about the trip. Will they behave and follow the rules? Will they be polite and play nicely with their uncle (my youngest brother—I’m the oldest of five--is only 9)? Will they take their naps? Will they give my parents a hard time about eating their food? Will they go to bed and sleep the whole night? I’m allowed to be worried about those things, I guess, since they’re what I manage about my kids’ lives every day. I really am looking forward to this trip, but I feel like a teacher all over again preparing my class for a substitute teacher who would take my place in my absence. I worry more that the kids would forget everything I have taught them… I know I don’t have anything to worry about. The grandparents will spoil the kids, the kids will enjoy not being under Mom’s command, and my husband, baby, and I will have a nice trip.
Right?  Marissa is a stay-at-home mom who writes pregnancy and parenting articles on HubPages, as well as shares her motherly escapades on Mommy Knows What's Best.