After going on your Mom’s Weekend Away, you’ll come home to your people. They will be so excited to see you, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll be so tired that you may need to fake your excitement just a bit. You love them so much, but I always need a vacation from my vacation. If you can relate, here’s how to get back into a routine after your weekend away:
Take it Easy
Take it easy the first day back. Let your people know you are tired and need to rest. Hopefully they will understand, and let you lay down on the couch and close your eyes. If you have a baby, they will look at you like you’re crazy and proceed to cling to you. At least you’re loved, right?
They will demand things from you, like making food and being cheerful. It is okay to tell them no. You can tell your people mommy will make food tomorrow. You can also tell them cheerful mommy will be back on Tuesday. She will return, but please give her one day to recover? Thanks.
Monday Morning
Mondays are the hardest to come back to after being away. You stayed up all weekend like you’re in college, so you need to give yourself some grace when you get back. So I give myself grace, get some shut eye and get back to my regular schedule on Tuesday. Coffee and I become friends again, but I do try to stop all caffeine by noon. This is per my doctor who has me intermittent fasting as we figure out all of my health issues. I survived cancer last year and am happy to share all the tips on how to survive cancer and parenting, but I will save that for another post. So I consume all.the.coffee by noon. This generally gets me going to help my people out the door to school, makes me slightly cheerful again, and gives me energy to make food- because my little and big people need meals.
Working Out Routine
This is probably the one thing most affected by girls weekend. Consuming alcohol, food I don’t normally eat, and staying up late, truly puts a dent in my workout plans. My mojo is gone, and it takes me a few days to get back to the regularly scheduled gym routine. But I don’t berate myself for this. Because I teach classes at the local recreation center and am at the gym anyway, I take it easy by doing the elliptical. I don’t push myself to run 9 minute miles the first day back and do 25 pound weighted sit-ups. Nine minutes is fast for me – I’m short. Take it easy. We’re so hard on ourselves as women, the last thing we need is gym guilt.
Get Back into Your Rhythm
This goes back to what was said above, but we all have rhythms and schedules our bodies adhere to. I’ll usually give myself 3-5 days to get back into my sleeping, waking, and workout rhythms and routines. I don’t force it because if I do, I’m not cheerful mom. Nobody in my house likes grumpy mom. Not even me. Having rhythms really helps me be a better mom because the schedule I follow allows me to prepare and love my people better. I can’t recommend finding rhythms and routines enough for everyone in your house.
Remember the Fun Times
Text and call your friends and tell them how much fun you had. It’s worth the tiredness, the kids clinging to you endlessly, and being mom 24/7. You need your friend time as much as your kids do. Post the photos, send each other silly texts about Taco Bell, and plan your next trip. Those trips don’t have to be elaborate, just a little get away, so mom can gain her sanity back. Remember the fun times, they are always worth it.
How do you get back into your “mom routine” after a weekend away?
