BR Parents Blog: Sleepaway for Mama: Leaving My Daughters Overnight for the First Time

In more than seven and a half years of parenting, I had never left my children overnight until recently. Other than her recent trip to pony camp, the only time I was away from my older daughter was when my younger daughter was born. I stayed in the hospital for several days, but she was able to visit. I’d never left my three year old at all. Part of it is attachment parenting, part of it is not really anywhere to go and no one to leave them with.

An opportunity arose within my church to serve as a district delegate to the state’s annual conference. There’s unrest in The United Methodist Church, and my husband was supportive of my desire to volunteer. He was willing to take over the primary caregiving for the four days I’d be away in Shreveport.

There were jokes about me finally taking time for myself or that I should relax now that I was away from my children. There really wasn’t any time for myself during the conference, which was non-stop with worship and business meetings. I worked more there than I do at home; it was just a different kind of labor (although equally compensated, i.e. unpaid labor – LOL). Basically, it was not any kind of break at all. I was more exhausted when I returned than when I left them.

Read the rest on the Baton Rouge Parents Magazine website.