No, Really, A Break Will Leave You Refreshed

When I tell people I have three kids under 5 years old, I usually get the kind of look that a car mechanic gives you when you are going to have a wallet full of repairs. It’s a mix of? “I’m sorry” and “That’s rough.” While there are many things in life likely more challenging than raising three kids, to do it right takes a lot of effort (and I talk about it a lot in my upcoming book on fatherhood WINK WINK!).?

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It's no secret my wife and I will end the day feeling tired, worn out, and with nothing left in the tank for each other. Fortunately, we are blessed with two sets of grandparents in town who provide relief from our little ones. However, one trepidation my wife and I have is that while we know the grandparents' house is more fun than ours, it usually comes with a little more lax rules and structure for them.

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This lack of structure means that when we get the kids back, there can be, how do you say, some “unlearning” to do of some less than great habits and traits. It’s a toll my wife and I gladly pay, and we call it our? “awesome tax” on the break we get.?

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Recently, our two boys went to Grandma and Papa’s house for two whole nights. Although it left us with a 2 month old infant at home, the amount of effort required to wrangle one non walking/talking/hitting/biting baby versus a total of three is much less. My wife and I had friends over for dinner, went to a baby shower, and even watched a movie! When Sunday came, we were refreshed, reenergized, and missing the boys.

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But a funny thing happened when the boys came home. Rather than be little hellions who were spoiled rotten by the grandparents, they came home sweeter and better behaved than before! Was it the strict structure they had at the grandparents? I know I am a comedian, and that’s one of my best jokes. Of course they didn’t have structure! It was the grandparents’ house!

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But you know what they did have?

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A break from us!

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The breaks go both ways. We need a break from the kids, and yes, your precious kids probably could use a break from you too. While you may not be a parent, or have grandparents to help with your kids, the lesson is the same. It could be a pet, a job, or a friend who lives with you, a little space can go a long way for both parties. No matter how much you love or rely on each other, take a break! Whether it’s two nights like we got, or just two hours, my guess is you’ll come back refreshed, with a greater appreciation for each other.?

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So there you go, if you need permission to take a break, consider it granted from me!?

And if you need Permission to Care, allow me to shamelessly plug my 1st book…

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Hey, you read the whole thing! You go, you! If you enjoyed it, please comment or share to help others find it. If you find that a short newsletter just a few times a week isn't enough, why don't you go check out my book, "Permission to Care: Building a Healthcare Culture that Thrives in Chaos"? I also speak to groups! Send me a message if you think I'd be a good fit for your next event. Thanks so much again for reading.