It was not until my daughter was 1 year and 3 months old that I finally had the courage to leave her with my husband and my mom for more than an hour. It felt odd to say the least. It felt like a part of me was missing. Unintentionally adding insult to injury, people kept asking me where my daughter was. I smiled in response, while my heart silently yearns for her. I glance at my watch one too many times to check how much time I have left until I’m with her again.
But I’d be lying if I say I didn’t enjoy the time off. It was liberating.
Since then, I’ve been away from my daughter more times than I want to. Though these are mostly for work, time away from her made me realize two important things: I need it, and you do too!
There are so many reasons why, but let me summarize my thoughts in five:
Continue reading “A Day Won’t Hurt: Why Spending Time Away From Your Kids Matters”