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- I stayed home while my family traveled because I needed a break. I loved my alone time. (businessinsider.com)
One Mom’s Unconventional Holiday Retreat: Trading Family Chaos for Blissful Solitude
Pennsylvania, USA – While many families gathered for festive celebrations this holiday season, one local mom opted for a decidedly different approach: sending her husband and children off to visit relatives in Massachusetts while she remained home, enjoying four days of uninterrupted peace and quiet. The unconventional choice, born from what she describes as a “breaking point,” offered a refreshing reset that many parents can only dream of.
When asked about her holiday plans, the mom, who preferred to remain anonymous, admits to responding “almost too giddily” that she would be spending it alone. The initial reaction from others was often one of narrowed eyes and disbelief, quickly followed by “I’m jealous.
I want to do that. How did you swing that?”
from fellow parents.
Her reasons were simple yet profound: no answering to anyone, no endless requests for snacks or backrubs, no tiptoeing around sleeping children, and no defending parenting choices. The idea of a quiet, clean, empty house became an irresistible fantasy.
The decision didn’t come lightly, but once the thought took root, it became all-consuming. Approaching her husband, she was met with surprising support.
“You should take a few days away!” he reportedly exclaimed.
Her clarification – that she wanted to be home alone, not away – was met with equal understanding.
Explaining her need for a “break” to her three children, ages 3, 5, and 8, resulted in relatively unfazed reactions, save for her middle daughter’s request for “a call every two minutes.” The mom emphasized that it was important for her children to see that it’s “OK for Mom (or Dad) to step away and be alone,” and that it didn’t diminish her love for them.
Mental health professionals echo the sentiment, highlighting the importance of intentional solitude for self-care. Emily Moriarty, M.Ed., a licensed professional counselor and director of clinical services at Reset Outdoors, noted that “When you seek out intentional solitude, and the demands on your attention and focus melt away, it allows you to have a level of awareness that can support healing and growth.”
Once her family departed, the initial quiet was almost disorienting. Yet, she quickly embraced the newfound stillness.
Her days unfolded without a schedule, filled with simple pleasures like cooking dinner while dancing to music, eating a meal while reading a book without interruption, and the effortless cleanup that followed. “I don’t spill things on the floor,” she quipped.
Even the Big Holiday Meal, spent alone, didn’t evoke loneliness. She attributes this to the fact that it was her “choice,” knowing her family was enjoying their own festive time.
By the fourth day, a subtle shift occurred. The anticipation of her family’s return was palpable, and she found herself wondering if sustained solitude might eventually lead to boredom. This, she surmises, is likely due to the stark contrast between her demanding life as a mother, co-running a household, and a career, and the abrupt, near-total quiet.
While she thoroughly enjoyed her solo holiday, the mom admits that four days weren’t quite enough to fully assuage the inevitable “Mom Guilt.” When asked if this would become a new tradition, she mused that while she “liked it, maybe a bit too much,” celebrating the holidays indefinitely without her “kith and kin” felt “wrong.”
This mom’s holiday experiment serves as a powerful reminder for parents everywhere about the vital importance of self-care and the sometimes-radical steps needed to achieve it.
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- I stayed home while my family traveled because I needed a break. I loved my alone time. (businessinsider.com)