Jessica Chenoweth 
By MySDMom Jessica
It’s summer time, which is the perfect time for road trips and family vacations. This would be the perfect time to recharge after a stressful pandemic. So am I refusing to schedule vacation time? Because vacations are not what they used to be anymore once you have kids.
When I was in my 20s and 30s, vacations were a time to rest and recharge from a stressful 40-60 hour work week. My job has me working very early hours and very long hours. While I love what I do, after months and months on end it gets very taxing. I loved vacation time because that was when I could finally catch up on sleep and reset so I could go back to work with a fresh mind.
What I quickly have learned since having a kid that it is no longer the case.
Let me start by saying that I love my child more than anything and treasure every single moment we have together. But he is also a LOT of work. That is okay, he is 2 (almost 3) and was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. That means we spend most of our time with him running around trying to keep him somewhat settled and entertained. My amazing husband stays at home with him during the date while I’m at work and once I get home I takeover. Sometimes I can get a quick nap in while Walt is napping, but it is usually short and when you only get 5 hours of sleep at night it’s never enough.
So what happens on vacation? More of the same thing. I might get a little more sleep but when Walt is awake I spend most of my time running around after him which ends up being even more exhausting. Between that organizing, packing and making everything goes smoothly while on vacation I end up even more tired than when I started. Add in the fact that I have one of those jobs (again not complaining) that take a lot of work to prepare to take a day off, makes it almost not worth it.
I’ve talked to a couple other parents about this and they had the same feelings, especially when the child is younger. Now, we could leave Walt with someone for a couple nights, but we aren’t ready to do that yet.
This is why I’m not in a rush to plan a vacation for this summer. I can’t be alone here right?
Parents, do you dread vacations because they are a ton of work?
