MidwestMamaBear

Win: My husband and I finally had our first trip away from our kids since our second was born almost two years ago – in fact, it was my first night away from our younger one, ever. Not because of any particular nervousness on my part, but we never had the impetus to do so. We finally did this weekend, thanks to help from awesome grandparents.

Woe: Despite feeling worn down from the daily grind of having two young children, I miss them terribly. Like can’t stop thinking about them or talking about them, and can’t wait to get home to them. Keep thinking about what we’d be doing and how much fun the kids would have if they were here with us. We are back in our pre-child days, physically, but not mentally.

I realize it’s such a privilege (in a myriad of ways) to be able to get away like this, and I know I was feeling burnt out from parenting, so this is much needed. How do I enjoy myself without missing my kids too much?

I’m so, so sorry for your family’s tremendous loss. My best friend’s sister went through a loss at 41 weeks. One of the things that she has been vocal about is asking people to not be afraid to say her son’s name, or ask about her son, or more generally, acknowledge his existence. Another concrete way that helped was for someone to organize a meal train; people can participate from far away, too, via gift cards for delivery services. Sending lots of love and strength as your family navigates this grief.