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The Schedule Switch That Helps Parents Not Dread Weekends

mother walking with two daughters on a weekend

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We know we’re not supposed to admit it, but Saturdays and Sundays can sometimes be the pits. It’s a shock to the system to go from engaging with other adults to becoming entertainment director for the weekend—and having basically no time to yourself.

Mom @ownitbabe feels the same way, and she took to Instagram to admit the harsh truth: “I am dreading weekends [b]ecause it means we spend all day entertaining our kids, teaching them things, making it fun for them but not filling our cups at all. I’m always burned out by Sunday night. I’m just not that kind of a mom. I started to be really unhappy on weekends. I just didn’t feel like coming up with yet another full day of activities we can do that are all centered around my kids.”

We totally get it. It’s exhausting. But @ownitbabe decided to change things up to make weekends more satisfying for the kids and the adults. “I was told that in Europe, parents spend less time entertaining their kids with ‘kids-focused’ activities and instead, spend more time including their kids in their daily routines and things they love to do. So we decided that one day each weekend, we will be European parents. We will do things *we* enjoy and we will bring the kids along. Even if they’re bored. One day is their day, and the other day is for me to fill my cup.”

Not only does @ownitbabe report that she feels a lot better after switching things up, but parents in the comments whoele-heartedly agree with her, including celeb mom Kristin Bell:

We fully admit that the kids may not take to this change in routine immediately, but hanging in there and reclaiming one day for yourself will be better for the family in the long run.