Oh My Heartsie Girl

Stress-Busting Activities For When You’ve Got Time Without The Kids

It’s a slightly taboo thing to say, but every parent appreciates the feeling of muted elation after dropping their kids off for a weekend with their folks, or having them stay over with a friends’ children for an evening. The freedom from responsibility and constant vigil is itself a stress-reliever, but often once you’re alone with your partner, you can tend to settle on lazy, sedate activities to maximize your relaxation period while the little terrors are elsewhere. This is a waste of the precious time that you can use to pump excitement and thrills into your adult life that has a hugely stress-busting effect on your wellbeing. Check out these tips for activities that’ll release stress while your kids are away. 

Romantic Plans

It won’t do to mention one of life’s great romantic stress-relievers, but outside of the bedroom, there’s plenty more ‘date night’ or ‘romantic getaway’ options that will bring you closer to your partner, reviving a love that can sometimes find itself strained around the constant presence of kids. If you feel like you and your significant other deserve to max-out on romantic pleasures, book a spa weekend or head to a hotel with incredibly surrounding scenery to set the scene for your renewed love. 

Everyone knows that romantic love is as much about passion as it is about red wine and roses, so, alternatively, the weekend away to go skiing in the mountains, surfing at the seaside, or canoeing down long twisting rivers could be wonderful for the both of you. When away doing activities, you’ll still have the evenings to look blissfully into one another’s eyes, only in this scenario, after having had some thrills and spills over the course of the day that reminds you how special your loved one really is.

Games with Friends

If you’re super-organized and have arranged to send your kids off for the weekend at the same time as your friends have ushered their children into their grandparents’ arms, then it’s time to let the good times roll, couples style! Letting loose with another couple is so enjoyable because the four of you are all sharing in the heady experience of letting your hair down, rediscovering the freedom of youth and the joys of later wine-sodden nights.

One of the best ways to bring adult friends together is over dinner and games, which can get increasingly rambunctious as the evening progresses and the alcohol supply is drained. Other than evenings in, consider heading to the Cincinnati Escape Room, or other such puzzle-based escape games, where you’ll be forced to test your wits against the clock to find a murderer in a fantasy mystery that’s sure to be as thrilling as it is hilarious – that’s if you manage to escape, of course.

Extreme Sports

Will your children believe that while they were spending time with your folks, you were doing a tandem skydive? Or that you’ve taken up precipitous rock climbing, or canoeing or white water rafting  in deep river canyons? Probably not, so make sure you get pictures! This option isn’t for the faint-hearted but may well be best-suited to those with a certain understandable trepidation about throwing themselves out of a plane at a few thousand feet. After all, the thrill is only as high as the fear-factor that goes along with it. 

To really go wild when your children are away, there’s probably nothing more thrilling, exciting, adventurous and interesting than jointly deciding, with your partner, to go and get stuck into an adrenaline sport. You’ll be liberated from your day-to-day anxieties and worries when you’re about to jump, dive or climb, but once it’s all over you’ll have a refreshed perspective on the world, and those worries will look that bit smaller because of it. Join the phenomenon, and reap the health and wellbeing benefits of adrenaline pursuits.

Watch Music

You may have met your loved one at a gig or concert, in the mud and dust of a music festival or the dark haze of a club. Even if you didn’t meet with a musical backtrack though, you’ll still likely have bonded as a couple over some of your favorite records or artists – music that gives you something special and intimate as well as conjuring up memories of the time at which you fell in love. Keep up with your favorite artists’ tours so that you’ll be able to plan seeing them and bringing a rush of love and happiness into your life that will boot all existing stress out of the gig.

Alternatively, it can be as rewarding to discover new music with your significant other, creating new memories and bonds to build upon all that you already share. In this case, it’s worth popping into your local live music venues whenever you have an evening without the kids – it’s always a great atmosphere, and the ambiance in and of itself is worth the trip. You’ll be able to slip out with your partner whenever you wish, having spent an evening out o tee up your romantic evening in.

Surprise Your Partner

Love is nothing if it is not spontaneous, surprising and gripping, and surprising your partner with a holiday, restaurant booking or even a new set of undergarments will certainly bring an element of thankfulness, fun and passion back into your relationship that you can revel in away from the stresses of raising a family. You’re the rocks upon which the fate of the family rests, so it’s always a good idea to think of lovely surprises for your loved one.

You don’t have to break the bank with a swanky stay in a 5-star hotel, it’s really the thought that counts, allowing the pair of you to focus on the good times without twiddling your thumbs when the kids are away, wondering what to do with yourselves and why you hadn’t made a plan sooner. Busting stress with spontaneity is a guaranteed winner, so why not get your thinking cap on for next time you’re without the kids. 

Your time without your children in your care should be used to revitalize your relationship, ridding yourself of your domestic stresses by getting out there and seizing the initiative in your free time. Hopefully, these tips will come to mind next time you’re with your partner, thinking of things to do to occupy your child-free time.

Related:
What Happens When Kids Get Bored or Have Short Attention Span
9 Tips For Your Home For Family Fun
5 Great Stay at Home Date Night Ideas