It might not happen very often, but parents are allowed to let their hair down every now and again. The problem though, hangovers and parenting are not a match made in heaven, so here are three of my top survival tips for when your 'just the one' has turned into 'just the one too many'.
Be prepared
Like anything 'survival' (or parenting for that matter) it is best to be prepared before you pop that cork. I am talking about heading to the shops and stocking up on all your necessary essentials - pain killers, snacks and (non alcoholic) drinks. For the kids; magazines, sticker books, or anything that requires minimal input from you and will buy you some horizontal time. Also a must, making sure that the iPad is fully charged.
Be prepared to lower your expectations and standards too, so fully embrace that it will be a PJ day.
Make meal times easy
A Capet Picnic in front of the TV is a favourite in our house. Have sandwiches and other picky bits made up in the fridge in advance for an easy lunch and for breakfast, my kids highly recommend a Trail Mix. Mix dry Cheerios with dried fruit or blueberries and serve with a cup of milk on the side. Sometimes we add nuts, sometimes, on special occasions (Sundays) we add mini marshmallows. If you have a toddler, you might find that a Trail Mix turns into an actual trail around the house. This isn't a problem though, it will stop them from demanding snacks throughout the day. (and possibly the next few days too!)
For dinner, 'Freezer Tapas' is an absolute must, so make sure you have stocked up on all your favourite beige food.
'Sleep when the baby sleeps'
Always a useless bit of advice in my opinion but, if you have a child who still naps (lucky you!) you must take advantage and steal some zzz's too! The chores, life admin and Netflix (other streaming services are available) binge watching can wait.
If you are not one of the lucky ones to have a daytime napper, make their bedtime your bedtime.
You may feel the parent guilt making an appearance and although you have brought this on yourself, you are not doing it every day (hopefully) so give yourself a day off from the guilt and remember that no parent is perfect all the time.
The way you are feeling won't be making you rush out to do it again soon, but if your 'night off' was fun, then it was very much worth it.
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