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Charline Cormier-Pellerin

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Funny how our minds work: while we are home with the kids, we fantasize about getting away and pampering ourselves with some well deserved 'me time.' Then, when we finally get away, we spend most of our time worrying or wondering what the kids are doing back home.

My husband and I recently experienced our very first getaway since we've had children. A mixture of work and pleasure (my husband worked), my parents kindly agreed to keep the children while we were away. At first, this seemed like a no-brainer. Then, a week before leaving, my oldest - the one I would have least expected of having such a hard time with the notion of my leaving, began dolling out hugs and kisses at a rate far exceeding her usual generous servings. And every night before bed, she would ask why I had to go and why they (the children) couldn't come along.

To top it off, the night before we left, my youngest broke down; pleading "please don't leave" in a little trembling voice that no mother can resist. It was a befitting ending to a week filled with anxiety from all four children. So convincing were their arguments that I too began to worry about how everything would hold up in my absence. Of course, I needn't have worried. Everything went smoothly on the home front with my parents at the helm and we had a great time.

But I will admit to not having left the children behind one hundred percent. You see, I bought two packages of Canadian stamps and put them in my wallet before leaving on our trip. I was then able to purchase post cards, affix stamps and send them out as soon as one of those red mailboxes was spotted both while on layover in between flights and from our destination. We also called home every day. The joke just before we left when asked by our daughter if we were going to miss her, was that should my husband and I suffer from a severe case of homesickness while we were away, we could always request that the front desk issue us a wake up call at some point in the middle of the night and instead of speaking, he or she could cry out "Mom" and continue to do so until we had had our fill. As a parent, if that doesn't leave you with a deeper appreciating for the tranquility of a childless weekend, than chances are that nothing can help you and you may as well stay home.

* Charline Cormier-Pellerin, Moncton resident and mother of four children, writes a regular column on parenting and its many adventures for This Week.