Alone time is few and far between when you become a mom. Long gone are the days when you sipped your coffee in peace before heading off to work, or eating lunch without small hands grabbing at your plate. Honestly, I salute you if you can get yourself to the bathroom by yourself. As a stay-at-home mom I have figured out a few ways to get that precious alone time, no matter how ridiculous the location.
1. Your Closet
If you have a good sized walk in closet then this one is for you. Basically any area in your home where you can shut the door and binge eat anything with sugar before your curious toddler comes knocking on the door is my idea of bliss. Sometimes I can manage 7 whole minutes alone before Peppa Pig is no longer entertainment enough and my two year has to know why I’m not watching it too.
2. Target
Sometimes I leave my “super important” errands until my husband is home so I have to leave the house and go to Target for that incredibly vital item, alone. Luckily Target has everything you could possibly need so there is always an excuse for a visit. I usually indulge in a Starbucks, (how great is it that so many Targets have a Starbucks Cafe? #winning), and browse the isles slowly. Warning, beware of the Target time-warp, if you have 5 missed calls from your husband then it’s a good sign your “errand” has taken over 2 hours.
3. The Car
The car is my sanctuary. I remember when my daughter was only 9 days old and I had to run an errand, that 20 minutes was such a rush, I think I circled the block 4 times before I decided to call it a day. Since then the car has often become the quickest escape for must needed alone time. Whether it’s going for a drive, hitting a drive-thru to pick up dinner and eating your fries alone or bringing a book and grabbing a coffee and reading while the littles take a nice car-nap,
4. Bathroom
I used to think locking myself in the bathroom to do my business in private was a luxury. I have since realized that not only is it a luxury but also that, given there is an appropriate distraction in place, it’s the best place in my home to have 5 minutes of un-inturupted Instagram scrolling or browsing online shopping. Just be careful to stretch out those extra long pee breaks before your toddler catches on and wants to join in on the party.
5. The Mail Box
It’s amazing what the 3 minute walk to collect the mail can do for your soul. You are outside and alone! Sometimes if I want to linger I open the mail and read it before I come back in the house. Yep, this is living on the edge people.