Parent on Vacation

[mom-in-alberta]

I just feel bad for a little 2 year old who's dad has 10 days off and sends his kid all ten days from 8-5. A little balance is all I'm asking for. Maybe A morning??? For the kid?


This.

Because the little two year old in question (very often) grows up to be a hard-to-manage 5 year old. Or an out-of-control teenager. Because I think, for me, what it comes down to is part of a larger picture.
The family I mentioned earlier, with the 3 kids? It was more important for mom to have an entire 10 hours to herself than to spend one extra hour with her kids. They saw that, and I could see in their behaviour what that was doing to them. At a time when they needed her the most, she was entirely focused on herself.
Am I blowing this out of proportion? Maybe. But I, personally, wasn't referring to the parent who *in general* puts the childrens needs before their own. I was referring to a larger pattern of ME-FIRST-parents.
I have little kids right now, and big kids. They are 11, 9, 5 and 1. I miss out on a lot, because I am busy doing their things right now. But the way I see it (and you give me hope here, Alpha!), I have plenty of time to get manicures. They are only this little for a little while.
I guess I just wish other people thought this way, too.