Guys’ Night In

Maybe some of you are fans of Girls Night Out. If so, I recommend convincing your boys of the joy of Guys’ Night In.  Mom goes out (or goes to bed early) and the guys rule the roost!  Give it whatever name suits your family.  Guys Night In worked for us since we had two boys. 

Pro Tips

If you are the primary caregiver and it is your turn to get a break, take it.  Whatever rules your spouse chooses for their version of Guys’ Night In, go with it.  Over breakfast the next day, listen enthusiastically to how much fun it was!  It is good for your kids (especially your special kiddos) to have different caregivers, different expectations and exceptions to the regular rules.  One set of rules may work better for day to day life and the other may be fine for an evening or two. Embrace it for the fun it is and don’t micromanage the joy out of it.

Also, say, ‘Thank you.’ I know there are some of you who are thinking, “Say thank you? They’re his kids too!”

I’m not suggesting you say thank you because the kids are not his responsibility too…I’m kindly nudging you to encourage the behavior you want. If you did something nice and got picked to shreds for doing it ‘wrong’ and the person didn’t even say thank you – how enthusiastic would you be to help again? My guess is not very. Encourage the behavior you want from everyone in your life by thanking them for the things that help.

So, allow for differences in parenting style and thank your partner when they provide some respite…pretty simple.

Wishing you all a little break at some point this week. Wink.