Day-off Deliberations

Anyone who works fulltime–and particularly those full-timers with little kids–will agree with the feeling that true days off are few and far between.

Yes, there are two weekend days allotted for every five we work, but aren’t those days always dedicated to chores like grocery shopping and cleaning the house or getting your oil changed and various social obligations?

The rare days off I’m talking about are just that: days when all you have to do is, well, nothing. You can watch four back-to-back episodes of the final season of “Friday Night Lights” streaming on Netflix, if you want. You can take a nap or sleep in and put off showering until whenever and not wear makeup if you like.

I had one of those days awaiting me on Monday, Jan. 16, when I had a day off in . With daycare open despite the holiday, the choice was mine: Spend the day totally alone in the house, doing exactly what I wanted to do without having to consider anyone else, or keep the kids home with me for some “quality time” together?

In the end, I split the difference, keeping just one child–my 4-year-old daughter Lucy–home with me while sending my toddler son to school. Lucy and I spent a low-key day together, shopping at to spend some money she had been given for her birthday earlier this month, then having lunch with my husband before heading home.

While she was napping in the afternoon, I managed to squeeze in a nap of my own and also watch two episodes of “Friday Night Lights.” It was the kind of day that’s hard to pull off with both kids at home, but with just one, it was low-key and relaxing.

I felt a little guilty not spending the day with Ike, too, but it was a nice treat for Lucy to have her parents to herself for a little while, and I figure that the next time I have a spare day, I can keep Ike home while Lucy goes to school.

What do you think? Would you have stayed home by yourself or kept both kids at home with you?