I missed all of you. Those that follow me all over social media know that I was on a business trip to Puerto Rico. It was the first time I was away from JustaBXgirl for more than 24 hours and it was HARD.
We both survived (I already had plans to tell my boss I had to leave early if she wasn’t adjusting). I over indulged her with gifts to make up being away. And I don’t foresee going on a trip without her anytime in the immediate future. Here are the 5 things I learned on this trip about me, her and being a mom.
- I hear a lot that moms need to take alone time. I hear often that being with my daughter around the clock isn’t healthy for either of us. I agree and I disagree. I do think that moms need their own time. I think that looks different for each mom. For me? An occasional girls night out or the chance to clean the house while JustaBXgirl is at the park with grandpa is enough. Going away on vacation? Not the type of alone time I need.
- FaceTime requires A LOT of energy. I made the mistake of telling JustaBXgirl that she could FaceTime me whenever she wanted while I was away. She did. We spent HOURS on FaceTime. Yup, hours as in multiple at one sitting. My battery and my brain could barely handle it. Parenting virtually is not fun or easy.
- It’s really important to leave your child with someone you trust. Now that might sound silly because who would leave their child with someone they didn’t trust. I know that there are many people in my life that love my daughter and would take care of her if I asked. I also knew that the only person I could leave her with is my dad. He is the only other person that understands and knows what each of her moods means. Being a solo mom means I don’t have the liberty of leaving her with her father. It means that if I’m not around she is not with one of her parents because I am her parent.
- I had to accept that when I am not there she will not follow all of the rules and routines that I put into place. This was difficult for me to accept. Now that I’m home I need to remind her and get her readjusted to our reality.
- JustaBXgirl is a rockstar. I prepared her for a few weeks that I would be gone. I got her snacks and surprises for while I was away. I helped her pick out her clothes for while I was gone. Preparation is key. She handled me being gone so much better than I expected and made me know that she is a true warrior princess that can handle whatever comes her way.
JustaBXgirl and me are a team. Together we made this work (with lots of help from my parents). It takes a village to raise a child and a community to support a parent. I am blessed with an amazing village and community.
This trip really made me realize how good of a team we have. She stresses me out at times. I know I stress her out at times (she tells me so). Doesn’t matter though because there is nobody else I would rather spend time with. This really made me realize that for me having fun means being with my baby girl.
