Can't I Just Get A Nice Quiet Weekend?

I love a nice quiet weekend. One with no plans, no rushing, and nowhere to be. How about you?

Is that too much to ask?

I can easily make do with a two-day weekend, but a three or four day weekend is a special treat indeed if you can swing one.  The odds of this working out are few in a typical year, so I've found it's better to 'prosper where you're planted' and make due with what I'm given.

photo by ikeephouse

One of the best ways I find to ease into a two day weekend is to start with Friday night. Done correctly, it will feel as if you gained a third day.

Do you do any of these Friday Night hacks?

I have a few personal rules about these special Friday nights:

First of all, there will be no eating out and no running to the store. Once we're all home, we are home. The exception to this is the children's answer to the doorbell to go run around the neighborhood and play. This is entirely acceptable because fresh air, bikes and ballgames and the perfect antidote to rushing, screen-time, being over-scheduled. We might order a pizza to be delivered or we'll make up leftovers or grill if the weather is nice. Whatever it is, I want it to be simple and quick so I'm not hanging out in the kitchen all night.

Next, change clothes. Even if what I was wearing for the day is appropriate and not dirty, there is something about changing clothes into something clean and fresh. Most of the time I'm not changing into lounge-wear or pajamas unless it's a cold, snowy night. Then, I might choose to curl up and read for the evening. But most often, I'm still putting on clothing that I can work around the house and be comfortable.

Also, no TV. This is a tough one though. I find that we can usually get past the news hours with the TV off if I didn't turn it on in the first place. This is because supper will be more casual and we might not necessarily sit together at the table like a normal evening. However, as much as possible, I try to be the guardian of the TV and keep it off or turn it off as soon as it appears the attention has strayed.

This one thing is great for relaxation and peace because you are not filling your mind with bad news.

photo by ikeephouse

One thing I have noticed about quiet weekends is that they don't seem to be very satisfying to most other people. It is definitely a conversation killer to the normal chit-chat question of 'What are your plans for the weekend?'

When you state that you have no plans and you are just staying home...it's often just crickets and blank stares in return.

I wonder about that. Why do people react that way? Is it because they prefer their badge of being busy? Is busy the highest honor you can bestow on your family? Most small talk, at least what I get wrapped up in, is always about all the activities and the lack of time a family has.

And if a family doesn't prefer to be busy, is it that they don't know how to stay home because they have been trained to go and go and go?

photo by ikeephouse

A quiet weekend isn't a boring weekend. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Allowing you and your family to have days unplanned brings margin to your life. It brings opportunity for creativity, laughter, bonding. It brings opportunity to tackle things that have been left undone around your home.