Jet lag: A combination of fatigue and other symptoms caused by travelling abruptly across time zones.
Mum Lag: A combination of fatigue and other syptoms caused by trying to have a holiday with your children.
We've all heard of jet lag. It's the exhaustion that comes with travelling across time zones and such.
Mum lag, I've decided, is the exhaustion that comes with going on “holiday” with your children.
I only have the one child so I know I don't have as much to complain about as some, but I am tired of people telling me to “relax, you're on holiday”.
REALLY? It doesn't feel like it, I am still doing dishes and laundry and organising nap times and breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, bottles and nappies. And what's even more exhausting is trying to do all of this in someone else's house with routines thrown out the window and washing machines and vacuum cleaners and dishwashers that behave differently to the ones I have at home. And then driving all over town to visit a billion different people for the perpetual and neverending christmas celebrations.
When other people go on holiday they leave the workplace and get time off from their jobs... not mums.
Imagine if everyone took their work on holiday with them, so while I'm changing nappies on the floor of an overheated tent, my partner would be returning emails and calls to complaining customers while trying to play volleyball with my family and drink a beer.
The mechanic would be doing oil changes on a beach in his speedos while the nurse checks the temperatures of the people in the caravan next door. People in call centres would be “holidaying” while wearing headsets. Basically everyone would be trying to do their jobs while also trying to relax and have a good time.
And forget sleeping in, mums don't sleep in because they bring their screaming alarms on holiday with them. There is nothing I like more than getting up at 4am while on “holiday”.
However, I did manage to get a few breaks while on holiday in New Zealand, so it's not all bad news and whingeing.
My mum took Millar away for a couple of afternoons, and my sister in law had him for a couple of hours for a playdate as she had a house full of other young kids to play with him. Millar had a lot of fun and was returned sufficiently exhausted and slept better than usual. My stepmother looked after him while I attended another sister in law's graduation, and the rest of the family all took turns running after my energetic toddler at every gathering so that I could sit down for a few minutes and pretend I was relaxing and catch up with the family I don't see nearly enough of.
This was all greatly appreciated because I don't get a break at home, so jokes aside, any relaxing I did get on holiday was due to these angels.
But I think next time I feel like a holiday, I will take a leaf out of my friend Kate's book and go on holiday alone. Leave the kids with hubby and take off for a weekend! Now THAT is a proper holiday!
