Career and Kids

Going out on weeknights

by elizabeth on June 15th, 2007

After a long day at work, sometimes it’s hard to think about going to an evening event, even if it’s something you look forward to attending.

Besides being just plain tired, there’s the whole guilt thing.

Even if I have a long planned night out during the week, I still can’t shake the feeling that I should be at home maintaining the routine with the kids despite the fact that my husband is there, and, everything is fine.

Maybe that’s just a mother thing, I’m not sure.

Anyway, the article Weeknights Out — A No-No for Working Parents? over at The Juggle made me think more about weeknights away from home.

Sometimes, there are events that you have to attend, such as those for work, or, school, but, other times there are things you want to do simply because they are fun, such as meet friends for a special occasion dinner.

Childcare issues aside for the purposes of this discussion, for the most part, I try to do things that come up on weeknights if they interest me, and, I don’t have a conflict.

These are some things I think about if I’m trying to decide whether or not to attend an after work event during the week:

1. Has the rest of the week at home been disrupted in any way? If we’ve had other out of routine events, and, we need to get back on schedule, and, get everyone to bed early, then I pass on the event.

2. Is it a one of a kind event, or, is it recurring, and, I can attend next time? Even if I’m tired, I make every reasonable effort to see someone if they are passing through town, or, there’s a special occasion celebration I really want to attend.

3. I have to really work at not feeling guilty for being out on a weeknight, and, my husband is home with the kids. If I (or he) goes somewhere, we’ve thought through the evening, done what we need to do, and, there’s no reason to feel guilty. But, I do. Sometimes I just have to tell myself to “get over it”.

4. If practical, I usually do better if I go wherever I’m going after work rather than going home first. Once I get home, I’m inclined to stay home, even if the occasion is a fun one.

5. I also just accept that I may be tired the next day, I’ll get over it. I’d never go anywhere if I passed up an invitation just because I’m tired.

6. Sometimes, it may be enough to just take a few minutes to stop by whatever event is going on. If people are gathering somewhere, I might stop by just for a drink, or, dessert, and, head home.

Sure, there are times that it may be more trouble than it’s worth for a working parent to do something on a weeknight, but, you might miss out on a chance to recharge or reconnect with friends if you turn down every weeknight invitation just because it’s a weeknight.

Share This

Related Stories

Weekday lunch with friends
Reclaim your weeknights
Fantasy and reality on a weeknight

POSTED IN: Time Management, Work and Life