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The other day I dropped my son at daycare, and when one of the parents said, “I’m so glad the holidays are over,” I couldn’t have agreed more. After having a kid, holidays are just… different. You get tiny pockets of rest, sure, but most of the time it’s not about your relaxation at all. It’s about keeping your child entertained, alive, and vaguely happy.
This was our first holiday since I started working, and honestly, I never imagined I’d find myself wishing for the boring workdays. Before having a kid, holidays were the motivator — the thing you looked forward to so you could finally take a break and relax. But now? Public holidays are not holidays anymore.
And sometimes I wonder: when do you actually relax again? If it’s not during the holidays, then when? When he turns 18?
Yes, he can play by himself — but nowhere near as long as he wants to play with us. One of my friends used to call himself “the entertainment unit” on weekends, and honestly, that’s exactly what it feels like. If you have an active kid, you become a full‑time energy‑channeling device.
We love going for walks, parks, playgrounds, hikes — all the usual things. But when the weather turns bad, the house suddenly feels tiny and suffocating, especially during the holiday season when everything is closed. There’s only so much you can do inside four walls with a toddler who has the energy of a caffeinated squirrel.
I’m having another week off now, without my son. And to be honest, after a full‑on holiday, I kind of need it. Not just to rest, but to put the house back in shape. I don’t know how other parents do it, but maintaining a home with a little tornado around is nearly impossible. He’s at the stage where he wants to take everything out of everywhere. It’s constant cleanup mode. And yes, sometimes after a long day, I just want to sit down and do something for myself instead of starting another round of tidying.
I used to joke that you need a day off after a vacation — but with a kid, that day off definitely shouldn’t include your kid.
The Sweet Moments That Keep You Going
Of course, there are the moments that make everything melt away. His little giggles when we play peekaboo. The way he crawls at full speed when I chase him. The softness of him falling asleep on me after a long day — suddenly he looks like an angel, and I forget why I was exhausted in the first place.
Sometimes I catch myself smelling his hair or watching him sleep, completely still and peaceful. Those tiny moments are the magic in the chaos.
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When Reality Hits
Before becoming a parent, holidays meant sleeping in, slow mornings, maybe a book or a TV show. Now I’m usually woken up by a toddler who loves starting his day around 7–7:30, and once he’s up, his energy goes from zero to full throttle instantly.
He’s learning to walk — which honestly looks more like running — so I’m already a bit worried about what the future holds. And if he can’t walk as much as he wants, the mini tantrums begin. I guess this is our warm‑up for the infamous “terrible twos.”
And I know I’m not the only parent who feels this way. We’re all out here doing our best, loving our kids, and quietly counting down the days until normal routine returns.
What really amazes me is his sixth sense for when I leave the room. He can be completely absorbed in his toys, not even looking at me — but the moment I step out of sight, he launches into a speed‑crawl mission to find me. I never knew someone could sense my presence with such accuracy.
Finding Our Breath Again
I’m so grateful daycare exists. Not because I love my son any less — I love him more than anything — but because I also need a break sometimes. I often think back to the COVID days when kids were home full‑time and parents had to work at the same time. I genuinely don’t know how they stayed sane or how relationships survived. That was the ultimate “extended holiday,” and not the fun kind.
So here’s to all the parents out there who survived the holidays with toddlers. Here’s to the ones who love their kids fiercely but also love the sweet, sweet silence when daycare reopens. Solidarity — we made it.
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