Had the best weekend in months and now feel guilty about it

Nov 27·1 min read

Wife took kids to her parents' house for the night. I had basically 24 hours alone. Slept, watched movies, went for a walk without rushing, ate whatever I wanted, sat in silence. Felt genuinely happy and relaxed. But then I felt guilty—like I should've missed them or wanted to be with them instead of enjoying the peace. Why is that? Is it normal to need that space from your family or does it mean something's wrong?

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Comments(5)

DDale A.Regularjust now

That guilt is honestly a sign of good mental health, not a problem. You need that time to recharge or you're running on empty constantly. Don't feel bad for taking care of yourself so you can be better for them.

RRussell D.Regular12h ago

24 hours alone sounds absolutely incredible but I'm also realizing I'd probably spiral into anxiety about whether I 'should' be missing my family. Sounds like you got actual rest though which is the point. Why the guilt kicking in?

OOliver Q.Regular1d ago

I had this exact same feeling and my therapist told me something that stuck: parents who never want breaks from their kids are either lying or not actually present when they're with them. Taking care of yourself IS taking care of them.

JJames H.Regular20h ago

The fact that you FELT happy and relaxed is the whole win here. A lot of dads go through weekends and can't tell you if they actually enjoyed them. You got a rare moment of genuine peace. That's not something to feel guilty about, that's something to protect.

MMiles B.New Dadjust now

The guilt is real but recognize it for what it is—cultural BS that says dads should never want a break. You absolutely should want/need breaks. That's not bad parenting, that's sanity.