Bachelor Chic: Our Style When Papi Travels

 

While Luis is an extremely loving and involved Papi, I own many of the domestic responsibilities. He is the primary financial support, and I am the primary manager of our home and the boys. This is by design; this is how we want our family to function, and this just works for us.

So, if the household and the boys are primarily my responsibility, then why does our house turn into a bona fide bachelor pad when Luis travels for work?!

 

Bachelor Chic: Our Vibe

 

• Unconventional meals become perfectly suitable!

All of a sudden, culinary offerings are seriously limited, and I no longer worry about a well-proportioned plate, and we just eat whatever is easiest on mom! I’m talking breakfast for dinner, Mac and Cheese with a random fruit, and even take out at least once while he’s gone.

 

• Creative housekeeping becomes a sport!

Only sweeping the area of the floor that’s visibly dirty or employing the “closet toss” method (i.e., just throw it in the closet and shut the door before it all falls out), making the house LOOK clean becomes more important that actually making the house BE clean.

 

• Professional gamer status becomes the new screen time philosophy!

Any limits on screen time magically go out the window when Papi isn’t home. Mama needs to clean up? “Play some video games boys, you earned it!” Mama needs to make dinner? “Hey guys, there’s this really cool new show I’d love for you to see!”

 

Creative Solutions:

When Papi isn’t around, I no longer have a fallback plan if I run out of time to finish the never-ending list of mom jobs around the house or requirements for the boys. So, when he travels, I have to find some new parenting solutions to make sure I squeeze it all in, all on my own, and here’s what works best for us.

• Less Structure:

We have a good routine when Papi is here and my focus is usually on the best solutions to meet the boys’ needs, not the best solutions to being the most productive. But when he travels, I have to adapt and take on additional responsibilities which means I now have to focus on productivity and letting some of the screen limits or other desired structure fall by the wayside.

• Relaxed Atmosphere:

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a little high strung (ok, a lot). But the mantra for me and the boys while Papi is away is: “Let the small things slide and forgive often”. I try to let silly mom out a bit more, laugh at spilled drinks instead of getting frustrated, and just overall have more grace, both on the boys and on myself.

• Focus on the Temporary:

Thankfully, Luis doesn’t have to travel often and it’s usually less than a week. So, I continuously remind myself that this change in routine, decrease in structure and more relaxed environment (i.e. less controlled) will soon end and normal life will return.

 

 

So, the moral of the story is this: even the best moms should just relax sometimes! Living like a bachelor, doing things with a little less umph, and laughing the silly stresses off can help create a positive and supportive atmosphere in our home when I’m on my own, allowing the boys to still see the positivity of our family dynamic, even when Papi can’t be here.

And in future posts, I’ll even share some of the funny moments I experience when Luis is away.