Parents: You Deserve a Vacation for You

Parents: Are you stressed out packing lunches, writing valentines and or volunteering for school projects?

Does it seem like the romance has been sucked out of your daily lives—date nights replace by play dates, Sunday Funday drowned out by soccer games and birthday parties?

Does it seem like everyone is enjoying Valentine’s Day but you?

I’m here to tell you that you deserve a stress-free, kid-free vacation!

In fact, why not take this Valentine’s Day and, rather than splurge on a candlelit romantic dinner for two and a $20 per hour babysitter, save that money for a romantic getaway, investing in your relationship as a couple—and even as a family.

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Getting away is actually, healthy.

A new study links higher rates of depression to a lack of vacations…it’s officially known as Vacation Deficit Disorder, according to a study by Ipsos Public Affairs that used a clinically validated screening questionnaire to test likely levels of depression.

Results showed that almost one-third of Americans with a vacation deficit demonstrate symptoms of mild to moderate depression.

Parents, you don’t have to go far, but you do have to go farther than a romantic dinner for two at the local Italian restaurant down the road.

You also don’t have to ditch your kids. While leaving them behind with the grandparents is healthy, there are plenty of resorts that welcome children of all ages and will take them off your hands for a good portion of the day—and night—leaving an abundance of time to reconnect and remember what Valentine’s Day is really celebrating—your love for one another.

So if you don’t have time for anything else today—maybe you forgot the roses or didn’t have time to pick up a gift—make sure you promise each other that you will book some time to reconnect together, one-on-one—as a couple and as a family, turning a frivolous holiday into a meaningful, beneficial experience.