All Alone?

Why Alone Time Can Be a Good Thing

By Mark Stackpole

Even the toughest job usually offers two weeks of vacation a year. No matter how demanding your boss, how low your pay or how small your cubicle, you can close your eyes and imagine lazing on the beach, sipping a frozen drink served in a real pineapple while watching the sunset. For 50 weeks a year, you are able to go to your "happy place," until those cherished two weeks finally arrive and you are there for real. But what happens when parenting is the job that you need a break from?

You might not get two weeks off from your overbooked parenting schedule, but it is very important to take a few moments whenever you can get them. While Mom is often considered the most in need of a break (and rightly so), it is also important that Dad take the opportunity to preserve his mental health. But let's face it – when Dad talks about needing some "alone time," the most common assumption is that he will be taking an issue of Sports Illustrated into his "office" and locking the door for 45 minutes. While there's nothing wrong with a little privacy, the truth is that there are a lot of other things a Dad can do to get some precious personal time and a lot of important reasons for him to do so.

As the owner of a successful landscaping company in San Jose, Calif., Ken Riley knows about hard work. Like many family men, Riley, the father of two young daughters, sees his primary role as "providing for and protecting" his loved ones. "I often feel like a failure if the money isn't there," he says. "I get stressed out and feel the need to escape. I don't want to escape from my family – only the stress and problems that go along with being the person the buck stops with."

Want to see more?

• Just Me and My Mobile: Do Babies Need Alone Time?
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