EP7. After taking her son on a five day holiday to visit family at "the cottage", Renee quickly realized it wasn't a holiday at all. At least, not for her. If anything, it was much more exhausting and stressful than staying home. Even with helpful family around, if you're the primary caregiver of a child, chances are you cannot relax when you're out of your child-proofed environment. By the time her son went to bed at 7:30pm, Renee just wanted to curl into a ball in a dark room and watch Real Housewives until she fell asleep. In this episode Renee goes over why holidays or even afternoons out with a toddler are so much extra work and often not enjoyable for parents. Yes, there are enjoyable moments but, if your expectations include relaxation and an escape from everyday life, you might want to listen to this episode. Similarly, if you have people in your life who can't understand why you don't want to take your child to your Aunt's birthday party or the cottage one weekend, have them listen to this episode.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with Renee Reina, click HERE. Follow Renee Reina (@the.mom.room) on TikTok. Follow Renee Reina (@the.mom.room) on Instagram. To visit The Mom Room podcast website, click HERE.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices