Recently, we experienced a mid-winter break that turned into a week of pure relaxation. With a few days of snowfall and frigid temperatures, our car ended up in the shop for two days. We managed to catch a movie and enjoyed a visit to an indoor play gym, but for the most part, we found ourselves cozied up at home.
I’ll admit there was a bit more screen time than I would have preferred, but we also dove into some fun science experiments involving cornstarch and dish soap, and yes, we made brownies—lots of them. If you were to ask me what we accomplished during our week together, I might have said, “Well, not much.”
But let me tell you how much I appreciated that week of “nothing.” It quickly became one of my most treasured family vacations. While my social media feed was filled with images of families basking in tropical sun, I found immense joy in simply being home with my loved ones.
At times, I felt a twinge of guilt. Shouldn’t we have taken advantage of this rare opportunity to explore museums, catch a Broadway show, or engage in more creative activities? Should I have exercised or tackled that writing project that’s been on my mind? I wondered how to make this precious time together more meaningful.
Then, I decided to let those thoughts slip away. I immersed myself in the moments: my little one playing with cars on the floor (his current obsession), my older child diving into every book on the shelf (a true bookworm). We spent hours laughing and tickling each other on the bed while my partner and I enjoyed some late-night shows.
What more could I ask for? Just being with the people I love most is, in the end, what truly matters.
However, I can’t ignore the societal pressure to fill our days with activities and achievements. Is it social media’s fault? The “Mommy Wars”? It’s hard to say, but the feeling is undeniably there.
When my son expressed that he didn’t want to continue with Little League or piano lessons, I found myself questioning if I should encourage him to stay active. I felt the urge to suggest he pursue a passion outside of school, but does he really need to add anything more to his busy schedule? This 8-year-old boy, who loves reading, writing, creating video games, and hula-hooping, should he really have to do anything else but just be himself?
Let’s embrace the beauty of doing nothing! We deserve to be ourselves and seek out activities when we feel ready. I believe we could all benefit from a little less doing and a lot more being. We should trust that life is rich enough on its own and remember that we don’t need to impress anyone.
We have the power to design our days, and we should choose happiness and simple family moments. Life is fleeting, after all, making it essential to live authentically and cherish the presence of our loved ones.
So, I encourage you to embrace doing nothing as a parent, a family, or an individual. Just be present—with yourself and each other—and everything else will fall into place.
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In summary, my week of doing nothing was a delightful reminder of the importance of family time, free from the pressures of productivity. It’s about savoring the ordinary moments and allowing ourselves the freedom to just be.
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