Parenting in Sussex: Going on a date with myself

That is no less true than it was last week, but what’s different seven days on is that this week I decided to do something to redress the balance in favour of me feeling a bit less frazzled.

I’d been toying with the idea for a while. It’s something I’d done before and I’d enjoyed it, but dare I take the time to make it happen?

After much internal debate, I decided to say ‘yes’ to a bit of a me time, even if the concept was often incredibly guilt-inducing.

“What is she going on about?”, you might ask, and the answer would be: “I went on a date with myself to the cinema.”

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I’d been wanting to see the latest Bridget Jones film for weeks, but I just hadn’t managed to find an evening where I was free to watch it. Other commitments with friends, a couple of shows, meals out, children’s clubs and activities, and life in general kept getting in the way.

And that’s when an idea started bubbling. Could I possibly use one of the weekdays on which I don’t work to go to the cinema while the kids are at school?

It solved the issue around finding the time to see this movie, but it felt so decadent. Naughty, almost, because does anyone really go and see a film at midday on a weekday?

It turns out not many people do, as I only had to share the main screen at the good ol’ Connaught Cinema with about ten to 15 other people. Aside from the fact it felt thrilling to be there at a time I would never normally go and see a film, almost as if I was cutting work/school/other commitments (don’t worry, I wasn’t), it was gloriously quiet and I had loads of space around me without people munching on popcorn within earshot.

Even leaving the house to go to the cinema alone, I felt a bit giddy. It’s so rare that I would plan a more structured activity to do alone that it felt like such a treat.

I even had a very quick browse in the shops in town before I went in!

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Buying a ticket for one means you can choose exactly where you want to sit, without compromise. And you don’t have to share any of your snacks! (Slight problem with this is that I got caught up in the excitement of it all and ate far too much. I ended up not even needing dinner! Lesson learned for next time, when I definitely would not be so greedy.)

There wasn’t any need for small talk, and I was able to watch all the trailers without interruption and cry many times throughout the film without worrying about looking like a snotty mess in front of my friends or family.

Best of all, I was done in time to whizz home and get the washing hung up before picking up the kids from school, thus easing the guilt about how I could have got three hours’ worth of chores done in the time I’d taken for myself.

As far as dates go, I’d say this one was pretty top-notch, and the company was excellent. As much as I am a people person and I love my friends and family dearly, I’m also really comfortable in my own company.

Doing something like this showed me just how important it is to take time out for yourself, with no expectations placed on you by anyone else. Maybe we could call it my mid-week revelation!