When the Kids Are Away: Why Do I Revert to a Teenager Every Weekend?

Here we go again—another weekend where the house is quiet, no kids, and I should be embracing the me time. Instead, what do I do? Revert back to a damn teenager. My daughters go to their dad’s on the weekends, and every single time, I feel a little lost. It’s like the second they’re out the door, I lose all adult responsibility.

And it’s not glamorous, trust me. This isn’t some well-deserved spa weekend. No, I’m talking about staying in bed until 11 a.m., eating cereal out of the box for lunch, binge-watching trashy TV like a 15-year-old who just discovered Netflix. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a vibe, but it’s also a little unsettling how quickly I abandon my usual routine.

I had plans today. I was supposed to get shit done—finally organise the house, maybe even gasp tackle that laundry mountain. But nope. The second they leave, I turn into a slug in pyjamas. And here’s the kicker—I always think I’m going to feel great about it. “Oh, I’ll just have a lazy morning and recharge,” I tell myself. Except by 2 p.m., I’m kind of restless, bored even. I miss the noise, the questions, the chaos.

It’s like this weird identity crisis. Who am I without the constant requests for snacks or the endless schoolwork to monitor? I’ve been “Mum” for so long that when I get a break, I don’t know what to do with myself. It’s like I don’t know how to exist without a to-do list a mile long.

So, what do I do to fill the void? Teenage-style procrastination. I spent an hour scrolling TikTok, then decided to deep-dive into an old guilty pleasure: 90s boyband music videos. Seriously, I had a Backstreet Boys marathon on YouTube. Tell me I’m not the only one who regresses when left to their own devices.

At the same time, there’s something comforting about slipping back into that teenage mindset. It’s a time when things felt simpler—no bills to pay, no one depending on me. But by the end of the day, it always hits me: I need my kids around to feel like myself again. Sure, it’s exhausting, and the noise drives me mad sometimes, but I miss it when it’s gone.

So, here’s where I’m at: balancing between enjoying a bit of freedom and desperately missing the chaos. And it’s not just a mum thing, is it? This whole weekend routine of reverting to a teenager feels like part of the rollercoaster ride that is parenthood. You spend your whole life raising these kids, and when they’re not there, it’s like you don’t know what to do with yourself.

But for now, I guess I’ll ride the wave of nostalgia a little longer—there’s still some Spice Girls I haven’t revisited yet. And maybe tomorrow I’ll feel a little more like an adult. Or not. We’ll see.

Anyone else feel this way when the kids are gone? How do you spend your weekends? Is it productivity, or are you also revisiting your teen years with a side of snacks and binge-watching?

Let me know in the comments!