No changing diapers, no sending your kid off to school, and most importantly, waking up when you feel like, may seem like a distant dream for most parents. Even then, leaving your little one behind while going on a vacation can drown you in guilt. But trust us when we say taking a child-free vacation is the one favour that you must extend to your kid. Here’s why:

IT KEEPS FRUSTRATION FROM BUILDING UP

You yelling at children and they snapping back leads to exhaustion, which in turns leads to more yelling and more snapping back. Take a few days off your duties as a parent to prevent this frustration from building up.

IT TAKES YOUR CONVERSATION BEYOND KIDS

More often than not, being parents mean your interaction with your partner revolves around your child. Make up for the lost partner time by reliving those old carefree days by talking to, and just about, each other. It will make you love your child more: There’s a reason why they say happy couples make for happy parents. A relaxed, rejuvenated you will return reenergised to fulfil your responsibilities as a parent.

MAKES KIDS BOND WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS

Asking your parents or siblings to babysit gives them and your child an opportunity to know each other and bond well. This is not only essential as a family, but it also gives your child their first lessons in social interaction.

TEACHES KIDS RESPONSIBILITY

Even though you will ensure a support system to take care of your kid, your absence makes them learn to do little things on their own — from putting themselves to bed, to packing their schoolbags, having food on their own, and so on.

WAYS TO DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILD OFFER ALTERNATIVES:

Most of the time, parents are telling children what they did wrong, instead of telling them how they could have done it right. Giving them alternatives in a situation models their behaviour. For example, when your child hits another child, instead of saying “You don’t hit a friend”, suggest “Do you want to say sorry to your friend because you hit him?”

LET THERE BE NATURAL CONSEQUENCES:

There’s no better teacher than consequences of one’s actions, and the same goes for children. Only instead of making some up—“no television for a week if I find you watching it when your homework is pending—let there be natural outcomes to their acts.

ACKNOWLEDGE GOOD BEHAVIOUR:  Parents are usually too focused on what the child did wrong, instead of what they did right. Acknowledging their little acts, such as when they switch off lights or put their stuff in the right place, goes a long way in helping them adopt those and make them part of their daily routine.

BE CONSISTENT: More often than not, children learn about behaviour that’s not acceptable when they are reprimanded for it. It’s better to lay out your expectations beforehand, so that they know what they are in for. And be consistent in it, whether it’s your expectations or the way you want to discipline the child.