Every Thursday night, I drop my daughter off at her Grandma's house and her and my sister watch my daughter for the night. If they can't watch her the whole night, I usually find another sitter that can. Either way, every Thursday starting at 8pm, I get to pretend for a second that I am not a parent. This may seem harsh to some of you, but it helps me be a better mom the rest of the week.

I know that I signed away my right to go party every weekend when I decided to keep her. I get that. I'm more than okay with not going out every weekend. I love staying in on a Saturday night and reading to my daughter, eating some puffs, and going to bed at 9:30. But every once in a while, I need a break. I need time to go out and be normal for a minute; remember that I'm a human too and not just a walking, talking snack machine. Especially when you're a single parent, it gets hard to remember that you were a person before you had your kid. Sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. I once went four days without showering because I honestly forgot to. In my mind, I had more important things to do.

Being a single parent gets super hard and you do feel like you're not human at times. (I'm sure this happens with all parents but my experience is a little limited.) Not having extra hands around to help out all the time sucks. Some days, when they've been screaming for two hours and you have no idea what else to do, you have to just set them down and walk away for five minutes. If you don't, you'll lose your mind. I've had days where my daughter is fussy and I have the great urge to set her down, put my shoes on, leave my house, and never come back. I won't and if I ever did I would immediately regret it and turn around, but the thought crosses your mind sometimes.

So, every Thursday night, I have a meeting I go to from 7-8. My sisters watched her during these meetings and honestly, the drive to and from there was the greatest escape I could ask for. I kept telling them how grateful I was and eventually they asked if I wanted a night off. I'm so lucky that I have people in my life who are willing to do this for me. And to have people that notice that I need a night off.

Thursdays quickly became my day to escape reality. It gives me something to look forward to all week. And on Friday morning, when I pick her up, I'm refreshed and ready for another four hour battle of 'throw that toy every time I get it and cry when I can't reach it.' I think the break away from me is good for her too. It's a small change of scenery and she gets to spend time with her aunts and grandma. I also wind up missing her every Thursday night and it really makes me appreciate her a lot more.

But I get to pretend I'm a normal 23 year old and eat an actual hot meal, take a shower with enough time to shave my legs, and even meet some friends for a drink. I don't go get completely trashed every Thursday night (although I have on certain Thursdays) but it's nice to be able to sit down and have a drink and not worry about what's going to happen if my daughter wakes up and I'm tipsy. It's also nice to just be able to sleep straight through the night without waking up to look over at the crib because she made a noise and I'm holding my breath hoping she's not actually awake.

Thursdays keep me sane. They keep me from going crazy and becoming the mother that completely loses touch with herself. They also keep me from becoming the mother that leaves her kid in a car in the Wal-Mart parking lot and never returning.

I think every parent needs a night like this. Weather it's once a week or once a month, a break is needed. It's hard to remember that you are your own person sometimes. Between work and then coming home and grocery shopping, making dinner, cleaning, snack time, play time, TV time, reading time... it's hard to find "me" time. Most parents forget to make time for themselves and they shouldn't. If anyone deserves a night off, it's a parent. Even when your not around your kid, like when your at work, there's still a million thoughts running through your head about your kid. It's the job that never stops. Admittedly, even on my Thursday nights, I don't stop being a parent. Those Thursdays, when I'm at home, just catching up on work or showering and actually having time to deep condition my hair and shave my legs, I still freak out for a minute because there isn't someone next to me who needs my constant attention. It's like I'm missing a limb and it really freaked me out at first.

But the night away really keeps me sane and helps me appreciate motherhood a little more. I love that I get to go out and have a drink with my friends and catch up. But Friday morning, I can't wait to pick up my daughter and see her beautiful face and hear all about her eating habits of last night and when she pooped last. I never thought I would want my life to revolve around someone else's poop schedule, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.