Does it seem like just as much work to leave your kids behind for a couple of days as not to go in the first place?  Do your instructions for family operational procedures during your absence run more than five pages?  We’re here to tell you that, as Margaret puts it, “the flip side of that little bit of bad is so, so good.” Getting away from our kids— for work, for the weekend, for a friend’s 40th— isn’t just good for us. It’s also an opportunity for our kids to realize that “only Mommy” stuff they pull when we’re around is not as necessary as they might have thought. In this episode we discuss   why our kids mysteriously behave better when we aren’t around  why the best time to call your kids when you travel is in the morning * why nine years old is peak-anxiety age for travel nervousness measuring your time away in “wake-ups”: that is, in terms kids can understand why FaceTime isn’t as good of an idea as it seemsLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices