My kids go to their grandparents for a sleepover, but I don’t miss them. I actually look forward to it.

It makes me a better mom.

It’s good for me and them.

I went to go out with a friend last weekend for a late dinner, and when I got there, she asked where my kids were tonight. I said, “Oh, they’re at their grandparents’ for the night.” And she said, “Oh, that must be hard, you must miss them!”

I thought to myself and said, “Not really!”

It’s good for moms to have breaks, and looking forward to time without your kids doesn’t make you a horrible mother, it makes you human.

It’s good for my mental health to spend time apart from them and regather my thoughts.

It’s good to have some one-on-one time with their dad, who is not just their dad, he is also my husband.

It’s important to reconnect on a level where we are not just mom and dad. To remind us that we are also husband and wife.

It’s important for me to remind myself that I am a person. I am not just mom. I am so much more.

It’s important for my children to spend time with their grandparents as well.

I love my kids more than anything, but I don’t miss them when I get the chance to have a break.

Those breaks are crucial to me as a mom, as a human, and to my mental health.

They are also very important to my kids, to explore life without me sometimes.

Breaks are not only important when you are a parent—they are necessary.

So, no, I don’t miss my kids when I have a night away from them.

I love them because the break is very much needed, for both of us.

It’s OK to have a break from your kids and be happy about it.

It’s OK to have a night away and not miss them.

Yes, you are mom.

But you are also a human with needs.

Take time to yourself, and don’t feel guilty about it.

It’s OK to take a break and not miss your kids.

This post originally appeared on Caitlin Fladager