The word " vacation " is often associated with the idea of a total break: no children, no responsibilities, just rest.
As a result , many parents feel that a stay alone with their child is not a " real " vacation.
In episode 3 of La Maison des Parents , Eve offers a different perspective with her stays in a cabin alone with her son. For her, going to a cabin in Quebec with her child is both a challenge and an immense source of rejuvenation.
😴 Naps: a true hidden treasure
She doesn't deny the burden: there's food, clothes, activities, safety, travel, and equipment to consider. But once there, she relies on a precious ally: her son's rhythm. Noa still takes long naps, two to three hours in the afternoon. For Eve, these naps have become sacred time.
While he sleeps, she doesn't start a thousand household chores. She reads, makes progress on her novel, writes, takes a moment for herself. She stays close to him, but she gives herself a real break. She even says she finished an entire book in a week at the cabin.
🌲 A simple, gentle holiday format that respects their pace
It's not an " all-inclusive " stay with a kids' club and cocktails, but it's a format that respects her temperament and that of her son.
Little hustle and bustle, lots of nature, a simple rhythm: games, walks, reading, leisurely cooking, naps, quiet evenings. She also adapts her passions to share them with him.
🎒 Adapting your passions to experience them with your child
Does she like hiking? She puts her in a baby carrier or a sled.
Does she like cross-country skiing? She rents a ski cart and takes it with her.
Everything requires a little more organization, extra diapers, snacks, and dressing, but the satisfaction of reaching the end of the trail with your child, seeing them discover the snowy forest or the trees above them, is worth it.
🔍 The chalet is not a miracle solution… but a real possibility
Obviously, not all children take a three-hour nap every day, and not all stays take place in absolute calm.
Eve's message is not that the chalet is a miracle solution, but that it is possible to create, even alone with your child, a truly rejuvenating holiday, in YOUR own way:
- by focusing on a simple environment (nature, chalet, little stimulation);
- by respecting your child's pace instead of overloading the program
- by giving you the right to use " holiday naps " for yourself, and not just to catch up on the dishes;
- by combining your interests (reading, sports, outdoors…) with those of your child.
The key , as she often repeats, is letting go : accepting that nothing will go exactly as planned, that some nights may be shorter, that some days will be more sporty than restful… but that, overall, you are building precious memories for your child and for yourself.
➡️ If you dream of a cottage in Quebec but the idea of transporting everything ( stroller , wagon , travel bed , car seat , etc.) discourages you, you can lighten this part.
Bébé Solutions allows you to rent the necessary equipment and have it delivered directly to your drop-off points or nearby.
In this way, going to the chalet alone with your child becomes a little less complicated to organize… and much closer to what you imagine when you think of the word “ vacation ”.
🎧 To go further
This article is inspired by an episode of the podcast La Maison des Parents . To delve deeper into the topic and hear advice from Eve, a mother, artist, and future art therapist , access the full episode .