“I had a couple of moments when my kids were younger where I cried in the closet . . . and ate chocolate.”
—McLean mom
“I turn on music, exercise, and imagine myself onstage accepting an Academy Award, or living a completely different life, married to some high-powered executive or an actor. The fantasy life gives me relief from my day-to-day.””
—Chevy Chase mom
“After my son goes to bed, I head to my office, which is conveniently located just down the hall. I tell my husband I’m going to do work, but I end up streaming my favorite shows online, like The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Having a beverage cooler in the office is also a plus.”
—Georgetown Mom
“I say I have to run to a meeting, but really I go to BlackSalt, sit at the bar, suck down a dozen oysters, and drink a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.”
—Palisades Mom
“I take my son to his parkour class and tell him I need to make a work call from my car. Then I run to the bar at Whole Foods in Alexandria and chill out with a pint of DC Brau and an issue of Real Simple.”
“You know that horrible flu that’s been going around? I pretended I was sick two days longer than I really was so I could stay in bed and watch all ten episodes of Mr. Selfridge.”
“When my kids were two and three, I started running, just to get out of the house. I was never a runner; I became one out of necessity—it was the only way I could escape. I would sign up for races so I could say I had to train for something, just so I could run for hours.”
—Arlington Mom
“It is extremely important for me to have very good friends whom I can text things like, ‘I’m going to kill my children!’ and get a response like, ‘Me, too. Let’s get a drink later.’ Would not survive without them.”
—Crestwood Mom
“Retail therapy in the form of my favorite websites, such as Gilt or One Kings Lane. I look for deals; I usually don’t buy, and if I do I often end up returning the stuff. It’s taking myself away from reality that works as a mental break.”
“When I’m really, really stressed, my husband tells me to check into a hotel for a night. I order room service and watch bad romantic comedies. I’m a new woman in the morning.”
—DC mom
“I ask my sitter to stay an extra hour or two so I can grab a mani-pedi, a blowout, and a much-needed glass of Champs. When the kids ask where I was, I say, ‘Mommy was stuck in traffic.’ ”
“I sometimes force my kids to bed extremely early and have them all asleep by 8 so I can open a bottle of fabulous red wine and hang on my porch solo for a cigarette.”
—Potomac mom
