The Exact 3-Day Reset Every Mom Needs

You’re not tired because you need sleep. You’re tired because you haven’t had a break.

As a toddler mom to an energetic 3.5-year-old, I get it. No amount of caffeine, no power nap, no hot shower, and no solo grocery store trip will restore your will to parent sometimes. The exhaustion is real.

As we’re wrapping up Spring Break and thinking about summer vacations, you might be dreading the whole thing. Vacations just aren’t restful for moms.

Why moms don’t actually rest on family vacations

Chances are, you’ve spent weeks researching and planning and booking experiences you know your family will love. You’ll likely spend the whole time:

• navigating everyone through the airport

• making sure everyone packed all the things they need

• counting pieces of luggage every time you change locations

• managing everyone’s schedules

• making sure everyone is dressed

• getting everyone to destinations on time

• hedging everyone’s emotions and making sure everyone is happy

• managing your partner’s awareness of the schedule and continue asking them to “help,” when they should just know how to do it on their own and be proactive. Geez.

You’ll come home more exhausted than when you left. It turns out that family vacations aren’t usually a vacation for moms. At least not ones in cis hetero relationships where the male is just the “passenger princess” or pack mule to carry stuff and be directed where to go and when.

This is why you need a real reset. A real mom getaway where you can rest and return to your family refreshed. It’s possible.

What a real “mom getaway” looks like:

Slow mornings.

Spa days.

Indulging in a meal or cuisine no one in your family likes except you.

Getting to watch what YOU want on TV.

Gaming online with your girlfriends.

Going to bed at 8 pm.

Room service or UberEats.

Hot coffee, uninterrupted.

Naps by the pool with your Emily Henry novel in-hand.

Visiting a museum your kids wouldn’t appreciate and lingering over whichever exhibit strikes you.

Whatever. You. Want.

I’ve planned many of these resets for my friends, family, my Go Mama Go Travel clients, and for myself. I have a formula you can use to plan the best reset trip ever. Here goes!

The exact 3-day mom getaway structure that works for any destination

Once you’ve figured out where you’d like to go (I suggest somewhere brand new, but as someone who visits Paris over and over again, I also appreciate revisiting a beloved destination), you can start mapping out your long weekend itinerary. I’d start with this outline.

Day 0 (arrival)

Check into your hotel. If I’m in a city, I’ve chosen somewhere walkable to the sights and attractions, preferably with an on-site spa, room service, and a gorgeous lobby bar. That’s me. You do you.

Immediately flop on the bed. Shower for as long as you like. Order UberEats. Watch TV until you fall asleep.

Day 1

After a restful night, start the day at a charming cafe for an extra-hot latte in a real porcelain mug, a delicious pastry, and some real cozy vibes.

Head to a local museum and pore over every work or exhibit that catches your eye. There’s no one rushing you. Take your time.

Eat at the museum cafe — there are so many good ones! And when you’re done, you can go back to wandering the halls or head out for more fun.

Wherever you are, go to the shopping district. Pop into stores, linger over trinkets and make conversation with the shopkeepers. If there’s a wine store, ask for a tasting. If there’s a bookstore, pick a title and sit down for 30 minutes with it. Shopping with kids is nigh impossible. Rediscover the joy of browsing. Then, buy something for yourself. You deserve a treat.

Head back to the hotel for a nap. Resting is hard work!

Call the kids. Or don’t. They’re fine.

Go out for dinner at a local restaurant. Pick something upscale and either sit at a two-person table or at the bar (bring your Kindle or a book!) and eat at a leisurely pace. You might have to remind yourself how. That’s okay. If you’re seated at the bar, make conversation with the bartender or someone sitting next to you. You never know who you might meet!

Collapse into bed and sleep until you can’t anymore.

Day 2

Have breakfast sent up to your room and sit on the balcony, or eat downstairs in the lobby overlooking the pool or in another picturesque spot on the property. Take your time, sip your coffee, watch what’s around you.

Head out for the day and visit an attraction you’ve always had on your list but have never made time to see. Spend time there. Take lots of selfies. Ask a stranger to take your picture.

For lunch, take a food tour. I’ve taken many, and it’s a great way to get to know the culture and the lay of the land in the destination or city you’re visiting. Your tour guide will probably have some really great insight into other places you can visit on your getaway.

After lunch, go to a spa — either the one in your hotel or an independent spa in town. Another option, depending on where you are, is to take a nature walk or hike. Both are restorative and put you in touch with your body, clear your mind, and keep you present in the world around you.

Take another nap. Or do another round of shopping and buy something small for each kid that reminds you of them. Preferably, buy from local, woman-owned stores.

For your last dinner, go to a restaurant your family wouldn’t have chosen. Order whatever you want. Order every course: cocktails, appetizers, wine, entree, dessert, and finish with coffee. Tomorrow it’s back to Easy Mac and steam-in-bag veggies.

Day 3

Hopefully your travel schedule allows for one last slow morning. If so, head down to the lobby with your book in hand and enjoy your breakfast in a plush chair that doesn’t have Cheerios in the crevices.

Head to the airport and get excited to see your family. Now your head is clear, your body is rested, and you can jump back into momming with both feet while planning your next getaway!

Here’s what not to do on your reset trip for moms:

Don’t overpack your schedule. Allow for plenty of meandering, wandering, taking in the scenery, being present, etc. You won’t regret having a little extra time to do with as you please.

Don’t forget to move your body. Yes, bed rotting is amazing. BUT the benefits of a little movement — even gentle movement like walking or intentional stretching — is undeniable. A little hike, a walk through a park, some light swimming in the ocean or in the hotel pool can work wonders.

Don’t call home too much. Once a day is fine. And ask your kids, your partner, or whomever is taking care of the kids NOT to text you or call constantly. This is YOUR time and you won’t be able to focus on rest if you’re constantly being pestered.

No time to plan? There’s a hack for that.

It’s called Go Mama Go Travel — the site you’re visiting right now! I do all the planning and moms just show up and have an amazing time at the destination.

Always wanted to see Broadway in New York City? We’re doing that in September. Want to live out your Julia Child dreams in Paris? We’ll see you next fall.

Our trips are designed so that moms can rest, relax, reset, and return to their families feeling better than ever. Pay one price, don’t worry about anything else.

I hope you’ll join us!