unless I'm physically not in the same city.  I count household chores, yard work, honeydo list items, etc., as part of the SAHD experience.  I recently took a weekend off (in a different city) to go on a church retreat, and it was strange to me to be so out of contact with my family for two days.  Before that, it was for white-water rafting for a weekend last year.

The sanity-saver for me is for my wife to take over the bedtime/bath time/dinner routine for a couple hours when I need a break, which is usually a few times a week.  Date nights at least once a month are also sanity savers for us, but as for a whole day off, it's rare.

The closest I've been to having a weekend off, besides the retreat, was to go flying last week to keep up with instrument currency.  Poking holes in clouds has been a great escape for me, and my wife is very supportive.  If you have a hobby that can take you away for a few hours, or a weekend, then that would count in my book.

~ Glenn

For me, a day off is non existant.  I'm always on.  I never even get to be the one to sleep in sometimes in the morning because I have to be the one how gets u with the kids.  If I complain about it I get the whole "I work hard all week and need time to myself."  She forgets that this goes both ways.  She is good about the Dads Night Out I have once a month with my local dad group.  Now, having said all this, imagine how awesome my spring break was.  We were supposed to go out to her family for a trip.  The day before we were supposed to leave a pipe in the laundry burst...water everywhere.  The plumber we wanted to fix it is a friend of ours but he couldn't get to our house until Monday.  We also couldn't find anyone to watch our dog while we were gone.  These 2 things combined together (and the fact that her parents were counting on us to help them move while we were at their place) ended up giving me the BEST spring break I've had in years.  I sent them off to her parents for the week and I got to stay home completely by myself.  IT WAS AWESOME!!  Outside of this rare occurance, I'm looking forward to the Dad's Convention for some time off again.

Check out my ramblings on life at http://www.sahdguy.blogspot.com/

I get away from the kids and my wife as often as I can. And my wife lets me most of the time which often shocks me. I think she realizes how tough of a job it is.

I go to Dad's Night Out once a month, golf as often as I can (usually a couple times a month from April to Sept.) and I go to Civil War Re-enactments about 3-4 weekends a year. Heck, my wife let my buddy come up and go with me to the College World Series in Omaha 2 weeks after our 4th was born. Yes, I'm a lucky man and no YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!

Al

14th Annual At Home Dad Convention www.athomedadconvention.com

I do not often get a day off.  My wife helps as much as she can on the weekends and gives me somewhat of a break and she believes this constitutes a day off.  I try as politely as I can to explain that even on the weekends when she is able to spend time with our daughter, I'm still making breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Her being home means I just don't have to do all this with our kid underfoot.  She unfortunately takes this to mean I don't feel like she's doing enough to help out and that is not the case.  She works her ass off at work and then helps as much as she can when she gets home but time off is time off.

  I was able to go go-cart racing with some other AHD buddies this weekend for a morning and most of the afternoon and it was great.  A much needed break.  I'm debating right now whether to go to conference this year or something else.  A whole weekend is defititely needed but I have to weigh cost and everything else.