As the economy crunched budgets at my office last fall, our CEO encouraged the executives to take more time off to keep our vacation time from accruing.

I jumped at this idea! I started a tradition that I will maintain long after our country is prospering again.

Each month I take one day off and that day is a “Special Day” for one person in the family. For my six year old, we went to the movies. My four year old chose to go to the park and play with mommy with no sisters. My two year old and I went on a long walk. I even take a day off for Daddy and a day for me.

The glorious thing about this tradition is that I can’t skip it, like so many other self-regenerating things I know I should do. After all, the girls and Daddy start planning their special day weeks in advance. What kind of a mom would I be if I backed out?

And for one day a month I focus on doing what a six, four or two year old wants to do. It is the most relaxing, rejuvenating day of the month. I love it. And my kids love it too.