There are programs out there for folks to create an affordable vacation. They sign up to trade houses with other people from around the country and around the world. You get to plop yourself into functional and affordable lodging and see a new part of the world.

I think we should do this with children, too (barring appropriate criminal background screening.) Under this new fangled “vacation” program we could experience new situations. New places! New faces! New people! New crazy!

By god I think I’ve stumbled onto something amazing here. Your children making you crazy? Shop around for some other crazy. You think your children are the spawn of Satan? Maybe it is time for you to dip your toes in someone else’s finger paints!

It could be amazingly effective. Suddenly your child’s penchant for chowing down on Play-Do doesn’t seem so bad. The insane bedtime routine that is the bane of your existence is a breeze compared with the kids that need actual guitar strumming and bread buttered so perfectly and warm milk heated precisely. Or maybe you decide you miss that kid that is screaming under his door that he NEEEEEEDS you. Three ice cubes in the nighttime water cup no longer seems quite so picky. And 3 bedtime stories is actually a breeze.

Walk a mile in another’s shoes and maybe you realize yours aren’t so bad. They might not be too fancy, but damn they are comfortable and they’ve taken you so far already.