« Faire la fête, pour Laure (nom changé), 36 ans, qui réside à Lyon, est bien plus que simplement savourer un gin tonic après un dîner au restaurant. Pour elle, c’est une danse sans fin qui l’enivre toute la nuit, une occasion de débrancher son rôle parental. Loin de détourner son attention de sa passion pour la musique électronique et techno, la maternité a simplement ajouté trois nouvelles cordes à son arc : des enfants de 10, 6 et 3 ans. C’est fermement ancré dans son équilibre de vie: conseillère conjugale et familiale de jour, dynamique noctambule la nuit.
Cependant, Laure a décidé de ne pas sacrifier son rôle de maman pour faire la fête. Une décision qui a été douloureusement renforcée il y a de cela deux ans. Après une soirée bien arrosée, elle et son mari ont remplacé la babysitter et se sont effondrés dans un profond sommeil éthylique. Le lendemain matin, leur plus jeune enfant, alors âgé d’un an et demi, se réveilla plus tôt que prévu à la recherche de son biberon. Quelques moments plus tard, ils ont retrouvé le biberon vide et une plaquette d’Atarax, un médicament anxiolytique, avec visibles marques de dents, dans les mains de leur bambin. Le comprimé avait été soigneusement rangé dans la trousse de toilette.
In a terrified state, the parents reached out to the poison control center, who promptly directed them to pediatric emergency for a twelve-hour observation period. At the end of the day, they exited with their healthy son, who showed no signs of having ingested any medication. « That instance served as a wake-up call, » Laure recalls. « That evening, as I downed drink after drink, I was solely focused on myself, neglecting my son and the repercussions of my actions. It was a parental misstep that could have had fatal consequences. It was a first and most definitely a last. »
For a while, the couple refrained from socializing. They then made arrangements to ensure that their revelries did not encroach on their family life. Laure sums up: « Either the children are taken care of until the evening of the next day, or even better, the day after, or we split up – one of us stays at home while the other goes out for a night on the town. However, we seldom part ways as we are a parenting team as much as we are a ‘party’ team. »
Giving It All Up for a Good Time?
Could socializing be the glue that holds this parenting duo together? For Constance (who chose not to disclose her last name), a mother of three kids aged 12, 9, and 7 residing in Marseille, these nocturnal escapades served as much-needed breaks, not just for her, but also for her relationship. « I craved the escape that partying provided, especially when the kids were younger, » she shares. « It was a chance to take a break from our routines, a chance for my husband and me to dance, sing, laugh and experience something together apart from parenting. I was prone to giving everything up, perhaps a bit excessively so. »
Currently, as the demands of early childhood have subsided, the pace of her nightlife has found harmony with her family life. Now 38, she looks forward to spending the weekends engaged in activities with her family of five.
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