ADVERTISEMENT#3 A while ago I spent a week alone in my house while my wife and kids visited distant family. Not to oversimplify things, but if you need some time to be alone, you need to tell your partner. The key here is to make your partner feel supported no matter how they choose to spend that time. Meanwhile, your kids don’t need to be micromanaged. Funny enough, my wife and kids are usually fine with me playing video games, doing hobbies, or generally having time to myself, unless I'm doing housework.