Our gym has a daycare, and they have a Mommy's Day Out program which would allow a member to leave their children in the daycare while the parents were off premises for up to 4 hours. Because it was a perk, the fee was reduced as well. I used it for doctor's appointments, when I needed to conduct an interview for an article I was writing, to go meet a friend or my husband for lunch, or just to go home and soak in a bubble bath without little fingers poking under the door. I also found it an exquisite luxury to actually write in sublime quiet when the kids were elsewhere.
In addition, I traded off with a friend once every other week so that we both got a free break.
Time to yourself if vital. Whether it is trading off with your spouse, giving the kiddo some Grandma time or paying for child care, you need some sanity time. And you are providing opportunities for your child that are good for social and emotional development. Adjusting to new surroundings and authority figures is a necessary coping skill, and learning that other little hedons do not play by the rules and figuring out how to stand up for oneself or choose to walk away and find a different activity are also useful.
And because all three of my kids were gifted, learning to interact with kids who didn't think like them or play like them was also a good experience.
