My Favorite Weekend

Dr. Drew Pinsky, hosts the syndicated radio talk show “Loveline” and its MTV version. His first book, “The Dr. Drew and Adam Book: Coping With Life and Love,” is in stores this week.

Home Away From Home: I have to work at balancing my professional life with my personal life. Taking time to get away is crucial because then I can’t be bothered by wanting to go to the hospital or talking on the phone. We love to stay at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel for the weekend. The kids’ program is great. There are rabbits running around the grounds, they have a playroom, and the kids can go to the beach and in the pool.

Fond Memories: If we are lucky, the hotel will upgrade us to the concierge floor, and that’s when we unload the kids on the grandparents. The weekend becomes couple time; we have intimate moments on the terrace overlooking the ocean.

Striking a Balance: We do a lot of stuff together as a family, but my wife and I also need to make sure we have time alone. We actually plan dates. If I am doing it right, I do something special, like flowers or a picnic. One of our favorite places to go is Bistro 45 in Pasadena.

For Myself: I have only recently understood that I need to have “my time,” and started learning how to do it. I love reading. I can go to Barnes and Noble in Old Town Pasadena and just wander the aisles for hours.

Parent Trap: When we spend Saturdays at home, I have breakfast with the kids, get them dressed, do rounds at the hospital and high-tail it home to spend the rest of the day with them. We go to CityWalk, see movies, take pony rides in Griffith Park and go to the zoo. Even though I have had all this experience with teens on radio and television, I’m scared to death about my own kids growing up. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but you are still just a parent. If you think you are going to be immune, that’s when you get nailed.