Mother’s Day, like New Year’s Eve, can sometimes be a letdown. You think that this one day, just this one bleeping day, should be for you and you alone. On this one special day, you should get to do everything you dream about doing – not lift a finger, eat ice cream till you’re sick, or head to the spa. Is that too much to ask? The answer is yes, (apparently) sometimes it is too much to ask 😉 It’s not like your family won’t try to give you a wonderful Mother’s Day, it’s just that sometimes things get in the way and the outcome won’t match the expectations (ie crying infants don’t know it’s your day). So, to make Mother’s Day special, you might need to take matters into your own hands. But how do you accomplish this?
The answer is to enlist some help and throw all the parenting rules (and related guilt) out the window for Mother’s Day. For 364 days of the year, you worry about limiting your kids’ screen time, making sure they’re getting all their nutrients, and just generally trying to follow the millions of mommy rules that generations before us never even thought about. One day of indulging yourself and your children (indirectly) will not undo all the hard work you’ve put in as a mother. Your kids want to spend all day in their pajamas? Sure, why not? They want to eat donuts for breakfast? Last I heard, that wasn’t a crime. You get where I am going with this…
So make Mother’s Day special for yourself by, well, letting go and getting some help with the kids (could be the baby daddy, partner, babysitter or a friend) so you can enjoy yourself. Here are a few ideas how:
Sleep in:Just straight up refuse to get out of bed. Put on a noise machine and sleep till you can’t sleep anymore (or at least a few extra minutes). Give your kid the remote control, iPad, a brand new toy, or basically anything that will keep them busy for at least an hour. Today is the day to indulge yourself in all those things you normally feel bad about doing. If you need to feed the kids, please see the next idea.
Let them eat cake: Specifically, the cake that you bought for yourself to make Mother’s Day special. Let your kids eat cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. OK maybe not dinner, but what is French toast if you really think about it? Glorified bread pudding. My main point here is, let your kids eat whatever they want (within reason) so you don’t have to spend your day cooking and catering to the whims of picky eaters.
Take some time for yourself:Sneak away to a quiet room and take a few minutes to meditate, try some simple yoga poses or just close your eyes and enjoy the silence. You’ll be surprised at how others will step in and parent when you’ve disappeared, and you’ll likely be back before anyone notices you’re actually gone. If you don’t have anyone there to cover for you, then try this trick – take about 10 to 15 coins from your purse and hide them in hard-to-find (but safe) places around the house. Then tell your kids about the so-called treasure hunt and sit back and relax.
Let them walk all over you: Literally. If you want a deep tissue massage on Mother’s Day, let your kids (30 pounds and under) tiptoe on your back softly and call it a massage. I used to do this for my dad when I was a kid and he loved it – added bonus, I loved it too! Once you’re done with the “massage”, throw in some natural skin care hacks, maybe some cold tea bags on your eyes, and call it a spa day.
If all this sounds a little too loosey-goosey for you, totally understandable, admittedly it’s not for everyone. The main point here is don’t leave Mother’s Day up to chance - take charge and do you, momma! You work hard to take care of your family each and every day, so make Mother’s Day special by indulging in whatever way makes you feel best. You’ve earned it.
