Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready for a relaxing day with my family, some pampering and maybe even some time to myself. Whether it's breakfast in bed or just a sweet note from my kids, I personally enjoy any type of special treatment.
But sometimes the day that celebrates us Moms doesn’t always feel like a break, does it? We’re (probably) still getting up early to get everyone ready for a "nice" brunch. We’re still dealing with the "I don’t want to wear that" complaints, "he hit me!" battles, and "can I watch TV?" pleas. And we’re probably still wrangling the kids into the car, stuffing all the necessities in our bags, and being the go-to person for all disputes.
Around the blogosphere, I’m seeing a change in how mothers are treating their special day. We recently asked nine of our favorite mom bloggers what they really want for Mother’s Day – and they really spoke up: To sleep in. To order take out. To not talk…to anyone. There’s a new mother's day happening. These women are asking for what they really want: A break.
I get it. After endlessly caring for our kids, volunteering at their schools, playing ref while they argue, planning weeks' worth of meals, juggling office meetings and pediatrician appointments, and putting everyone before ourselves time and time again, Moms just want some time off. Whether it's handing the kids to their partner or booking a sitter, peace and quiet is the Mother’s Day gift they want.
But I'm not one of them. I have a feeling my son will wake me up early on Sunday, I’ll end up with maple syrup on my bed covers and spend part of the day pleading with him to his chores. I sense that I’ll still tutor him with math homework, make dinner as a family, and watch American Idol on DVR. To me, that’s my perfect Mother's Day.
Even if it’s what we do every Sunday (minus the maple syrup).
But my kids are getting older and due to being a Mom who travels at least once a week, I covet those tutoring sessions and chore reminders (sort of). They bring me back to my favorite job, my role as a Mom.
How do you feel about this New Mother's Day? Are you going for some time alone – or time as a family, actively being "Mom"? Do you think it's appropriate to want time away from your kids on Mother's Day?
Xo,
Sheila
P.S. - While we're celebrating, yesterday was Care.com's five year anniversary. In a lot of ways, this company has been another baby in my family. For five years, my amazing co-founders and incredible staff have helped make Care.com the answer for so many families in need of care. (And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my incredible husband and sons.) We've grown from 7 employees to more than 150, more than 1 million jobs have been posted, and more than 4 million families and caregivers combined have joined the Care.com family. And, since care is a global issue, we’ve gone international with our launch in the UK just weeks ago! We’ve loved being part of your families these last five years and hope to keep playing a part in your lives for years to come. We truly could not have done it without your continued support. Thank you!
P.P.S. - One last thing, I can't let you go without sharing our brand new "Thank You Mom," video in honor of Mother's Day. We had kids tell us what they love about their moms – and what they are most grateful for. You might be surprised by the answers.. I know I was. Enjoy – and Happy Mother’s Day to you or the Mom in your life!
Related Articles:
What I Really Want for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day: 7 Ways to Give Yourself a Break
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready for a relaxing day with my family, some pampering and maybe even some time to myself. Whether it’s breakfast in bed or just a sweet note from my kids, I personally enjoy any type of special treatment.
But sometimes the day that celebrates us Moms doesn’t always feel like a break, does it? We’re (probably) still getting up early to get everyone ready for a “nice” brunch. We’re still dealing with the “I don’t want to wear that” complaints, “he hit me!” battles, and “can I watch TV?” pleas. And we’re probably still wrangling the kids into the car, stuffing all the necessities in our bags, and being the go-to person for all disputes.
Around the blogosphere, I’m seeing a change in how mothers are treating their special day. We recently asked nine of our favorite mom bloggers what they really want for Mother’s Day – and they really spoke up: To sleep in. To order take out. To not talk…to anyone. There’s a new mother’s day happening. These women are asking for what they really want: A break.
I get it. After endlessly caring for our kids, volunteering at their schools, playing ref while they argue, planning weeks’ worth of meals, juggling office meetings and pediatrician appointments, and putting everyone before ourselves time and time again, Moms just want some time off. Whether it’s handing the kids to their partner or booking a sitter, peace and quiet is the Mother’s Day gift they want.
But I’m not one of them. I have a feeling my son will wake me up early on Sunday, I’ll end up with maple syrup on my bed covers and spend part of the day pleading with him to his chores. I sense that I’ll still tutor him with math homework, make dinner as a family, and watch American Idol on DVR. To me, that’s my perfect Mother’s Day.
Even if it’s what we do every Sunday (minus the maple syrup).
But my kids are getting older and due to being a Mom who travels at least once a week, I covet those tutoring sessions and chore reminders (sort of). They bring me back to my favorite job, my role as a Mom.
How do you feel about this New Mother’s Day? Are you going for some time alone – or time as a family, actively being “Mom”? Do you think it’s appropriate to want time away from your kids on Mother’s Day?
Xo,
Sheila
P.S. – While we’re celebrating, yesterday was Care.com’s five year anniversary. In a lot of ways, this company has been another baby in my family. For five years, my amazing co-founders and incredible staff have helped make Care.com the answer for so many families in need of care. (And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my incredible husband and sons.) We’ve grown from 7 employees to more than 150, more than 1 million jobs have been posted, and more than 4 million families and caregivers combined have joined the Care.com family. And, since care is a global issue, we’ve gone international with our launch in the UK just weeks ago! We’ve loved being part of your families these last five years and hope to keep playing a part in your lives for years to come. We truly could not have done it without your continued support. Thank you!
I want to be with my kids. Granted I don't want to have to do the dishes and cook but I don't want to do anything alone either. My perfect mothers day would be getting pizza and going out on the boat with my family. I don't understand women who go to a movie by themselves or want to be alone. We'll all be sad for the alone time once they move out. While I have them, I want to be with them.
Posted by: Sherry | May 08, 2012 at 07:30 AM
Hi Sheila,
Being a very hands-on and involved and dedicated dad I do all those things you describe here as things that mums do, and I also don't want to stop doing them. I feel the same about this as you do. Father's Days, for some reason, don't seem to be as much about "taking a break from the kids", but I wouldn't want it anyway. I love taking care of my kids and don't want to miss a minute of it.
Of course it's appropriate for mums, or parents in general, to want some time away from their kids sometimes. As long as they love their kids, the kids are taken care of, then whatever works to keep everybody happy and sane is a good thing :-) People are different, handle situations differently, it's all good.
Due to my work being more flexible with working hours, I'm the primarily dropping the kids off, picking them up, making dinner, getting them dressed in the morning, etc. And I feel blessed. I just wish that my kids (6 and 5 now) could remember as much of it as me by the time they are adults :-)
Have a great Mother's Day, and best of luck with your family :-)
Erik
Posted by: Erik van der Neut | May 08, 2012 at 07:39 AM
Erik, I think what you said is wonderful. I am a single Parent with a 4, 5 and 8 yr old and between working full time and doing the family activities, sometimes I go to bed and realize I never even went to the bathroom! I am 110% present when I am with them, so I don't feel guilty when I am not. Once a week I force myself to take at least 4 hours for me or I will get burned out. On My Mother's Day, I just want them to be extra nice to everyone they meet, because that affirms that I have been doing my job, helping little people grow into compassionate human beings; at least for one day of the year <3 LOL
Posted by: Diana Luz Ortiz | May 08, 2012 at 09:26 AM
As a mom, I need a break. But, being alone is definitely not the solution. I've tried going away and relaxing so many times and came back being tough/angry at the kids. I tried something different this time. Last week, I went to Thrive at Bayside with a bunch of friends and being at Thrive brought so much joy into my life that the joy lasts for days on end afterwards. It's joy that sticks and I'm still reeling from it. I feel like a better happier wife and better happier mom as a result. Thrive was better than the over 10 women's retreats on lakefront property overlooking the pristine Lake Tahoe that I went to. Statistics proves that happiness is not about being alone, having all the money in the world, having the best career, education level, having a high IQ, typical friendships, etc... It's about the quality of friendships sharing in the mist of extreme joy and hardships together. I feel so blessed to have such super high quality friends.
Posted by: Julie Huey | May 08, 2012 at 02:53 PM