Happy Mother's Day..Now Go Away!

I’ll never forget the Mother’s Day when my youngest child was 3. We had gone to church as a family and I needed to visit the restroom after the service (thanks 3 pregnancies for the toll you took on my bladder). I left my husband and kids in the lobby while I ran to the restroom.

Once I was in the restroom, I enjoyed the few moments of peace and quiet with no one needing anything from me. Reader, this was short-lived. I had just sat down to take care of business and had one second before I saw some little hands and then a very familiar little blond head pop under the stall saying, “Hi Mommy!”

And that, my friends, is motherhood in a nutshell. Yes, I love my kids and would do anything for them. But, as an introvert, I need so much more alone time than the mothering of young children will allow. That’s why I was hoping just to have 5 minutes of peace in the restroom.

Mothers of young children don’t get enough credit for all the vigilance required of them to make sure their children stay safe. This doesn’t stop as the children get older and then there is even more focus on vigilance but now you are more worried about their emotional state along with their physical safety.

We, as moms, are on alert ALL THE TIME. This can really wear on our own mental state.

That’s way I propose, for this Mother’s Day, we don’t ask for flowers or a burnt breakfast in bed. We don’t need another coffee mug that says “World’s Best Mom”. Instead, let’s ask for what we really need….time to ourself. Actual, protected time to ourself. Have your partner take the kids and go somewhere for the day. Where? That’s on the partner to plan. DO NOT ASK the mother of your children to plan this. Just get out of the house and give her some space to breathe and be only responsible for herself for the day. OR, call and reserve a room at a nice hotel in your area. Send the mother away for a night where she can sleep soundly, read in bed, watch TV, and order room service. If you don’t have a partner, see if you can get someone to babysit for at least a couple of hours while you have some time just for you.

Time that is dedicated to ourselves as mothers only serves us and our children well. We all know that we can’t pour from an empty cup. Use this Mother’s Day to not only fill your cup but find ways to keep replenishing that cup. Happy Mother’s Day!