Mothers are no strangers to sacrificing. They’re the superheroes of our world, offering more and more of themselves each day for their children and their families. With Mother’s Day on the horizon, we won’t be able to escape the influx of social media posts, the burdens of our mothers finely laid out for the public to take in and be in awe of in hopes that someone, anyone will think to themselves, “wow! What an AMAZING mother!”. But what becomes of mom when those very burdens become too much to carry?
Motherhood can be so all-consuming that it can begin to consume you. You dedicate so much of your time to others that your own identity starts to shed. You are no longer the book-reading, gym rat who can part til the sun rises. You are suddenly the bottle-making, breastfeeding, diaper changing lifeline lost in a sea of her own obligations. This Mother’s Day— and every Mother’s Day—we honor the tireless work of our mother’s and offer a call to action: at any opportunity, it is okay take a break before you break.
If you think you need a break, you probably do. All too often, life gets in the way. Your days are blended with your daily routine and the sequence of days makes you forget that you may not have been spent much time with your children. It’s okay to take a break anyway. Our children deserve the best versions of us, and we can only be our best selves when we dedicate our time to doing just that. Before you criticize yourself on the things you haven’t done, take the time to celebrate yourself on what you’ve accomplished on your parenting journey.
Here are some ways you can pause, take a break and big up yourself as a hardworking mother.
If possible, find a babysitter and take yourself out
We realize that not every mother has the same amount of help as other moms. For those that can, find a babysitter or childcare for an afternoon or an evening and use that time without your child(ren) to take yourself out. This can be for coffee, a walk, exercise, a day at the mall, hanging with friends, etc. Time you can carve out to do things by yourself can be essential to your mental health.
Dedicate your time to a hobby
Moms often get lost in the shuffle of parenting and rarely make time for the things they enjoy. Any free time you have you can spend that time catching up on a good tv show, reading a book, painting or any activity that brings you joy and fulfillment.
Treat Yourself
Treat yourself in whichever fashion that means to you. Whether that’s making a luxurious purchase or indulging in your favorite comfort foods, doing something for yourself for no other reason than that you deserve it can help reaffirm trust and confidence within yourself, qualities that mothers often lose when they spend most of their life taking care of everyone else.
This Mother’s Day let us honor all of the mothers who raised us and sacrificed to end. Let us also shine a light on those whose efforts often get overlooked and unnoticed. To the moms who don’t always quite feel seen or heard, to the moms who go without just so that their children can have the world, erase those feelings of mom guilt and welcome the notion that even the toughest of moms need recognition and a break.
