I think I’ve been doing Mother’s Day wrong over the years. While most mums I know are busy with family engagements on their big day, I’ve always used it as a day I don’t have to spend with my kids, when I can leave the house and do whatever the hell I want for the day.
I thought Mother’s Day was about not parenting
It’s only just occurred to me that I’m one of the few who does this on Mother’s Day. I know it’s a day for us to celebrate being mums but I also consider it a day when we can put ourselves first and indulge in whatever makes us happy.
Naturally my kids make me very happy, but parenting is hard work, and I do it every single day and night. I choose Mother’s Day to take a break from parenting, if just for a few blissful hours. The way I see it, Mother’s Day can involve all the appreciation, special meals and gifts, but at the end of the day, it’s still parenting. I thought Mother’s Day was about not parenting.
That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with mums who do love spending the day with their kids. But I wonder how many mums out there would secretly love to escape for the day, like I choose to?
Here’s why I don’t spend the day with my kids on Mother’s Day …
Kids will be kids
It doesn’t matter what day it is, kids are still kids. Taking my four out for a babyccino is hard enough. One of them always teeters on their chair, one will upend their cup and someone else always starts opening the sugar packets. Oh, and then one of them will urgently need the toilet.
You think I want to take this lot to a nice restaurant and get them to sit through two or three courses while I try to relax with a glass of bubbly? That is not my idea of relaxation.
Being spoiled lasts for about five minutes
I love waking up on Mother’s Day and being surprised with cuddles, homemade gifts and presents purchased from the school Mother’s Day stall. (Which I paid for, but whatever!)
Once all this spoiling is out of the way, things get back to regular family business pretty quickly and it turns into just another day of parenting – noses need blowing, bottoms need wiping and the squabbling needs refereeing.
There’s only so much relaxing you can do when you’re with your own children. And whatever we choose to do as a family that day, the kids will still need parenting. You can put us in a fancy restaurant or take us out to a scrumptious family picnic, but it’s STILL PARENTING.
Mother’s Day events are overpriced anyway
What’s with all the overpriced three course meals around on Mother’s Day, anyway? Don’t these places know that raising children is expensive enough without having to factor in $65 per head luncheons for the family? Where we’ll still be on parenting duty anyway?
They should be paying for us to eat out, and while they’re at it, they should throw in a crèche to keep the kids entertained and fed with chicken nuggets. Actually, I’d totally pay to be at that restaurant. Genius!
Here’s what I’ll be doing this Mother’s Day – how about you?
You want to know how I’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day this year?
I’m making it a whole weekend thing, Saturday AND Sunday, thank you very much – and I encourage you to go for the same. We mums deserve it.
This way, we can keep everyone happy: lunch with the mother-in-law, movie and coffee with our own mums, breakfast with the kids.
Squeeze all of these things into the one day and you should still have time for a night out with your fellow mum mates and a long day of shopping, with a glass of something to celebrate at the end of it, and no sign of a curfew.
