Sure, Mother's Day is right around the corner. And sure, it's a day that's designed for celebrating being a mom. But there's no reason why at least part of your Mother's Day can't be more about you and less about your kids, right? These days, getting a break from your children can feel like an uphill battle you are destined to lose. With parents and children spending more time together than they're used to, sometimes a break can be good for everyone involved.
But how do you take a break from the very beings who made you a mother on the day that celebrates moms? Friends: You just do.
Here a few ideas for extricating yourself from those wild ghouls you call your own, also known as your sweet, precious, amazing gumdrop offspring. Don't worry — none of these ideas will have you away from your kids all day, but each of them will help you find a little bit of "me" time when it might otherwise feel impossible to do so.
1. What do they want? Screen time!
As my friend Lily put it, "Get a Nintendo Switch. I could probably leave for a week and my kids wouldn't notice me missing."
I'm going to get this one out of the way right off the bat because I want to say a few things. One: I don't believe there is anything wrong with extra screen time here and there, and I believe this even more given the current state of the, you know, the world.
Two: Depending on your family's dynamics and setup, screen time might be one of your only options. If your kids aren't old enough to go out and play unattended, they could still be old enough to watch Dinosaur Train for an hour. If you don't have a partner or someone helping you at home, you might have your TV or Netflix account.
Three: In a pinch, screen time always works. Use it if you need to. Let the kids pick a show or movie, set them up with popcorn and snacks, and go hide in your room with a book. It'll be amazing. You deserve it.
2. Implement mandatory do-what-you-want-as-long-as-you're-quiet time.
This one is especially helpful for households that have more than one child, but really you just need one kid to make it work. Tell your kiddos that what you would really love to have on Mother's Day is a period of, say, an hour where everyone is in their own rooms, doing their own thing, and no one is bothering anyone else. No one is asking for snacks. No one is asking for help unless they really, really need it.
Again, if you have very young children at home, this might not fly. But they take naps, right?
3. Sensory time!
My friend Rosie once told me that she has sensory stations in her home for when she needs a bit of a break. They don't have to be fancy — even just dry oatmeal and a cup.
Rosie explained, "I have them play with oats and just give them cups and spoons and bowls and they have fun pouring it from one bowl to another, and it was fine for them if they ate it." Genius!
4. Go for a family bike ride.
If you have a bicycle and a kid-safe trailer to pull behind it, this is pretty much a fail-safe way to get your own time. Your kids will be happily tucked behind you in the trailer, and you'll have a little time to yourself to be in your own thoughts.
5. Come up with a list of activities ahead of time.
I am usually a planner, and when my friend Moi told me that he has a list of activities that his daughter can consult when she needs ideas for something to do, I was immediately into it. Before Mother's Day, come up with a mix of age-appropriate fun things and chores that your kids can tackle for a little while, and make sure they know that during that activity time you are not to be disturbed unless it's an emergency. If the list is truly age-appropriate, they will probably be fine.
6. Just let them do their own thing and hope for the best.
If your children are old enough, sometimes the best thing you can do is just release them and hope for the best while you snag 20 or 30 minutes to yourself. My friend Carolyn explained that this is more or less what she's been doing:
"My kids are in the mid-range of kid-dom (halfway between tiny and tween) and my husband is working at home, so he’s basically not here during the weekdays. The kids have been pretty good … they might be going slightly feral, but one could see it as me teaching them independence and how to solve problems on their own … the TV pretty much stays on, but they only watch in like 20-minute increments anyway. They’re too busy building pillow forts, climbing trees, riding bikes, chasing each other while screaming, breaking things, learning to cook with me, helping in the garden, having rad deep conversations, and occasionally doing schoolwork."
