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I'm A Mom — And Here's What I Really Want for Mother's Day

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Hastily grabbed “Oh, yeah” daisies at the local grocery store along with an impromptu breakfast does count as a half-decent attempt at Mother's Day in a "We totally didn't mean to forget you" kind of way. Life happens. Families are busy engines just trying to push through life to see the other side of their kids going college and maybe making babies of their own.

“Moms work hard” is a vast understatement. I know my husband appreciates all that I do — but face it, when it comes to big days like Mother’s Day, it's a little difficult for the menfolk to navigate with a toddler in tow. I'm a mom, and here's what I really want for Mother's Day.

Brunch Is a Good Idea

Breakfast in bed typically turns to brunch, anyway, by the time Hubby gets home with the fussy toddler. A trip to a favorite brunch spot makes me happy, but I rarely get the chance to eat with friends. I’d love to wake up to a simple and classic brunch at a preferred local spot. There are many pros here:

  • I get to sleep in a little late.
  • I don’t have to cook and juggle munchkins.
  • I get a chance to dress up a tad with enough notice.

Yes, Mother’s Day Brunch can still be a special surprise. Just sneak in with a warm cup of coffee, and tell me to shower. Heck, rose petals and a freshly run bath don’t hurt, either. This mama won’t complain if she gets coffee. I have an adorable wrap dress I can slip into after a hot bath, and I can definitely do it all in under an hour.

Help me tie off the dress and strap me into the car to drive me off to brunch with the family — travel cup of coffee in hand.

Just Let Me Have the Bed

Cooking breakfast and letting me sleep in for an hour is nice but letting me kick back in bed for the morning, or the whole day, is a major win on Mother’s Day.

Moms like me don’t want a big to-do where it takes extra energy to put a trace of eyeliner on that doesn’t look like tire burn marks on pavement from dragging ourselves out of bed. While last night’s spaghetti stains make acceptable blush, let me order in Chinese for a late breakfast and Netflix.

Look, I like getting dressed up for sweet shindigs like many women, but on Mother’s Day, let my kingdom be the bed if I’m Queen for the Day. Okay?

Mama wants her beauty rest. Unsurprisingly, moms get less sleep than dads — 32 percent say dad doesn’t get up to check on the baby at night, and seven percent of dads say mom stays in bed at night. Sleeping when the baby sleeps doesn’t work for many either, since only 41 percent of parents can’t sleep during daytime naptimes. Check on the baby, dads.

Home-Cooked Meal Made by Family

I really like the idea of sleeping in during the morning, and enjoying a beautiful lunch or dinner cooked by the whole family later in the day or evening is the best. Breakfast in bed is super stressful for dads. Keep it simple, guys, and get the whole family involved in the cooking over the course of the day. Make Mom’s favorite.

I have a weakness for lobster. My Hubby does not share this weakness. He sympathizes with the tasty sea spiders. Eager to please my first year celebrating Mother’s Day with a tiny baby and not a giant belly, my hubby discovered Maine Lobster Now and had a lobster shipped to the house so he did not need to partake in selecting the specific doomed lobster at the grocery store. You can order lobster tails, lobster meat, or one that’s fresh and alive. A fresh, buttery lobster with some mac and cheese and simple grilled asparagus are all it really takes to please this mama.

No Cleaning Allowed

I want to wake up to an empty to-do list. Write “nada” on that thing, or make a checklist for everyone else to complete on the fridge. Leave me a sweet note with a checklist that says, “Nap. Netflix. Cookies. Nap again. Repeat in any order. We got the rest today.”

Divide up the cleaning checklists by room, and include simple tasks, such as “Wipe down the counter” or “take out the trash.” Tackle the whole thing as a family, or assign a family member to a room.

Banish me from cleaning, including stress-cleaning — which I totally do.

No Technology Day

What I really want is quality time with my family, minus the buzz and rings of technology. Declare Mother’s Day a No Technology Day. That means no phones, tablets, video games or anything.

GPS is allowed in the case of driving to and from a national park. I’d love to play board games and order pizza. Staying in or going out doesn’t matter, as long as I get to enjoy time with my family.

Moms aren’t hard to please when it comes to Mother’s Day. Thought counts, but not having to count sheep to sleep is a major win too.

Let me nap. Take me to brunch. Make me lobster. Don’t let me clean. Banish technology, and break out a board game. Oh, and don’t forget the coffee. Happy Mother’s Day!

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