Whether you think Mother's Day is just another consumer holiday created by Hallmark or you truly look forward to it, most moms would agree that it's nice to have a day dedicated to just you. But when you're a single mom, the day can feel a little different. There are some great gifts to give a mom, but there are things single moms really want for Mother's Day that other parents may not understand.
Not that being a single mom is superior to being a mom parenting with a partner, but it's definitely harder, and it's so much more than just needing an extra pair of hands to deal with baths and bedtime routines and cleaning up after dinner. It's an indescribable feeling of loneliness paired with an overwhelming amount of stress. You're constantly fighting an inner struggle of being there for your kids and wanting a break, of wishing someone would help you out and feeling guilty about not being able to do it all. Like all types of motherhood, it's an overwhelming contradiction, but being a single mother just makes it harder to bear. There's no one to turn to at the end of the day and marvel at your little ones or ask for help with the dishes or help you feel less like a robot and more of a human. There is only you and your kids. And while that's a beautiful thing, I think all moms can agree that there is more to life than just motherhood.
So for the single moms on Mother's Day, here are 13 things they really want, like offering to carpool their kids to soccer so they can take a luxurious 15 minute shower already.
1A Hot Cup Of Coffee
Like, a piping hot one she can hold with two hands because you're changing the diapers, cutting up the waffles, and finding the lost shoes.
2Free Babysitting Services
I hear people "recommend" to single moms that they get out and have some fun already. But no one seems to understand that these things cost money, mainly, a babysitter. So offer up some free babysitting services for the single mom in your life. She'll love knowing her kids are with someone she trusts and that she doesn't have to pay for it.
3A Meal She Doesn't Have To Cook Or Clean Up
Take care of the whole she-bang and she'll be happy. Go grocery shopping, prep the dinner, let her eat it while it's still hot, and then clean up the dishes. Do you know how hard it is to make a meal when you're a single mom and you have to do ALL of the prep work plus keep the kids entertained? That's why a bowl of cereal is considered a balanced meal sometimes.s
4An 8:00 Bedtime For Herself
Being a single mom means that once the babies are in bed, everything's still on you. You've got to finish the laundry, clean up dinner, make the lunches, fold the clothes, prepare for tomorrow, and put the toddler back to bed eight more times. She'll love it if once her kids are in bed, she can go to bed, too. Make it happen. Offer to spend the night and be on baby duty or take care of her other responsibilities for the night.
5A Day Of No Appointments, Deadlines, Or Obligations
I treasure the days where I don't have to do anything. No grocery shopping, no doctor's appointments, no picking up prescriptions, no shopping for toddler shoes — when you have a partner, you can divvy up the responsibilities, but a single mom has to literally do all of it and it is exhausting.
6To Watch Netflix Without Folding Clothes
Even when I get a chance to watch my Netflix shows, I'm still working, or mopping the floors, or folding laundry, and it sucks. Take care of those chores for her so she can see what she missed on The Walking Dead.
7A Fun Day Planned With Her Kids
Being single means that most of her days off are spent running errands and trying to figure out how to get things done while keeping her kids happy. I know she's with her kids 24/7, but she'd love a day of nothing but fun things to do with her kids. Get her tickets to an amusement park, plan a picnic, or take them all to the zoo. With no responsibilities or errands, she can just enjoy the time with her little ones.
8No Facebook Friends Calling Themselves Single Moms When They Aren't
Seriously, if you love her at all, you'll stop calling yourself a single mom on Facebook because your husband worked late. Just stop it.
9A Massage
All moms would enjoy this, am I right? Schedule it during a time when you can watch her kiddos for her so she can fully enjoy it.
10A New Book & Time To Read It
A book with no pictures or rhyming words? YES. Time to actually read it? DOUBLE YES. Even if you're wrangling her kids in the backyard while she lays in the bed and reads, it counts.
11Kid-Free Day To Run Errands
Seriously, it doesn't take much to make a single mom happy on Mother's Day. Maybe she still has things to do, but just wants the kid-free time to do them. Grocery shopping sounds like a chore, but without kids it's basically a vacation. Or maybe she just wants to browse every aisle with a coffee in her hand and no kids begging to open the Oreos in the cart.
12A Clean House With No Kids In It
Yup, clean her house, and then take the kids away for at least a few hours so she can just sit and enjoy the cleanliness.
13A Surprise Mother's Day Gift From Her Kids
You know why this is so special? Because it's a surprise which means she didn't have to orchestrate her own gift from her kids. Plan to take her kids shopping for her or give them a fun craft to do. She'll be totally surprised since partners and other parents usually take this role on, and it'll make the gifts even more special.
