Life
For many moms, Saturday mornings are sacred. It might be a time for reflection, for catching up, or for simply getting in some much-needed rest. Of course, these things don’t always happen. Not all of us are fortunate enough to have help on the weekends, and even if we do, not every partner is willing to put in the additional work. That’s why we thought we’d give a little shoutout to the ones who do, by asking moms the one thing their partners do for them on a Saturday morning. Should a partner be celebrated endlessly for giving the mom in their life a much-needed break? Nope. But should it happen more often? Absolutely. So I say let's highlight how partners help each other out, and perhaps it will happen on a more regular, reasonable basis.
While every weekend morning in my household looks different, there’s usually at least one out of the two days where my husband takes on the bulk of the parenting duties. I’ll often want to escape to my local yoga studio on either Saturday or Sunday morning for a little practice, and on those days my husband will make sure to cook up breakfast and feed our son. My husband is often an early riser, too, so there are times when he’ll wake extra early to go for a drive in the mountains while my son and I sleep in. On those mornings, he’ll usually come back around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. (because really, what toddler sleeps in?), often with some fresh coffee and a breakfast sandwich for me. It’s mornings like those when I remember why I keep him around (oh hey, he’s pretty handsome, too, so that also helps).
My partner isn't some magical unicorn, though. Turns out, a lot of partners are stepping up in the morning so the hardworking moms in their lives can take a beat, take a breath, and take some hard-earned "me" time. Here's what they had to say about their partners (and for those of you who aren't chipping in during the weekends, pay attention):
Celeste, 42
“My husband always lets me sleep in on Saturdays and usually wakes me up with the 'fancy' oatmeal (steel cut in the pressure cooker instead of my usual instant oatmeal) and coffee in bed. He then gives me a report on what kind of mood the kids are in and what they've been doing while I was asleep. If we don't already have plans, he'll ask me what I want to get done around the house over the weekend before he gives me his list of things he wants to get done. It's super cute.”
Jamie, 34
“My husband and I take turns getting up with the kids — the other person gets to sleep until 9:00 a.m. and, yes, it's glorious.”
Courtney, 41
“My husband lets me sleep in on Saturdays. He generally takes care of the kids, cleans the house, and does the laundry. If I'm really exhausted, he will take the kids to their music lessons and do the grocery shopping, too. I generally do the same for him on Sundays.”
Katianna, 31
“Every morning my husband makes me coffee (often leaving it in a Yeti cup at my bedside because he goes to work early), but Saturdays are a special treat. I get coffee and he gets the kids up. He brings them down to our room and we all hang for awhile before breakfast. The cherry on the sundae: I get to pee alone, too, because he makes sure they are occupied.”
Savanna, 21
“My husband works Saturdays, but he's sweet enough to let me sleep in and will try not to wake me up when he gets up for work. It might not seem like much, but with me being pregnant with our second, it's hard for me to get to sleep so I really love that he is kind enough to tiptoe in the morning.”
Angela, 38
“On most Saturdays my husband lets me sleep in... and greets me with breakfast and coffee in bed around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., preschooler in tow. Then we are off for our day to accomplish whatever it is we have on the agenda.”
Charlotte, 33
“Sometimes mine will let me sleep in and ‘try’ to keep the kids away. On the mornings he doesn't work, he will also sometimes go get donuts for everyone.”
Angie, 34
“On Saturday mornings my husband sneaks into the baby's room early and sleeps on the floor next to the baby (who's hardly a baby anymore at 16 months) so that he can be there when our son wakes up, and so that I can do whatever I want in the morning without worrying about the baby waking up.”
Angela, 22
“Once our baby girl wakes up he will go get her out of her crib so I can sleep in. He will entertain her while making us breakfast. (Normally something simple like omelettes, or scrambled eggs with bacon and toast.).”
Caroline, 23
“My boyfriend will get our daughter and cuddle in our bed till she goes back to sleep, then he gets up and cleans the main areas of the house. He'll greet me with coffee and then plans a breakfast for us.”
Becca, 30
“My husband will let me sleep in on Saturday mornings. And usually, he cleans up the house, too! When I get up, he makes me a cup of coffee. On Sunday, he makes the four of us a yummy big breakfast.”
Mariann, 36
“My husband takes the monitor Friday night and [wakes] up with our son if he happens to wake up, and let's me sleep in on Saturday mornings. He will also make both of us breakfast.”
Alicia, 32
“My 30-year-old husband will take our 9-month-old son, entertain him, and feed him while I sleep in. Or we all just hang out in bed and watch a show/movie and just talk about how amazing life is and just catch up from our crazy work week. He's pretty close to amazing.”
Karah, 31
“He lets me sleep in and usually cooks breakfast.”
Diana, 36
“My husband gets up early with the kids on Saturday and Sunday and let’s me sleep in. He feeds them and entertains them. When I wake up, he’ll make me breakfast (or lunch depending on how late I was up and how late I slept in). He’s never failed in this.”
Jessica, 29
“My husband is an early riser, so he gets our daughter up when she wakes. He loves making breakfast, so every weekend I get omelettes, homemade waffles, egg sandwiches, breakfast casseroles, or anything else I want! It also helps that I'm pregnant right now, so the breakfast choice is entirely up to me. He hikes a ton and will take her on a hike some weekends and I have the day to do as I choose.”
Jennifer, 23
“I'm currently pregnant, so on his days off he lets me sleep in, cleans the kitchen, and makes me a stack of pancakes for when I get up. I feel really spoiled by it. He'll even make tea if he remembers.”
Susan, 34
“My husband lets me sleep in. He handles the kids, breakfast, and makes me tea or coffee.”
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