I recently took a poll in my Instagram stories asking moms what they really wanted for Mother's Day. The choices were: breakfast in bed, brunch out, a night alone in a hotel room, and flowers.
Flowers (surprisingly) got ZERO votes. And I think I know why. I mean, they're beautiful. I love getting flowers. Buuttt...let's face it, we have to put them in a vase, change the water, add more flower food- one more thing to take care of in our already busy day! So flowers, out! Sorry, florists!
The clear winner- a night alone in a hotel! Why? Because we are freakin exhausted, that's why! We love our kiddos, really we do. But we are touched out, overstimulated, and we do it all. Most of us are the default parent and we just need one night off. And we seldom think of self-care at the forefront, but today, I invite you to think of yourself for a change.
That may sound unheard of, but recently I spent a night alone in a hotel and it was glorious. Now, my kids are in college, so I'm not touched out and running to sports practices and picking up poster board at 9 pm for the project my kid forgot she had anymore. But I'm still a busy mom (spoiler alert: it doesn't really get easier when they're older- just different).
So I was driving home from a short road trip. I found myself a few hours from home and a little tired one night. I could have made it home safely. It wasn't late. And there's always coffee somewhere for a road trip. So there I was, faced with a choice: check into a hotel and just enjoy 15 hours of solitude or drive home.
So I did something I have never done. I checked into a lovely hotel by myself and ordered dinner, took a shower, sprawled out on the king-sized bed, and binged on Netflix and Hulu. I caught up on my shows. No one asked me questions or requested my help to solve a problem.
I didn't fold laundry or load a dishwasher. I checked in with my clients at bedtime, and that was the most strenuous thing I did. Initially, it was a little weird not having anything "to do." But then I leaned into it and it was awesome.
I woke up feeling refreshed. I went down to breakfast, drank my coffee with no agenda. No rush. No looking at the clock because I needed to get somewhere or complete some mundane task.
I highly recommend it. It was lovely. It was 15 hours, but those hours were all mine, and the change of environment and scenery was really more transformative than I imagined it would be.
If you are exhausted because your little one doesn't sleep and you think it sounds great to take a night off from being the default parent, I want you to imagine what it would feel like if your little one and YOU slept all night!
Self-care isn't selfish. It's necessary. I know we've all heard the phrase, " you can't pour from an empty cup." It's corny, but it's true. When you give it all to everyone else, there's not much left. As a mom of 4 who puts her family's needs before her own, I could talk all day about what that does to a mom.
Your partner can handle the little one for a few hours while you go do whatever lights you up. And if your little one is a great sleeper, that makes it even easier for you to go take care of yourself.
That can really happen when you work with me for two weeks. I know. The idea of everyone sleeping sounds fabulous, but the idea of "sleep training" sounds terrifying. I promise you it's not (I'll hold your hand and be with you every step of the way). Book a free call with me. Let's talk about what sleep training actually looks like (it's not what you think).
And in honor of Mother's Day, if you book a 2-Week Coaching package before May 9, use code MOM26 for 10% off!
Here's the link to book your FREE call:
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