Me Time for Mums

It can’t have escaped anyone’s attention that it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday and for many of us that means visiting our mums, probably armed with flowers and cards, and spending some quality time together.  My Mother’s Day will be spent with both my mum and my children and we will enjoy that all too rare event of sitting down to a meal together. 

Mother’s Day is lovely and I enjoy both being spoilt and equally buying a small gift for my mum too.  Over the years my children have bought me all sorts for Mother’s Day from pretty bouquets and gorgeous perfumes but my favourite present of all was home-made, by a then three year old and a 10 year old and it’s so precious to me that it’s in my special “memory box” on top of my wardrobe.  It’s the box I open when I need to feel centred and count my blessings.

This special gift was a crudely made “book” of vouchers for me from my girls.  It was made of (almost) rectangles of grey manila paper torn from an old sketch book and cut out badly with plastic, round bladed scissors.  The same scissors had been used to punch holes through the pages which were tied together with pink ribbon.  The bow – of course – being tied using the tried and tested  “bunny-ears” method. 

Each voucher was for one or both of my daughters to help me and give me some time to myself.  My three year old promised to make her bed if I tore out her voucher and gave it back to her, effectively cashing it in.  My elder daughter  promised to clean out our rabbit or do the washing up in exchange for hers.  Naturally, I couldn’t bear to tear out the vouchers and accompanying pictures and they still make me smile even though my youngest is now almost 16 and towers above me and my elder daughter left home years ago.  My girls had wanted to give me something most mums find incredibly precious and in very short supply – the so called “me time”.

Ask many mums to define “me time” and it’s the 20 minutes in front of the TV before sloping off to bed exhausted.  For most of the time, we mums are acting as chief cook and bottle washer, running Mumz Kabz, as well as being mum, partner and employee of the year. It’s a lot to ask of anyone!  Sound familiar?

Perhaps the best thing we can give mums – and ourselves – is more of that elusive me time.  Time for a long soak in the bath, without little ones knocking on the door; the opportunity to curl up with a good book; even just time to take a solitary walk at a leisurely pace.

I am fairly certainly that the best present any mum can receive on Mother’s Day is more of that time.  Help her out.  Walk the dog, do the laundry, cook a meal – anything that gives mum chance to put her feet up.  At Iron Maids, we know how important that is, and not just on one Sunday a year but every day.  That’s why we offer our popular Gift Vouchers for our laundry and ironing services.

Go on – give your mum a break, run her bath and pick up that iron.  Or of you don’t fancy doing it yourself, give us a call!