Is Mother’s Day Different for Single Moms?

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Mother with her infant child at home

Picture a day all to yourself. Your spouse set up a spa day – quiet, calm, serene and no kiddos.  Or maybe even breakfast in bed, a family picnic/park day. Whatever idyllic Mother’s Day setting you desire, it normally involves the help/aid/planning of a spouse or partner.  But what happens when you don’t have one?  Who sets up and (more importantly) pays for your spa day, who cooks you breakfast in bed while you sleep in, who packs and plans a family picnic?  Ummmm, maybe Mother’s Day IS different for single moms. 

As a single mom myself, I decided to seek out other Bay Area single moms and find out what would be on their wish list for Mother’s Day.  For the most part, the answers they gave were not that different from the married/in-a-relationship mamas: 

  • A card/picture from their child/children
  • More sleep
  • A mini vacation
  • A spa day
  • To spend the day celebrating with their children, family and friends – and, of course, flowers, food and delicious drinks (hello, mimosas!). 

As a single mom you do not have the option to “tag in” your husband/spouse/partner when you need a moment to yourself. No, you do it all because that’s your job. You, somehow, become two people and if you are lucky you have close family and friends to help.

Every mom deserves to feel appreciated and to be given a break, not just on Mother’s Day but throughout the year. Is it hard not having a significant other to lean on during the hard times? Yes!  Do I often wish someone else was here to tell me they will take care of X,Y or Z so I can go to bed early? Yes!  Would I want someone to take my son for the day and buy me a spa day? Hell yes!!! (Although to be 100% honest, I would probably miss him and come home early.)

But, I don’t NEED those things. I am my son’s whole world, and he is mine. That is something that will never change.  

If you know a single mom, please take a moment to let her know that she ROCKS!  Tell her how STRONG she is and remind her that she is setting an AMAZING example for her child. She needs to hear it; trust me, it will truly touch her heart. 

1 COMMENT

  1. Hi,
    I came across your piece while reading other articles here and I found it really touching.
    I’m not a single mom myself, but I found this article really poignant anyways because we don’t always take the time to fully appreciate just how much support we get from having a partner. And when we’re feeling stressed, show deference to those moms who do it all on their own.
    So KUDOS to you!!! You are an amazing mom and a great writer! Thank you for sharing!

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