Valentine’s Day can mean something different to you at each stage of life –whether you’re dating, married or even once kids are in the picture, it evolves just as you do. You may have once envisioned candy and flowers as the ultimate token of romance, but now, maybe the best expression of I love you, is better said with, how can I take care of you? Believe me, as a mother of three children under the age of seven, I rarely get a break from the daily hustle; and I could certainly benefit from not eating another box of chocolates. Listen closely, loved ones, your wife or mom really want something different this year, something to nourish her soul. Take a glance at these simple gestures below, they will rock her world.
1. Extra Sleep
I would do anything to be able to sleep in (even if it were only an extra half hour) and others would give anything for a midday nap. Planning to keep the house quiet an extra half-hour in the morning or getting the kids out of the house in the middle of the day so mom can nap, is a gift like no other.
2. A Day Off
Every household functions differently, but usually, it functions because of mom. From child-rearing to meal planning and chores, the list goes on and on. A day off from sweats-wearing, toilet bowl scrubbing, meatloaf baking, domestic life duties could let mom dress-to-impress for the day and feel like the goddess she is on the sexist day of the year. Every woman wants to feel and look her best, especially on Valentine’s Day.
3. Something Handmade
Handmade gifts are timeless treasures that any mom would appreciate purely for the amount of effort and creativity that went into making it. Bonus, if it’s nice to look at, it’s a double win. Pinterest is a great platform to find inspiration for beautiful and meaningful DIY Valentine’s presents for mom –and there are sure to be kid-friendly ideas too!
4. Self-Care Time
All too common, caring for the needs of children, husbands and even the family dog, I reckon, come before meeting your own self-care needs. So maybe this Valentine’s Day, it might be nice to arrange babysitting or put the kids to bed early, so that mom can sneak away for a bubble bath, facial, massage, pedicure or even an hour at the gym. Literally anything that there isn’t usually time on the daily, will do.
These 4 gestures will mean a lot to a mother like myself –which is, in my experience, most other moms. No, this isn’t Mother’s Day, but these four gifts will allow mom to better connect to herself as a woman experiencing womanhood vs motherhood. Valentine’s Day can often feel like a day meant for the young or single, so learning to and helping mom re-envision this day, is the ultimate token of romance. By you saying, how can I take care of you? She will hear, I love you.