Mum's Day Off!

I just love this picture and the story that goes with it about a Mum who decided that today she wasn't going to do all the things that she normally does because it captures explicitly the day in the life of a woman who has made the decision to be a Family & Home Manager as her primary assignment in life.

I have chosen this term carefully (actually I made it up) as the other two that came to mind didn't quite encapsulate the full meaning of the role, such as 'Stay at Home Mum' or 'full time Mum'. I much prefer Family & Home Manager and under this broad umbrella lies the million and one other jobs that we undertake on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and if they were not carried out the lives of those depending on us just wouldn't be the same.

Should mum's have a day off? Off course they should, just like everyone else mum's need time for relaxation and replenishing in order to function effectively and meet the heavy demands placed upon us with a good attitude and sense of humour. If a mum was to list the many duties she carries out in one day it would be exhausting just reading about it; the cooking, shopping; cleaning, tidying, meal planning, organising, picking up and dropping off, but what about the raising, the training, the teaching and instructing, not forgetting the loving, cuddling, listening, kissing and comforting to name just a few. So no-one in their right mind could ever begrudge a Mum who decides "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world do I do all day?…‘Well, today I didn’t do it.’ this is the climatic ending to the story, great isn't it?

And the key is to not feel an ounce of guilt about not doing it. All too often we do try to do too much and get ourselves in a tizwas about it. Maybe we have watched something on the t.v about a woman who had x amount of children but still managed to keep her house immaculately clean, whose children's behaviour was exemplary, she cooked three square meals a day, maintained a size zero figure and still had time to satisfy her husband. As women we are constantly setting ourselves unrealistic goals and comparing ourselves to Superwoman but faced with such discriminating odds we will always appear to be the loser, which you definitely are not.

Being a Family & Home Manager is a major accomplishment which you should be proud of. You are keeping your family together and keeping them happy, if you don't believe me just stop and look at their faces as they tuck into one if your scrumptious meals. You are not in a competition with anyone else but you are in your own lane running the best that you can. Don't be distracted by the deception that what you are doing is a waste of time, you are in charge of the most valuable assets that this world possesses, the next generation, therefore you too are valuable.

It is imperative that you look after yourself, it won't hurt if the dishes are not washed, the beds are not made or the clothes are piling up for one day. So take a day off when you need to, you deserve it.