Ahhhhhh yes. Those three little words that rank right up there with "I love you" and "You're not fat." Mother's Day Out is a welcome break (or two) in the week for weary Mamas. I personally have enjoyed my 10 hours a week of hiatus from Mamahood over the past eight months. It's the first regular break of this kind that I have had since my first baby was born nine years ago. And I soak it up. And that's okay. Granted, I have spent a whole lot of this time writing about the very children from whom I've taken a break, but I get to sit all by myself with my coffee in the peace and quiet of wherever I choose to be that day and just reflect without being interrupted by "Mama, I'm hungry" or "Callie's telling me what to do" or "The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and . . . "Mother's Day Out is a luxury. It is. I'll admit that, at least for myself. I would argue, though, that for my own children, it's been a good warm-up for them to go to MDO the year before starting kindergarten. But I can't say it was an absolute necessity. It has been very, very good, however, for everyone involved. If my kids hadn't all loved the experience, I'm sure I'd feel differently.
It's good for Mamas to have breaks from their kids every once in a while. Our kids miss us (hopefully), and we are better Mamas for having had a bit of time to ourselves.
Question for you: What's your take on Mother's Day Out? Is it a luxury, necessity, or something in between
3 comments:
I can see an argument for the luxury side, but I'd say necessity. Our culture has done a good job of decimating the belief that "it takes a village to raise a child." Most Americans no longer live in "villages" (i.e., actual communities) and place ungodly amounts of pressure on mothers to do it all. It's so not meant to be that way. Although an actual village might be more ideal, by all means, let MDO become part of your village, and thank God for the help in the work you were never meant to do alone!
I am most certainly grateful for any and all help I receive! This Mama never turns down an offer for help. :)
My breaks are few and far between, so I am grateful for any "time outs" I can get, even if I use my time to go grocery shopping or get an oil change. I know some people who never let their children go to MDO, and I wonder how they do it and keep their sanity. Time outs for Mommies are a necessity.
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