Win-win ways mums can outsource life this Mothers Day and for good

Mothers Day Tips: Us mums do it tough. In a single day our hands, minds and bodies perform a tapestry tasks in a random dance of labour and love. For most of us, life’s stage is more a Comedy of Errors than a version of Swan Lake and we’re not afraid to admit it.

You’ll see us chatting away at kiss-and-go parking bays, swapping tips and trading secrets. We’re whispering about how to lose a dummy, get a kid to bed or the best place to snag a bargain this week.

We’re dubious – jealous even – of mums who dance their day with light feet and grace. To me, they’re the mums who turn up to school early, looking ‘amazing’ and collected. I still wonder what their morning was like though, despite this ‘appearance’ of perfection. I read a story recently about a mum who professed that ‘motherhood isn’t hard.’ The backlash on Facebook was testament enough. The unleashing of comments proved that most of us mums aren’t and ‘don’t give a rats’ about ‘perfect.’ We’re just trying to get through the day without a meltdown.

If you want to streamline your mum dance into more of a Swan Lake than a Comedy of Errors, read on. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve on some win-win ways a mum can use Mothers Day for outsourcing life on the day and for good.

1. Enjoy coffee in bed: Outsource making breakfast

If your kids are old enough, teach the kids how to make their own breakfast. Make the task easy for children. Set them up a Breakfast Station and give them training on how to perform the task. Spend time on this. The better you train them, the fewer questions you’ll get in return.

Once the kids are getting their own breakfast, you can grab a coffee and head back to bed. Use this time to ‘get your head around the day’ and take a moment to reflect. You’ll start the day off relaxed, rather than in a mad panic.

Don’t be a control freak with kids getting their own breakfast. Let them spill the milk on the counter. They’ll get better at it over time. If you have younger kids – grab your coffee before they wake up. You’ll still get this little bit of ‘me time’ before the morning madness begins.

Mother’s Day | Breakfast In Bed for Under $10

Mothers Day - Coffee in Bed — jarmoluk / Pixabay

2. Relax more: Halve your pace

Mums tend to halve their pace on Mothers Day and let others do a few jobs for them. There’s no reason this shouldn’t be the case most days. It’s important mums trust others to do the things mums think only they can do.

If you are a mum, here are the cold hard facts, logic and love:

If you can do the task – it’s likely others can do it too
Others may not be as fast or good at the task
Others will get better at doing the task, just like you have become good at it
When it comes to laundry and dishes – you are completely dispensable
The love and kindness you show your family is never dispensable
Your family love you unconditionally whether you are doing housework or not

As mums we love to feel important and needed. But the irony is – we’d be less exhausted if we let go a little more often. Halve your pace. Take it slow and let others come into your zone and do a few things for you. Their efforts will likely surprise you and they’ll enjoy helping.

More tips for Mothers Day: Mums guide | How to reduce stress and relax

3. Reclaim your weekend: Outsource grocery shopping

For many mums, breakfast in bed on Mothers Day is awesome. Mums want to feel loved and appreciated and that’s what they get out of Mothers Day. But for many mums (usually by 11am-ish) life returns to normal. Most mums can’t stand the disorder and start on the dishes or whip up the shops to get weekend jobs done.

If you are a mum who is doing too much, consider outsourcing grocery shopping on Mothers Day and forever. Grocery shopping (especially with kids) can be a 2-3 hour trip for many busy mums. This takes a large chunk out of a weekend. Grocery shopping from bed (with that coffee in hand) or in front of the telly is much more relaxing.

Mothers Day - Reclaim Your Weekend — Basti93 / Pixabay

4. Become the princess you are: Delegate some more

On Mothers Day, many mums are happy to delegate. They’ll sit in bed like the princesses they are ordering people in the house around. Last year my children retrieved my book and glasses. They brought me in a coffee. They delivered my breakfast at the time I requested it. They placed a warm flannel on my forehead. I was in heaven with their little hands patting my face.

With housework, delegating isn’t about being a ‘control freak’ or taking advantage of people. It’s about sharing the workload across those in the house who are making the mess. It’s not fair that mums take on this entire burden. If a mum does, she leaves herself open to exhaustion and one of those ‘meltdowns’ I discussed earlier.

If possible, create a housework roster and chore charts for the kids. Delegate tasks and offer pocket money or rewards for tasks completed. Create practical systems that make loved ones feel good about helping.

Mothers Day – Treats for mums on the run who need more fun