Single Mom Mother’s Day: Don’t Let It Suck

When is Mother’s Day? Yeah, it’s tomorrow if you’ve been turning a blind eye to it like me. If you are a single mom worried that your Mother’s Day will suck, you aren’t alone. Celebrating Mother’s Day without a significant other there to help guide the kids into the perfect little breakfast in bed is a challenge, to say the least. Still not sure what to do for your special day?

Not every co-parenting situation is great. You may not have much more in presents that an awkwardly glued popsicle stick frame from school with an even more awkwardly set picture of your child who just didn’t quite seem ready for the snapshot while the teacher was about to do triage with a paint, glue, and glitter fight. Take a breath, Mama. This is still your day.

Take a look at 7 Mother’s Day ideas for single moms to make it special:

Make Breakfast in Bed Easy

Take the time the day before to make breakfast in bed easy for your child. Even those kids in pre-school have been well-prepped by teachers to know that Sunday is a special day for mom. They get excited about trying to do something amazing for Mommy. Let them.

Of course, if you are like me, the idea of your four-year-old in the kitchen making a mess or even setting a fire gives you heart-palpitations, be proactive. Set a tray with “Ideas for Mom’s Mother’s Day Breakfast” out. When my son was really small, I’d get different fruit, donuts, bagels and juice so all he had to do was grab and go.

Of course, I usually ended up with something he made impromptu such chocolate covered Ritz crackers with green tea hot chocolate.

Make Brunch Plans with Others

Single moms tend to know other single moms. Make it a single mom date for brunch. You’ll feel good to get out of the house to laugh and celebrate with other single moms. Don’t make this a playdate, make it a mom date. Remember that Mother’s Day is for you; every day is a playdate day.

Sure, you can end up at the park with the kids after, but make sure to take the time to have an indulgent brunch (or late lunch if you choose to stay in bed for the entire morning) where you can feel like an adult. Fill the glasses with iced teas or mimosas and enjoy great company.

Do Something Special for Your Mom

This may not seem like an intuitive Mother’s Day idea for single moms, but spending a moment to appreciate and do something special for your own mom is a great way to celebrate your own motherhood. When we celebrate our own moms and grandmothers, we honor the women we have become through their strength and guidance.

I spent many years with 2,000 miles of ocean between my mom and myself on Mother’s Day (and most days). Mother’s Day gifts for moms don’t have to be big or expensive. If you’re a sentimental fool like me, something as simple as creating a photo collage of you and your kids with the blast-from-the-past pictures of you and your mom at the same age will make you weep tears of joy. You know, those moments of, “No, I’m not crying. You’re crying,” reactions between mothers and daughters.

Ask for One Thing as a Gift

It’s nice to get presents, right? You can do a few things when it comes to presents, especially if you don’t have a cooperative co-parent who will shop with your kids to get you something. When my son was very young, I would ask him to do one thing around the house that he hated to do ­­– usually clean his room. The idea of all the clothes and toys being put away without me having to ask, just for one day was pure joy. (Even more so with a teenager these days.)

If there is something that they want to buy you, try to work it out. There was a time when my son wasn’t old enough to wander Target alone but he wanted to get me something. He was quite sophisticated in his approach because he wanted me to trail him as he went through the store. His first stop was to get a towel and put it in the cart, under which he loaded several items from different parts of the store to keep me guessing.

Of course, I had to be looking the other way most of the time and explicitly told the cashier to just take my money, but the entire endeavor was endearing and so amazingly sweet. We made great use of that griddle!

Buy Yourself a Mother’s Day Gift

Mother’s Day gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Of course, that popsicle stick frame will be on the refrigerator for years to come. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something special for yourself. This could be a massage or having a house cleaner come and do a deep clean of the house so you can enjoy a pristine kitchen for just a little bit.

From personal experience, the house cleaner may be a better gift post-Mother’s Day breakfast made by your child. Don’t look at the kitchen and have someone scheduled to come and clean the next day. Really, just don’t look at what you five-year-old did in there. It’s not worth it. Take single mom self-care to the next level for Mother’s Day.

Stay in Bed and Read or Netflix Binge

Does this even need to be said? One of the best activities and ideas for Mother’s Day is just to stay in bed. This isn’t like staying in bed because you are sick; this is self-indulgent the world doesn’t matter staying in bed. Get a playlist of your favorite movies, grab the snacks that make you feel cared for and cuddle with your little kiddos doing practically nothing at all. Or, grab that novel you’ve been meaning to read and just relax.

If you are doing this Netflix binge, do make sure to choose movies that make you laugh and feel good. You don’t want to get sad on Mother’s Day because a movie made you feel more isolated and alone.

Let Your Child Indulge Too

If all the single mom Mother’s Day ideas, I like this one the most. Why? Because upset and crying children on Mother’s Day is the absolute worst thing that can happen. If you’re having brunch, let them choose the less healthy meal for a day. Doing a Netflix binge in bed? Let them choose a movie as well.

It’s not perfect! But being a mom is never perfect and being a single mom on Mother’s Day means getting creative. Your child knows it’s your day but they don’t fully grasp that most times. Meaning, they still are self-centered little beasts in most respects. Love them and let them indulge with you so both of you can have a great Mother’s Day.

I’d like to wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day! Celebrate yourself and enjoy the day in your own special way. You get to decide exactly how that looks. If you feel like you need a little extra support, head on over to the Single Mommy Tribe private support group on Facebook. We’ll make you laugh, let you cry, and help build you up.