I love moms. I love motherhood. I love being a mom. And being around moms. I can’t put words on it, but there’s certainly something special about womanhood being lived together.
I’m almost convinced that play dates are secretly for mothers. Sure, we plan and coordinate. Oh yeah, let’s get the kids together! They’d love it! We say we’ll meet somewhere for the kids. You know – the park or PlayPlace or children’s museum. We tell ourselves this is good for our kids socially.
And, of course, it is. But man, aren’t playdates just so good for us? You could easily argue that the good vibes are even better for moms than for kids.
And mom dates are loaded with benefits.
- We get to have an actual adult conversation that doesn’t involve a food order.
- We have common experience – we can commiserate or slap hands in celebration. We can get advice or reassurance or encouragement. All with and from someone who gets it.
- The kids socialize and have a playmate that doesn’t tucker out in 7 minutes like mom does!
- We all get fresh air!
And this is all without having to pay a babysitter. Hallelujah!
Here are some mom date ideas that I’ve loved in the past. If any of them inspire you, start coordinating!
- Stroller walk + coffee shop + park
This one is my favorite. It’s so simple! Meet at someone’s house, pack all the kids up in strollers and take a long walk to your nearest coffee shop. I’ve found that a mile is the perfect distance. Grab coffee and unload the kids at the nearest park. Sip and play!
- Mall park
Mall parks are the best in the dead of winter because it’s where the kids go. Meet at your nearest mall with a park and you’ll have at least an hour to catch up. Most mall parks are also contained so there’s low risk for wanderers.
- Host brunch
Hands down, brunch is the best meal of the day. Have a mom and her kids over for a mid-week brunch. Feel free to potluck – you provide the main dish and coffee, she brings a side.
- Volunteer together
Local shelter, soup kitchen, or nursing home – kids bring life to these places. Bring your gang together to help out somewhere, and your kids will enjoy shared learning experiences.
- Farmers market + picnic
This one is great because you don’t have to pack food! Bring blankets and plenty of water, walk around the market, purchase goodies, and enjoy! Most farmers markets set up where there’s a local park or good seating area.
- Community events
For this one, think local library or community center. Keep track of their age-appropriate events and activities and invite along a mom and her littles. Story times, nature walks, STEM activities, and best thing is, most of these events are free!
- Park + potluck picnic
Coordinate picnic items and meet at a park. Have lunch and play time. Your kids will be outside for at least two hours and will get plenty worn out.
- Seasonal activities
These activities are for enjoying your current season. For summer, think the beach or your city parade. In the fall, go for an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Winter is all about sledding and Christmas events! These come-and-go activities are best enjoyed with friends!
Are you amped up yet? Have some fun out there!
How does Marabou support women?
We live in culture where “bouncing back” is more valued than proper rest. As admirable as it may be for a sports star to get back on the field, the same rules don’t apply to postpartum recovery. The traditional resting period has been stolen from women through pressure to get back to their job or simply through lack of presence.
Grandmas, sisters and best friends who otherwise would have been there to help a woman transition into motherhood often live too far away to be of any help. Household chores and caring for older children inevitably fall on the mom. But she just delivered a new life! She needs rest.
Marabou Services is a unique gift registry which provides services instead of stuff. Most mom’s get too many onesies, too many baby blankets and not enough helping hands. Break out of a destructive cultural norm and start a Marabou registry today.
With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.
Postpartum doulas for a first time mom
House cleanings for moms of multiples
Childcare for moms with older children!
Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.
More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.
