I recently returned from a lovely ladies weekend with five other mothers. I wanted to go somewhere I had never been before for my 39th Birthday, so we headed to Como, Italy. We had great food, good coffee, drank wine, had massages and went shopping! Even though it was only three days and two nights, we managed to do a bit of everything. At the end of the trip, we felt recharged and ready to return to our family.
Before the trip, I was so desperate to get away from my family. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but I seriously needed a break from them. I was tired of meal planning, groceries shopping, cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, tidying up, dropping off and picking up, getting ready for school, getting ready for bed, dealing with tantrums, breaking up fights. And on top of all that, working at night and blogging whenever I had time and energy.
Now that I'm back, I feel so much better! The reset was necessary for my mental and emotional health. I was on edge from the monotonous daily family routine! I needed a change of scene and to hang out with other women. Throughout the trip, my mama friends thanked me countless times for organizing the mom weekend, and it dawned on me that we all needed this ladies trip!
Apart from the obvious that reason that you can and should take a ladies trip away from your family. Here are the five reasons why you should go on a ladies weekend:
1. Remember who you are again
Sometimes being a mother means you forget who you are. You were an adventurous, independent woman before having your kids. These days, you are so focused on the kids and family life that you don't even have the energy to dress up. Remember, before you had kids, you were someone sexy, crazy and free! You wore dresses, lipstick and heels. It's so important to get in touch with your feminine side. The side of us that is creative and playful. I only wore dresses this trip because I knew I would be in practical T-shirts and jeans once I was back. I had so much fun dressing up and reclaiming my feminine side!
2. Teaches your kids about self-care
The key message you are sending to your kids and husband is that mummy needs a break too! She needs to take a break before she breaks. She also needs to be with her friends and have fun. We are modelling self-care to our kids, especially our daughters, that self-care is not selfish. It is self-preservation. When we take time to look after ourselves, we have more mental space to be patient, less resentful. It helps us to become patient and loving mothers and wives.
3. Enjoy being spontaneous
When we are with our kids, we follow a daily routine. Routine makes our busy mom life less chaotic and more manageable, and we go about our day on autopilot. But let's face it, the daily routine also sucks the fun out sometimes. It can get pretty dull! When you are on your ladies weekend trips, there are no rules! You wake up later, have breakfast at 10 am, eat pastries for breakfast (Yay!), go for a massage, have lunch outdoors, drink wine! Basically, you do what you want when you want to! That's very refreshing and liberating!
4. Science says it's good for your mental health
In this Motherly article about momcations, it says that " Science suggests that humans need connections outside of our romantic partners and mother-child bonds and that when we don't connect with our friends, our health suffers." Indeed we are social creatures! We need contact and connection with other people! Throughout my ladies trip, we shared about everything under the sun. We connect through our experiences and stories. It made me realized that we are all going through the same thing. Sometimes hearing from other mothers makes you feel better that you are not fucking up. Having confirmation that your kid is not weird or wrong is a huge relief.
5. It makes your family appreciate you
This reason is probably the most apparent, but it needs to be said. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Taking a mom weekend can help you reset, but it also helps how the family sees you. Your children and husband will have a better sense of how much you do for them daily. As a result, they will appreciate even more what you do. Your husband will also have a better idea of how much mental load it takes to plan and keep things running smoothly.
Now that you know the benefits of going on a moms weekend, what is your ideal weekend with the girls?
Comment or share below. I would love to hear what you think.