How to Have a Good Mother’s Day When You Are the Only Adult in the House

Mother’s Day, 2007. My husband was in Iraq, and I was home with my almost six-month-old and two-year-old. These kids were not old enough to even know that Mother’s Day was supposed to be a special day.

I got it into my head that this was going to be a special day anyway. We were going to go to church and then we were going to go to brunch. So that is what I attempted to do. Only. I had a six-month-old and a two-year-old.

The baby started to get fussy. The two-year-old was well, being two. And I was alone, sitting at my table, trying to eat my special meal. It was horrible. I ended up just getting out of there as soon as possible, getting annoyed with myself for even thinking that was a good idea.

As military spouses, we experience holidays alone. And when we do, we try to make the best of things. But mother’s day? This holiday is made for pampering the mom. It is all about making her feel special and loved.

But how does that work when you are the only adult in your home? How does that work when your kids are too young to do anything to help you have a good day?

Here are some ideas:

Order your favorite food

Order in your favorite food. You can always order take out, but you can also order from other restaurants. Many of them, such as Chilli’s and Outback, have an online ordering option where you just have to go pick up the food. You most likely won’t even have to get out of the car.

No cleaning

Don’t clean. I know, how do you not clean for one whole day? You have to prepare ahead of time. And sure, with young kids, you are probably going to have to clean something or at least do a load of dishes. But don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of time cleaning on Mother’s Day. You can always catch up the next day.

Get together with friends

Have friends going through the same thing? Make plans with them. Plan a brunch so you can all chat and the kids can play. Pick a time to meet up at the park. Figure out how to spend the day with other people in your life who get it. 

Celebrate your mom

Spend the day celebrating your mom. If you live close, take her out for lunch. If not, give her a call and let her know you are missing and thinking about her. If your mom is not around, find another female family member to show your love to. They will appreciate it, and it will take your mind off of being alone. And don’t forget about your mother-in-law.

Buy some cake

Don’t forget to get yourself a cake. No one will be making you one, and you will want that yummy dessert when the day comes. If you do love to bake, you can make your own, but either way, having cake will make you have a better day.

Ignore it

Who says you have to celebrate Mother’s Day if you don’t want to? Just ignore it. You might have to stay off of social media for this but ignoring the holiday can be done. Just have a regular Sunday with your kids and try not to put any pressure on yourself. You can always celebrate later on when your spouse is back home.

Having a deployed spouse on Mother’s Day makes for a more challenging Mother’s Day, but it doesn’t have to be horrible. How have you celebrated when your spouse has been away?