You deserve to enjoy motherhood. If you’re feeling tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed more often than not, you probably need a break. I’m not talking about a long shower while your kids battle your husband a room away. While that may be a quick fix, I’m encouraging you to take a real break. I’m talking about taking a vacation with your best friend.

Imagine waking up without an alarm clock. You’re well rested and spend a few minutes enjoying your plush bed and down-filled pillow. You start your morning slowly, showering in peace, and putting on your favorite sundress. You meet your best friend in the lobby of your boutique hotel and walk to a beautiful brunch spot. The morning hours pass while you sip on mimosas, eat waffles (that you didn’t have to cook!), and plan what you’ll do for your free afternoon. If that doesn’t sound glorious, then you might as well stop reading. But for me, there is no better way to rest, reconnect with your own needs, and have some fun than getting away for a few days.

As if you needed any convincing, here are the three reasons every stay-at-home mom should take a girls trip.

You Deserve a Break

As a stay at home mom, your job is never finished. We often discredit the amount of work that we do because each task is easy on the surface. Watching the children, cooking meals, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, and tidying the home aren’t particularly difficult tasks. However, everything together creates the mental load of motherhood that so many of us struggle with. Managing our responsibilities while being a loving mother and supportive wife is overwhelming. Unlike conventional jobs, there is no clocking out for us. Caring for our families 24/7 can leave us tired and burnt out. In order to relax, stay at home moms need opportunities to step outside of their motherly roles. When we travel, we can truly take a break from all of the daily, never ending chores.

Planning a break will give you something to look forward to. If you’ve been missing your life before kids, you can plan your trip to be fun and exciting, giving you opportunities to be spontaneous and try new things. Overwhelmed and tired moms can plan a trip where they can sleep in, read a book, and visit the spa. If you’re somewhere in between the two, you can make the perfect mix of adventure and rest. So much of your daily life involves taking care of other’s needs. You deserve the opportunity to take what you need. You’ll be a better mom for it, too. 

Your Partner Will Understand Your Daily Life Better

Life at work is so different than being a stay-at-home parent. It can be easy for your separate roles to create a divide between you and your partner. When your partner is away at work, you’re managing the kids and household. You can spend the whole morning cleaning, just for new messes to appear before your husband comes home. It is frustrating when your work goes unnoticed. It’s difficult to communicate your frustrations when your partner’s daily life is so different. They may be dealing with long commutes and stressful meetings, while you’re dealing with mom-guilt and potty training. Give your partner the opportunity to spend a few days in your shoes. Let them plan the meals, pick the outfits, and do the bedtime routines. They won’t do it all perfectly, but allow them to manage it in their own way. Your partner will see the invisible work that you do. When you come home, they’ll have a deeper appreciation you. Your partner does a lot for your family, but they’ll also benefit from experiencing your contribution, too. 

Spending time away will also give your partner space to bond with your children. They’ll be able to experience the good parts of being a stay-at-home parent. This time will allow them to play with your kids, make memories, and start new traditions. If you typically go to the library or zoo while your partner is at work, encourage them to take the kids out for their own fun! While sharing the workload is beneficial for everyone, so is sharing the fun. Let your partner experience the joys of being home.

You Will Create Core Memories With Your Girls

Let’s face it, if your friends are also moms, they’re probably in need of a break too. If they’re not in that season of life, then they would love to spend quality time with you. It’s tricky balancing friendships in adulthood. When we’re busy managing our households, prioritizing our partners, and trying to raise smart, kind, happy kids, there might not be much time for us, let alone our friendships. I’m forever grateful for my friends that can go weeks without hearing from me and still know that they’re loved. However, I would love the opportunity to pour into those relationships. A girls trip can give you the opportunity to do just that. You’ll have more time to connect with your friends and you’ll be strengthening the support system that you need to enjoy daily motherhood.

It will also give you something new to talk about. If your conversations haven’t changed much in the last few years, it’s time to make new memories. Sure, your college days are great to laugh at, but don’t you want to be making memories now? Making new memories with your friends will do more than deepen your friendships. It will give you new stories to tell and memories to reminisce on. It makes your life more robust and helps you break out of feeling like “just a mom”. Motherhood is great, but making memories outside of parenting is important too. 

Go On & Plan the Girls Trip!

Enjoying motherhood is more than just enjoying your kids. It’s about creating a life that brings you joy and happiness. You’ll be a better mother if you take a break from your endless to-do list, take care of yourself, and create memories with your favorite people. Every stay-at-home mom deserves to take a girls trip.

When you get home, You’ll be refreshed and ready to take on your motherly role. After a few days away, you’ll be eager to see your little ones. Missing them gives you the opportunity to appreciate their best qualities. You’ll get to see their sweet littleness with fresh eyes. They’ll be excited to see you, too. Your children deserve the best version of you. A girls trip will help you enjoy motherhood even more.