What Mums Really Want Is A Rest!

From the second you are awoken by a shrill shriek of “I’m cold” “I need a wee” or merely “I’m AWAAAAAAAKE!”, your day as a Mum begins. Toddlers can be a challenge, school-agers a pain, and students a drain, so it’s hardly surprising that if you ask most Mums what they’d like this Mother’s Day the immediate answer is a weary “Just a bit of a rest”.

The average mum doesn’t put her feet up until 8.07pm each night according to a recent survey. Researchers, who carried out a UK wide study of mums, revealed the majority start their day at 6.42am – and do not sit down to relax until 8.07pm.

The study also shows mums spend an average of two hours tackling jobs in the evening – often after a full day’s work. Clearing up after evening meals emerged as the top evening chore – with 83% claiming this falls to them most nights. In fact mealtimes emerged as the biggest chore overall for the nation’s women – serving up meals was second in the list of tasks (78%), followed by prepping and cooking meals. (77%.)

Helping with home-work (36%), washing clothes (43%) and reading with the children (38%) were also high in the list of chores. Checking work emails (16%), bathing children (41%) and getting school uniforms ready (42%) also featured in the evening “to do” list. And more than half of the Mums surveyed (55%) said by the end of each day they felt ‘worn out and completely exhausted’. A further 57% of those who took part said they felt ‘close to breaking point’ amid the sheer weight of tasks awaiting them.

Rachel Westwood, brand manager at Toby Carvery, commissioned the research among 1,000 mums aged between 18 and 55, said: “We recognise mums are extremely busy and so weren’t surprised to see that every day is manic.

So what does Mum really want this Mother’s Day? A box of chocolates? A bunch of flowers? It’s more likely to be a long bath or a bottle of wine! Watching television is still the relaxation activity of choice for the nation’s mums – 83 percent said it was their favourite way to unwind. Two in five wind down by logging on to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – or by shopping online. And 17% said a glass of wine was the ultimate way to unwind.

With this in mind we have carefully collated a collection of superior gifts guaranteed to help your Mum unwind this Mother’s Day.

Clockwise from top left:

1. Wellness retreats: Multi-tasking mums know that juggling the demands of motherhood is not always conducive to connecting with your inner-calm, so give her the break she deserves and book her a wellness break with Health and Fitness Travel. From a mountain escape in Switzerland to a beach retreat in Morocco, these mindful wellness breaks offer practical techniques for staying present, balanced and calm, when tackling toddler tantrums or teenage dramas. Whether she is a yoga guru, outdoor aficionado or spa worshipper, she’ll find everything she needs to cultivate calm and channel a more balanced motherhood mindset.

2. National Arts Pass: With research suggesting attending cultural events can improve your health and sense of wellbeing, the National Art Pass (NAP) is the perfect gift for any mum looking to embrace her cultural side. Costing £70 for an annual individual pass, The card that gives free or discounted entry to museums, places of interest and special exhibitions all around the UK. 

3. Himalayan Salts: If you can’t afford to send her away for a break you can always buy Mum a bath treat to give her an hour’s worth of relaxation while the house gets on without her! Known in the Himalayas as ‘white gold’,  Himalayan Crystal Salt contains the same 84 natural minerals and elements found in the human body, so is perfect for boosting tired skin and relaxing aching limbs. Available for £5.95 from www.himalayansalt.co.uk.

4. Give her time: If you can’t give your mum real time this Mother’s Day, at least enable her to keep an eye on the time in style! British brand Abbott Lyon has just launched its Ladies Petite Luxe collection with smaller watch faces to the original range, and 28  different styles and colour-ways. Priced from £119.

5. Revive skin while she sleeps: Some mums simply don’t have time for a pampering day, but we’ve found a little pot of gold that gets to work while you sleep! Former Masterchef winner Angela Langford’s rest & regenerate night balm  is made with nourishing macadamia, avocado and pumpkin oils to soothe winter-stressed skin. Angela told Belle “This little pot of wonder gets to work while you sleep so it’s a perfect pampering night time facial treatment for mums!”. RRP £39 for 30ml. 

6. Post an award-winning Prosecco: Settling down with a glass of wine can be the best way to relax after a long day, and now wine delivery service Premiere Estates Wine has launched a single bottle delivery service on its full range of award-winning wines. So get online and order Mum a bottle so she can pop the cork and enjoy her special day.

7. Colouring Book: Although colouring may have been just for kids in the past, more and more adults are taking to the pages of adult colouring book range as a relaxation tool. Crayola Escapes adult colouring books are available for around £10 each from all good bookshops.

• The research quoted above was carried out by restaurant chain Toby Carvery, who surveyed 1,000 UK mums aged between 18 and 55