{"id":2200,"date":"2026-04-10T01:46:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/?p=2200"},"modified":"2026-04-10T02:28:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:43:30","slug":"small-ways-mums-can-take-time-for-themselves-this-mothers-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/learn-play\/small-ways-mums-can-take-time-for-themselves-this-mothers-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Ways Mums Can Take Time for Themselves This Mother\u2019s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Key Takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Self care for mums doesn&#8217;t have to be big or expensive &#8211; small, regular resets make a real difference<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Guilt is one of the biggest barriers to mums taking time for themselves, but stepping back briefly actually makes you a more present parent<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Asking for specific help is more effective than hinting &#8211; partners and family want to support you, they just need direction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The little moments you share with your kids count as restoration too &#8211; joy is a form of self care<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This Mother&#8217;s Day, the<a href=\"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/little-moments\/\"> Little Bellies Little Moments, Big Feelings campaign<\/a> is a beautiful reminder to pause, reflect, and celebrate what matters most<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Motherhood is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It&#8217;s also relentless. And somewhere between the nap schedules, the snack prep, the school runs, and the bedtime negotiations, the idea of taking time for yourself can start to feel like a luxury you just can&#8217;t afford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here&#8217;s the thing &#8211; self care doesn&#8217;t have to be a spa day or a solo weekend away. For most mums, real self care looks a lot smaller than that. And a lot more doable. This Mother&#8217;s Day, we want to talk about what that actually looks like in practice, and why you deserve to take it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why Mums Put Themselves Last (And Why That Needs to Change)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not laziness or lack of effort that leads mums to deprioritise their own needs. It&#8217;s the opposite. Most mums are so focused on doing right by their kids that their own wellbeing quietly slips down the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s also the guilt factor. Taking time for yourself as a mum can come loaded with a sense that you&#8217;re somehow being selfish, or that there&#8217;s always something more important you should be doing. That guilt is incredibly common &#8211; and incredibly unhelpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research consistently shows that parental wellbeing directly affects child wellbeing. When mums are rested, less stressed, and more emotionally regulated, the whole family benefits. Taking care of yourself isn&#8217;t indulgent &#8211; it&#8217;s actually one of the most practical things you can do for your kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We know from everything we hear at Little Bellies that the early years can feel full, joyful, overwhelming, and exhausting all at once. That&#8217;s exactly why this conversation matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Self Care Actually Looks Like for Busy Mums<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Forget the highlight reel version. For most mums with babies and toddlers at home, self care is less about bubble baths and more about carving out small, intentional moments that help you feel like a person again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what that can actually look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A hot drink while it&#8217;s still hot.<\/strong> It sounds almost too simple, but sitting down with a coffee or cup of tea before the day fully kicks in &#8211; even for ten minutes &#8211; can genuinely shift your headspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A walk without a destination.<\/strong> Getting outside on your own, even briefly, is one of the most effective ways to reset. No podcast required. Just a bit of movement and fresh air, at your own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A shower that isn&#8217;t rushed.<\/strong> Again, small. But for a lot of mums, an uninterrupted shower with the bathroom door actually closed feels like a genuine act of restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Saying no to one thing.<\/strong> Self care isn&#8217;t always about adding something in. Sometimes it&#8217;s about protecting your energy by letting something go &#8211; a social obligation, a task that can wait, a standard you&#8217;ve set for yourself that doesn&#8217;t really need to be that high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Five minutes of quiet before the house wakes up.<\/strong> Some mums swear by waking up slightly before their kids just to have a few minutes of stillness before the day begins. It doesn&#8217;t work for everyone, but for those it does, it&#8217;s a game changer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Doing something that&#8217;s just yours.<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t have to be big. Sometimes it\u2019s as simple as making time for a hobby, a show you love, a book you&#8217;ve been meaning to get back to. Having something in your life that belongs entirely to you &#8211; not to your role as a mum or a partner &#8211; is genuinely important for your sense of identity and can help you reconnect with yourself, little by little.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to Take a Break Without the Guilt<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a lot of mums, the hardest part of taking a break isn\u2019t finding the time &#8211; it\u2019s the feeling of guilt that comes with it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the honest part: taking a break doesn&#8217;t make you a bad mum. It makes things more sustainable &#8211; for you, and for your little one. The version of you that never stops, never rests, and never asks for help is not the best version of you &#8211; for your kids or for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shifting that guilt doesn\u2019t happen overnight, but it can start small:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reframe rest as part of the job.<\/strong> You can&#8217;t pour from an empty cup. Rest is what makes everything else possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Start small.<\/strong> You don&#8217;t have to take a whole day off to feel the benefit. Ten minutes of genuine downtime is still ten minutes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Let go of perfect.<\/strong> The laundry can wait. The dishes can wait. Your kids need a present, regulated parent far more than they need a spotless house.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Give yourself the same compassion you&#8217;d give a friend.<\/strong> You&#8217;d never tell another mum she didn&#8217;t deserve a break. Apply that same logic to yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How Partners Can Actually Help This Mother&#8217;s Day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most common frustrations mums share is asking for support and still feeling that it somehow missed the mark. Often this isn&#8217;t a lack of care &#8211; it&#8217;s a communication gap. Partners want to show up, but they may not necessarily know what that looks like in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re already carrying the mental load, explaining it can feel like just one more thing. But the shift often comes down to one effective thing: being clear and specific, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of &#8220;I just need a break,&#8221; try &#8220;I need two hours on Sunday morning where I&#8217;m not responsible for anything.&#8221; Clear asks make it easier for someone to step in to give you a moment &#8211; whether that&#8217;s a lie-in, a solo walk, a meal you didn&#8217;t have to plan, or just an afternoon where someone else handles the <a href=\"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/snacks-by-stage\/toddler\/\" title=\"\">toddler snack<\/a> situation entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specific asks get specific results. And they also give partners a real way to show up, which most of them genuinely want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Little Moments Count Too<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Self care doesn&#8217;t always mean time away from your kids. Sometimes the most restorative moments are the ones you share with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first time a baby reaches for your face. A toddler belly laugh over something completely random. A quiet cuddle after a feed. A shared snack moment that turns into a game. And sometimes, it\u2019s pausing just long enough to capture it &#8211; a quick photo, a short video, a moment you almost missed but wanted to hold onto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the little moments that fill you back up &#8211; not because they&#8217;re easy, but because they remind you why this season of life, for all its intensity, is also genuinely extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s what the <a href=\"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/little-moments\/\">Little Bellies Little Moments, Big Feelings campaign<\/a> is celebrating this Mother&#8217;s Day. Not the polished version of motherhood &#8211; the real one. The small, fleeting, meaningful moments that shape what this experience actually feels like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you haven&#8217;t already, we&#8217;d love for you to share yours. Head to the <a href=\"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/little-moments\/\">campaign page<\/a>, share your favorite little moment with your little one, and you&#8217;ll be in the running to win a brand new Panasonic LUMIX S9 camera worth $3,299 AUD or the equivalent* &#8211; so you can keep capturing the moments that matter most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you&#8217;re looking for simple, wholesome snacks to make those everyday moments a little more delicious, take a look at our <a href=\"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/our-products\/\" title=\"\">full range of products<\/a> &#8211; from <a href=\"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/snacks-by-stage\/baby\/\" title=\"\">baby snacks<\/a> or first tastes to <a href=\"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/snacks-by-stage\/toddler\/\" title=\"\">toddler snacks<\/a> for bigger appetites and even bigger personalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FAQs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<section class=\"section-toggles\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n    <ul class=\"toggles js-toggles\">\n\n                    \n            <li class=\"toggle \" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\">\n                <h3 class=\"toggle__head\" itemprop=\"name\">\n                    <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" >What are realistic self care ideas for mums? <\/a>\n                <\/h3><!-- \/.toggle__head -->\n\n                <div class=\"toggle__body\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                    <div class=\"toggle__body-inner\" itemprop=\"text\">\n                        <p>Realistic self care for mums doesn&#8217;t have to be big or time-consuming. A hot drink before the day starts, a short walk on your own, saying no to one commitment that drains you, or five quiet minutes before the house wakes up &#8211; these small resets add up. The goal isn&#8217;t perfection, it&#8217;s consistency. Small and regular is far more sustainable than occasional and elaborate.<\/p>\n                    <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body-inner -->\n                <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body -->\n            <\/li><!-- \/.toggle -->\n                    \n            <li class=\"toggle \" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\">\n                <h3 class=\"toggle__head\" itemprop=\"name\">\n                    <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" >How can mums take a break without guilt? <\/a>\n                <\/h3><!-- \/.toggle__head -->\n\n                <div class=\"toggle__body\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                    <div class=\"toggle__body-inner\" itemprop=\"text\">\n                        <p>Start by reframing rest as part of the job rather than a reward you have to earn. Taking a break makes you more present, more patient, and more emotionally available &#8211; which benefits your whole family. Give yourself the same compassion you&#8217;d give a friend in the same situation. And start small &#8211; even ten minutes of genuine downtime counts.<\/p>\n                    <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body-inner -->\n                <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body -->\n            <\/li><!-- \/.toggle -->\n                    \n            <li class=\"toggle \" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\">\n                <h3 class=\"toggle__head\" itemprop=\"name\">\n                    <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" >What does self care really look like for parents? <\/a>\n                <\/h3><!-- \/.toggle__head -->\n\n                <div class=\"toggle__body\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                    <div class=\"toggle__body-inner\" itemprop=\"text\">\n                        <p>For most parents, self care looks nothing like the social media version. It looks like an uninterrupted shower, a meal you didn&#8217;t have to think about, a hobby you get to do for twenty minutes, or simply sitting down without immediately getting back up. It&#8217;s small, it&#8217;s personal, and it doesn&#8217;t require a full day off or a big budget.<\/p>\n                    <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body-inner -->\n                <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body -->\n            <\/li><!-- \/.toggle -->\n                    \n            <li class=\"toggle \" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\">\n                <h3 class=\"toggle__head\" itemprop=\"name\">\n                    <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" >How can partners support mums on Mother&#039;s Day? <\/a>\n                <\/h3><!-- \/.toggle__head -->\n\n                <div class=\"toggle__body\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                    <div class=\"toggle__body-inner\" itemprop=\"text\">\n                        <p>The most helpful thing partners can do is ask what&#8217;s actually needed &#8211; and then follow through specifically. Vague offers of help are easy to dismiss. A concrete plan (two hours on Saturday morning, a lie-in, taking over the bedtime routine for a week) is much easier for a mom to accept and actually benefit from.<\/p>\n                    <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body-inner -->\n                <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body -->\n            <\/li><!-- \/.toggle -->\n                    \n            <li class=\"toggle \" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\">\n                <h3 class=\"toggle__head\" itemprop=\"name\">\n                    <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" >What small breaks actually help mums reset? <\/a>\n                <\/h3><!-- \/.toggle__head -->\n\n                <div class=\"toggle__body\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                    <div class=\"toggle__body-inner\" itemprop=\"text\">\n                        <p>The breaks that tend to help most are ones that involve genuine separation from responsibility &#8211; even briefly. A short solo walk, sitting outside with a drink, reading a few pages of a book, or just being somewhere quiet without anyone needing something from you. It doesn&#8217;t have to be long. It just has to be yours.<\/p>\n                    <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body-inner -->\n                <\/div><!-- \/.toggle__body -->\n            <\/li><!-- \/.toggle -->\n            <\/ul>\n<\/section><!-- \/.section-toggles -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways: Motherhood is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It&#8217;s also relentless. And somewhere between the nap schedules, the snack prep, the school runs, and the bedtime negotiations, the idea of taking time for yourself can start to feel like a luxury you just can&#8217;t afford. But here&#8217;s the thing &#8211; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2201,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parenting-advice-tips"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2200"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2202,"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2200\/revisions\/2202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}