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These are the Christmas gifts every working mom wants

For everyone with a working mom on their Christmas shopping list, allow me to make your gift purchasing process super simple: All working moms want for Christmas this year is a break.

Posted Updated
Meal kit
By
Stephanie Llorente
, WRAL contributor

Thanksgiving is over, and it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year! At least, we want it to be. But, if you’re the one tasked with planning and executing all the family gifts, parties, travel and school holidays ON TOP OF your regular day job, the holiday season gets overwhelming…fast.

For everyone with a working mom on their Christmas shopping list, allow me to make your gift purchasing process super simple: All working moms want for Christmas this year is a break. That’s it. Nothing fancy. Nothing expensive. Just, a break.

Because, after two years of managing homes, schedules, work loads and mental loads in the midst of a pandemic, we’re just flat out exhausted. In fact, I surveyed my Instagram following and asked, “What is the best Christmas gift a working mom could receive?” Literally every response fell into three categories: time, experience and community.

So, here are a few ideas to help the working mom(s) in your life feel recharged, renewed and restored with the three gifts they crave most. Plus, if you’re reading this as a working mom yourself, simply copy this link and send it to those shopping for you this season!

The gift of time

Time is a hot commodity for moms in the workplace. Anything that can make our lives easier while creating new pockets of time for us is always a win. Here are some ways you can gift time:

  • Solo getaway – This the PREMIUM gift for a working mom. Take the kids and give her a hotel stay – local or distant – where she can just be. It doesn’t have to be a fancy hotel or one with all the amenities. One with a bed and a shower will do just fine.
  • House cleaning service – Much of a working mom’s time is occupied by household chores. A once-a-month cleaning or a laundry service to do the one chore that never ends are both welcome gifts. Locally, Consider It Done can execute on both.
  • Meal service – Some women like to cook, and some don’t, but it’s a task that steals our time either way. Gifting meals means less meal prep and clean up time in the kitchen, which can afford moms time for other things. I use Satori Meals, and everything I’ve ordered has been delicious.
  • Drop-in childcare – Several businesses across the Triangle offer drop in child care, or camps where kids can have fun while mom runs errands, knocks out work projects or does a grocery run. While valuable, be careful with this gift. Many moms are picky (as they should be) about who cares for their child. This is a gift I would validate they will use before making the purchase.
  • Home organizer – I’m terribly unorganized, but I hear that having your home organized in a way that makes sense for your family can save lots of time and frustration. The Raleigh area is filled with home organization experts, and the gift of an organized pantry, drop zone or closet could be just what mom needs this Christmas.

The gift of experience

Experiences are always a welcome gift because they provide moms with small pockets of time to reconnect with themselves. Much of mothering is focusing on others, so it’s a treat to place focus on your own wellness.

  • Spa/Nails – Find your local spa and book an appointment. I can’t think of one mom who would say, “no thanks” to this. There’s a new float spa in Holly Springs that I want to try.
  • Massage – I love a good massage and the rest that it brings. Whether it’s a one-time massage or a membership that creates a cadence of rest, working moms everywhere would love this gift.
  • Fitness membership – Yoga, pilates, barre or a traditional gym – whatever she’s into, help her make it a priority. I have a membership with Barre3, and it has been life-giving to step away for an hour and sweat it out with their instructors.
  • Permission slip – If you need a really inexpensive gift that creates a great experience for mom, have the kids make a permission slip for mom to take the day off. Give her permission to relax for an entire day – no cooking, no cleaning, no scheduling, no organizing, no planning, no chauffeuring, no dog feeding, no working.

The gift of community

Working moms (all moms!!) need community, and I can’t say this enough. They feel largely unseen and isolated, and this was happening well before COVID came along. We were built to be in community with each other, and it’s always fascinating to me how many moms want this for themselves, but don’t know how or where to find it. So, help them find their people, and you’ll be giving a gift that literally keeps on giving. Here are a few of my favorite local mom communities, plus one national in scope:

  • Restored (full disclosure: I’m biased here because I run this one!) – This is a community laser-focused on faith-interested working moms. It’s filled with wonderful women leaning into the fact that we can’t go at it alone. Restored welcomes women from a variety of backgrounds and helps equip them for life at home and at work.
  • Networking Women of the Triangle – I recently joined this Facebook group and can tell you that the idea of community over competition thrives here. It’s an encouraging space and filled with countless resources for women in the workplace.
  • Thrive Motherhood – Working mom or otherwise, this nonprofit strives to help women recognize and build their skills and passions. Young mothers may find this to be an especially helpful community. I registered for their Dec. 4 networking event and hope to meet other working moms there.
  • Kinly – Kinly is part community, part resource directory. They believe mothering shouldn’t be done in a silo and have curated a variety of experts on all things mothering. From baby wearing and lactation consultants to adoption and mental health professionals, the Kinly community is chock full of those who can help you mother well. They also host play dates and other mom-centric events.
  • Hey Mama Co. – While all the other communities are local, this one is national and offers a membership option to connect mothers growing their families and their careers. I’ve attended a few virtual events and have been impressed with how they connect working women around relevant topics.
All in all, I think it’s safe to say that moms who work outside of the home don’t need another kitchen gadget or coffee mug (neither do moms who work inside the home. They want a break, too!), so use an idea from the list above or get creative. And, if you really want a give a useful, tangible gift to a working mom in your life, I’ve got a list of those over on the Restored blog. Happy gifting, friends!
Stephanie Llorente is a mother of two children and a regular Go Ask Mom contributor. She is the owner of Prep Communications and Restored, a faith-based business that delivers relevant resources and intentional community to working moms.

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