The responsibility of motherhood comes with great joy and rewards; however it can be overwhelming at times.

Writer Susan Diranian states it like this: Being a mother is virtually endless. A mother is a protector, disciplinarian and friend. A mother is a selfless, loving human who must sacrifice many of her wants and needs for the wants and needs of her children. A mother works hard to make sure her child is equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to make it as a competent human being. Being a mother is perhaps the hardest, most rewarding job a woman will ever experience.

Motherhood surely involves a lot of sacrifices, this is why counsellors deem it important for mothers to sometimes step back and refresh. And one of the best ways they can do this is by taking a ‘mumcation.’

As a mother, it is incredibly important to look after your health emotionally and physically. Photos/Net

Mumcation is a fairly new term that means mothers spending time alone away from their children and partners. This can be time spent on a vacation or spent with friends.

As a mother, it is incredibly important to look after your health, emotionally and physically.

Shifra Abayizera, a mother of one, says mumcations have increasingly become popular in recent years noting that motherhood is so encompassing that it can be easy for mothers to lose themselves.

"Duties of a mother can be overwhelming, it is so important for women to take some time off. This can be a day or a few days away alone to yourself, and with it, it can be enough to feel rested and rejuvenated,” she says.

Annonciata Murerwa can’t agree more. She is a mother of two toddlers and says she has never experienced the kind of exhaustion she has had after becoming a mother.

"My kids are just one year apart and are both still very young. This means they both need my attention, and with a job and husband to tend to, responsibilities can at times be too much. Family is a blessing indeed but handling the responsibility that comes with it requires a lot,” she says.

Umurerwa says such vacations are necessary for the entire family to relax once in a while, adding, however, that mothers at times need to be alone for some time to get their energy back.

"They say, a happy wife makes a happy home, and this is very true. Without enough rest, mothers can be irritated and this negative energy can spread out to the entire household. Mothers, hard as it may, should endeavour to take some time and recharge their minds, bodies and spirits.”  

The idea of a mumcation sounds spectacular for Dorine Uwera. She says this type of vacation should have been in place a long time ago because mothers would have something to look forward to, especially when things get tight around them.

She talks about the guilt that most women battle when it comes to leaving their families behind, noting, however, this should not hold them back.

"It’s not easy to leave our children behind even if it’s just for a few days, but we need to understand that we are not doing this out of selfish interests. Our children need us healthy too and if a mumcation is what we need to keep ourselves sane and in good health, then we should go for it.”

She goes on to add that the routines of daily life can at times be hard to deal with, and that this is why mothers need to go away to revive.

"As a mother, I lose myself in ensuring that my children get the best of me. It is the best feeling to be there for them, but matter of fact is that it can be draining. Mothers out there need to beat this overwhelm if they want to be the great mothers they want to be for their children. A mumcation changes things; it excites you and pushes you out of your routine.”