To all of the moms in the Women in Retail Leadership Circle community, happy (almost) Mother’s Day!

Don’t we all deserve it?

The last year has been super challenging for so many of us. Moms, in general, have been stretched thin for a while, balancing the demands of work, housework and child care. And the ongoing pandemic has brought even more demands to many of us, including having to help homebound children struggling to learn via online classes, caring for parents or family members who may have required extra support during the pandemic, among many other challenges.

Furthermore, the pandemic has hit working moms especially hard, forcing many to leave the workforce or cut back drastically on their work hours. In fact, around 10 million U.S. mothers living with their own school-age children were not actively working in January — 1.4 million more than during the same month last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. What’s more, the 10 million not working accounted for over one-third of all mothers living with school-age children in the United States, according to the Current Population Survey.

Let’s face it: its been a tough year for moms! That’s why it’s more important than ever for all the moms out there to really have a special day on Sunday. Spend some much-needed time on yourself. So have a mimosa, take a long bath, spend time in bed reading that book you’ve been meaning to pick up, take a long walk, and don’t forget to call your mom!

I’ll be celebrating with my husband and two teenagers this year, and am planning to do all of the above and more! How are you celebrating Mother’s Day this year? Drop me a line at mcampanelli@napco.com and let me know. I’d love to hear!

Have a great Mother’s Day!