The Coffees of Motherhood | Guest Post

by Petra from A Mum Reviews 

For as long as I can remember, coffee has been a big part of my life. I’ve always enjoyed the taste and the boost of energy has been very much needed throughout the years - the tired teenage years, the juggling full time work and more than full time education years and now through the working motherhood years when it’s probably needed and appreciated the most so far! I’m in my 9th year of motherhood now and my youngest is 3 years old. We still have broken sleep most nights and I never wake up feeling like I’ve had enough sleep. What does well-rested even mean? Who knows? Maybe I will find out one day! Fingers crossed…

In this article, I’m going to investigate the coffees of Motherhood as they are in my life! Let’s get started!

The Morning Peace Coffee

The first cup of coffee in the morning is the most important one. I like to enjoy my first cup on my own, in peace, before anyone else in the house is up. My kids haven’t been the best sleepers as toddlers and all of them have liked to stay up late at this age but at least they don’t wake up early!

This means that on most days I do get to enjoy my first cup of coffee in peace while reading a book or watching something that I want to watch. My morning coffee is black and strong and served in the biggest mug available. It’s usually quickly followed by the second cup of coffee of the day which is almost as important. With one or two strong, large cups of coffees in me, I feel more ready to start the day.

The Cold, Forgotten Coffee

I can’t write an article about the coffees of motherhood without mentioning this one. It’s one that all mums will be familiar with – the cold coffee. Not cold because you want it to be cold, but cold because it’s been forgotten about – or more likely, you have had to do other things instead like getting the kids ready for school or dealing with your baby or toddler and you have simply not had time to drink the coffee yet, so it’s cold.

Not-on-purpose-cold coffee is not nice.

Some microwave it to warm it back up, some make a fresh cup of coffee and ditch the cold one, and others add some hot water or extra coffee to the cup as a top-up to warm it slightly. Some brave the cold coffee and hope for better for the next cup…

The Iced, Sweet Coffee

Coffee that is cold on purpose is a completely different thing and something I do enjoy. An iced coffee is perfect for the summer weather and feels a bit like a treat even when you just make it at home when you get back from the school run.

I like my iced coffee strong with a spoon of sugar and a dash of milk, poured over lots of ice. It’s my go-to on sunny, hot days and best enjoyed in the garden, in the shade, pretending that the kids are getting along and playing nicely.

The Fancy Treat Coffee

A type of coffee that I started appreciating more since becoming a mother is the fancy coffees that you buy in coffee shops. I love a cappuccino with some brown sugar when I get a chance to enjoy one in a nice café.

It’s rare these days as going to a café with three children is not quite the relaxing treat that it should be. When I do get the chance, I love being able to slowly enjoy a fancy treat coffee that’s been made for me by a barista. Preferably with a sweet treat to go alongside it.

The Decaf Coffee

The only time in my life that I have had decaf coffee has been when I was pregnant. With my first pregnancy, I was really strict about this and didn’t have any caffeine which was fine as I had time to nap when I was tired.

With my second, I limited my caffeine by having just one cup of proper coffee per day and decaf for the rest of the day. With my third, I cut down on caffeine but didn’t obsess about it. There are some decent decaf coffees to choose from these days that taste great, but I did miss the caffeine.

The Festive Coffee

Oh, I nearly forgot about the festive coffees! Autumn and winter are the perfect times of the year to enjoy coffee drinks like mochas, flavoured lattes and – the best of all – coffee with Baileys in it around Christmas. Like a warm cocktail but one that will also help you stay awake past your children’s bedtime which is handy when you are a tired mum!

Coffee is a huge part of my life as a person and as a mother. Drinking coffee provides me with so many different things – enjoyment, a chance to have some time for me, a chance to have a break and pause, a boost of energy and a bit of sanity sometimes. Some prefer tea and then there are some superwomen mums who get by with neither – if you know their secret, let me know too.

If I could only choose one of the above coffees from my life, it would definitely be the morning one in peace. Without that first one and the moment of calm that I crave so much at the start of the day, I don’t feel ready to face the day.

It’s a daily habit and a routine that I very much appreciate and value and those are the ones that are extra important for us mums to keep. We do so much for other people all day every day so those special moments for just us need to be treasured. It might sound simple, but these small things mean so much to our well-being and mental health. A nice bonus is that when we look after ourselves better, we become happier mums as well!

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