My ‘unnecessary’ Target trips are ABSOLUTELY necessary—and I’m not sorry for it

First of all, heyyy mama! Because I know that if you’re reading this, then you must be a Target mom, too—and that makes us the best of friends already. Undeniably, we most likely get each other (perhaps even better than our own spouses do😂.) We understand one another’s ever-growing desire for a day out at the store. Because we share a deep love for the one place where we feel seen, wanted and validated as mothers. 

Validated to go in for just one thing—yet walk out with a cart full of random items amounting to $300. 

Validated to walk in with sweatpants, messy hair and an oversized tee—or with our makeup done, our best dress on and a pair of high heels to prance through the aisles in (yasss hot mama!)

Related: 14 hilariously accurate tweets for all the mamas who love Target

Validated to grab tons of things we don’t need—yet somehow still make use of every single item.

Validated to do some “retail therapy”—every single day.

And that’s what makes us take on the “Target mom” identity.

Target is our store, and it seems to have everything we need—from groceries to matching holiday outfits for the family to chic coffee mugs. 

I don’t know what it is about the store, but when I walk through those sliding doors, I feel a sense of peace instantly wash over me—or maybe it’s just something in the air that sends me into a trance so I unconsciously grab everything that I don’t need 😅.

Whatever it is, Target is my home away from home. It’s my happy place. It’s my guilty pleasure—and I’m not sorry about it. 

Related: 5 ways to make peace with mom guilt and actually prioritize your self-care

Because as a mom, we all need a place that feels crucial to our identity—and Target is just that place. It’s for our children, it’s for our spouses, it’s for us. Whatever we need, Target is basically guaranteed to be the one-stop shop for it all. 

I often joke with my husband that “Target took all our money,” and I never know how it happens. It just does. I tell him that I’m going on a “quick store run” and he just shakes his head and goes about his day because he knows that what I mean is I’ll be gone for hours and come home with a trunk full of items that I absolutely did not need.

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But what makes me feel seen and validated in my Target mom fiascos? It’s that I know I’m not alone.

Almost every mom is a Target mom. We all share the persona of wanting the best of the best for ourselves and our family. From wall decorations to children’s clothing, we won’t settle for anything less. We want the pleasing aesthetic, the good sales and the reassuring glance from another Target mom who’s also headed down the rabbit hole in the Dollar Spot. 

Related: To the mom at Target whose kids were screaming—I’ve been there, too ❤️

We want the sophisticated shopping experience and the luxury of spending all of our well-earned money in one well-deserving place.

We want a reason to “treat ourselves”—and Target gives us millions of reasons.

So c’mon! What’s not to love about that store?!

Related: Calling all Target moms—you’ll be able to get curbside Starbucks soon!

Target is the one place where we could spend all of our “me time” glancing through throw blankets and decorative storage in the home section and smelling all the scents in the candle section.

Target is the one place where we can go alone or where we can drag our kids along with us—and sometimes even our husbands. Either way, we’re walking out wondering how we got a cart full of random items.

Target is the one place where we can grab a Starbucks coffee to sip on while we try to find the perfect swimsuit for our vacation. 

Target is the one place where we can feel comfortable just being moms.

Because I know I’ll see another mama there. I know they won’t judge me when my kid is having a tantrum in the middle of the toy aisle. I know they won’t question my excuse that “we needed paper towels” just so I could have a reason to redecorate our entire kitchen.

I’ve met up with mom friends and we’ve pushed our little ones through the aisles and talked about motherhood. I’ve dragged my husband there against his will. I’ve counted trips there with my kid as our “little adventure” sometimes. And I’ve gone to Target solo, cried in my car in the parking lot after an overwhelming day and then paced around the entire store until I felt like myself again. 

Related: This is what moms get wrong about self-care, according to a therapist

Target is restorative and healing for me. It’s my remedy for calming down a restless kid. It’s my escape from feeling isolated and lonely as a mom. It’s a therapeutic, mindless journey that I get to call my own—and that mothers everywhere call their own as well.

For many moms, Target is our self-care. 

So our “unnecessary” trips to the store are absolutely necessary. We deserve them—even when they seem pointless. The Starbucks latte, the cart full of random things that aren’t even what we came for, the hours upon hours that we spend in those aisles. They are ours. 

I find a haven in that big red store, and I’m unashamed to say it. That’s what makes me an unapologetic Target mom. That’s why I don’t mind letting everyone know that I love Target. Because I’m only one of many, many mamas who feel the exact same way. 

So to the Target mamas, let’s live the life that we deserve. And if that’s walking out the store with a cart full of new books even though you haven’t finished the ones you have at home, then so be it. Because who’s going to stop you? Definitely not me!

If you need someone to feed into your Target mom obsession, I’ll do it every step of the way. After all, you deserve the best of the best—and what better place to receive that than at Target?