Mom's lawn does not know about your work calendar, and it will be overgrown on the same Saturday your inbox is full. Before you spend the morning on the mower, or pick up the phone to book a crew, count what your hours are worth in the week you have. The answer is rarely about the grass.
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Count the real time, not just the mowing time
Add the drive to Mom's house, getting the mower out, the edging, the cleanup, and the drive home. For many people the mowing itself is the smallest part. Then compare that total with the hours you can truly give without pushing into work, sleep, or the kids' schedule. If the total only fits by taking a slice of your lunch break or your evening, that tells you something.
Check what you already own and can use
A working mower, a trimmer, and a clear afternoon make doing it yourself reasonable. If you would need to buy, borrow, rent, or service equipment, add that to the list. Be honest about whether you will use the equipment again, because the lawn will keep coming back.
Ask what the lawn needs, not what looks nice
Yards need different amounts of work across the year. Ask whether the job is weekly mowing, an occasional cleanup after a storm, or leaf and gutter work in the fall. A crew suits a steady weekly schedule better than one-off work. Do it yourself if the job is small and regular. Hire it out if the job is large, irregular, or needs equipment you will not use again.
Compare what a crew would actually promise
If you look at a crew, ask for a written schedule, what is included such as edging and cleanup, how rain days are handled, who to call when a visit is missed, and whether they leave a note or photo after each job. Compare two or three of these on paper rather than by phone. You are not comparing sales pitches. You are comparing what happens on a July Tuesday when it storms.
Decide what Mom wants
Ask Mom how she wants the lawn handled. Some people want the familiar neighbor kid, some want a company with a truck, and some just want it done without a stranger in the yard. Her answer may settle the whole question faster than any spreadsheet.
Write the decision down
Put the choice on the shared calendar with a name and a day. Whether you pick up the mower or pick up the phone, a clear decision saves you from the Saturday guilt that comes from not knowing whose job it is. The lawn does not care about your quarterly review, but it does care whether someone is responsible for it.