Mother’s Day is a few days away and you may be planning something special for the mothers in your life. It’s easy to be swayed by ads or lean on cliches disguised as tradition. As a mother of two teenagers, I have thoughts on the subject. Before you make reservations or hit the emergency gift aisle in the pharmacy, I’ve got some advice and ideas to consider.

First, the advice… 

Know your audience. Occasionally you guys can get a little too caught up in what YOU WANT us to have instead of what we really want. Maybe you did something that made us light up once and figured, “She loved it! I think I’ll do that every year!” (sigh) We know you mean well, and we love you for trying. While we are the same at our core, our tastes can change from year to year. 

We hard working, hard loving moms often feel like nobody listens or pays any attention to us. For the day that is just for us, it would be nice to be “seen” and heard as well as valued. Finding a balance between knowing us in general, knowing us as we are today, and showing appreciation will be your gift-giving sweet spot. 

Now the ideas…

Skip Low-Hanging Fruit

Fancy brunch/dinner, flowers, something with “Best/Greatest Mom Ever” on it, etc. Basically anything that screams, “I put ZERO thought into this.” Cliches disguised as tradition. Has she mentioned something she’s wanted for a long time? Something she used to have that got lost or broken? A place she’s always wanted to go? An activity she’s wanted to try? Start there! 

Pick Low-Hanging Fruit With a Twist 

Put more thought into something simple. For example, you want to do breakfast in bed? Great! Give it a theme. What’s mom’s favorite TV show or movie? Favorite hobby? Designing the menu, decor, and gifts around it will be a big hit. 

No Job Enhancers, Please!

Most of us want to relax and be celebrated, not reminded of our daily duties. “But she’s been talking about this new super-powered vacuum…” Please, stop. She wants it for sure, but probably not as a gift on a special occasion. 

The Sweetness of Doing Nothing

Sometimes we don’t want to “do” anything. We definitely don’t want to hear “Mom/Honey, can you…” We’d love a day where we only use our brains for ourselves. Take away our burdens so we can just be.

Acts Of Service

To piggyback on taking away our burdens… If there are projects around the house that you keep saying you’ll get around to then get around to them on or by Mother’s Day. 

Just Ask

If she tells you precisely what she wants, get/do it! No deviation! If she really does want a new vacuum, go for it! You can still get/do other surprises, but make sure what she asked for is among them.

One last thing… 

Make an appointment to get a fresh cut. She will definitely appreciate everything when you show up to grant those Mother’s Day wishes looking good! 

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