What Moms REALLY Want for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day can be an overwhelming holiday when it comes to thanking and showing gratitude for the amazing mom in your life – but what does she really want? Look no further.
According to History.com, “The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914.” So we have over 100 years of feedback from moms on what might be on their wish-list. While some might not be as surprising as others, hopefully this list sparks some inspiration to give your mom the best day ever.
To Not Make Any Decisions
Is your mom always on top of the family plans and making sure everyone is where they need to be? Take this lift off her plate for Mother’s Day — and plan the entire day for her! Nothing fancy is needed here, but just the care and attention to detail of doing some family activities or setting up the family meals can go a long way.
Is she looking for more family time or alone time to recharge? Set your plans accordingly and map out a few things that will make her smile. (Don’t worry, we have suggestions below!) But the overarching theme of the day is “try to handle it all yourself” — you’ve got this.
To Sleep In
This one seems like an underrated gift, but taking on the morning routine for mom (should that include waking up the kids, getting them ready for the day, starting breakfast, etc.) can be a wonderful start to the day. Especially for “mom’s in the trenches” or those with little ones and toddlers, there is a whole day lived before 9 a.m. and letting her recharge during that normal morning chaos could be just what she needs.
To Do Something She’s Been Wanting to Do (but hasn’t found time)
Has your mom been talking about a new museum that opened recently or a park she’s always wanted to visit nearby — but just hasn’t found the time to go? This is the perfect day for that. Not only does it show you’ve been listening to her interests and ideas, but also taking the lead on setting up plans to make that happen is a gift in itself.
Is there a new restaurant she’s been wanting to try out? Or even a recipe she has been talking about that she hasn’t made yet? Any small towns nearby that she’s wanted to explore? Has she wanted to take a bike ride or family walk in the area, but just hasn’t found the time? All of these are great options to set up plans for something she’s really wanted to do or see.
A Family Photo
They say mothers are often the ones behind the camera, capturing memories for the family (and sometimes the ones planning all the memories too), so setting aside some time for a nice family photo is a great addition to Mother’s Day. You could organize a professional photographer to do a mini-shoot at your home or in town, but truly the timer feature on a smartphone is really all you need to make this happen.
A fun addition is to have the kids make a DIY or homemade frame for this photo to eventually pop into as well, so it already has a place to live once you get it developed. Most major drugstores or convenience stores that have photo printing capabilities have same day printing too. In theory you could take the family photo first thing on Mother’s Day, send the image to be printed right away (via the store’s app or website) and pick-up later in the day to pop into a frame — if you’re really trying to go above and beyond.
Someone to Handle Dinner (and All Meals)
Mother’s Day tends to be synonymous with “breakfast in bed” or brunch, but let’s not forget dinner time plans in all the festivities. We don’t want to unexpectedly add that to her plate after a great day of honoring Mom.
In the mood to cook? Plan to make a nice dinner at home (dishes too!) to wrap up all the fun and together time. One helpful tip is to get all the grocery shopping at least the day before so everything is ready to go as the day winds down.
Prefer to take Mom out? Get those reservations on the books early, as Mother’s Day tends to be one of the more popular days that go-to restaurants fill up quickly. If some of her favorite spots don’t have availability, you can also look into takeout from them and bring the experience home too. Not looking to cook at all? Get her favorite takeout spot (and order) ready to go for later in the day so you won’t have to think about it later on.
A Clean House
This is a no-brainer, but taking on all the clean-up tasks that go along with Mother’s Day is another great way to say “thanks, Mom” while honoring her. Dishes after meals, tidying the common areas, catching up on all the laundry, etc. are just some of the smaller tasks that could tend to go unnoticed. Think about the things mom takes care of on a regular basis, and just make a list of what you can take off her plate.
Gifts They Might Not Buy Themselves
Similar to the activity suggestion of taking mom to do something she’s been meaning to for a while, if you’d like her to unwrap something more traditional, get her something she might not get for herself. One of my favorite ways to save ideas for friends and family during “gift-giving season” is to keep a note on my phone of things they’ve mentioned in passing throughout the year or save ideas that fit that person as I come across them. That way, when it’s time for a birthday, holiday, or, in this case, Mother’s Day, I already have a lineup of ideas that feel just right.
Can you check Mom’s Amazon wish list for things she’s saved for a while but hasn’t purchased for herself? Does she have a favorite perfume she only wears on special occasions? Has she been meaning to replace an item in her closet or a lost earring from a set? This is another great time for her to step in and take the initiative on that.
Love and Appreciation
When in doubt, get the flowers. And remember, you never have to wait until Mother’s Day to make the special woman in your life feel appreciated for all that she’s done for you.
