What most mothers won’t tell you they want for Mother’s Day

This week is when partners all over the country are scrambling to figure out what to get for a Mother’s Day gift.  They’ll think about what they can buy and wonder if it should be:

• a gift for her (i.e., jewelry)
• a gift for the house (i.e., a blender)
• a gift for the family (i.e., a dinner out or a family trip)

They’ll wonder, “Does she really want that porch swing?  Or will she be upset I didn’t get her a necklace?”

Here’s a secret:

Moms don’t need complicated gifts.

We don’t need another pair of earrings (not that we’d turn them away), an appliance for the house (unless it makes our lives much easier), or a fancy dinner out (the kids will probably be cranky at the restaurant anyway).  We definitely don’t want a gift that will mean more work for us.

No two mothers are the same but I am guessing these Mother’s Day gift suggestions would be on most mom’s lists.

1. Clean her car inside and out.

   It’s one thing to get a quick car wash in between school pick up and lacrosse practice and dance classes.  Giving the car a good cleaning can lift a load off of her shoulders.  Pick up all the Cheerios, clean out the empty granola bar wrappers, take out the mittens and gloves that are lingering from the winter, and throw away all the fast food receipts.

2. Give her a night off cooking dinner AND cleaning up.

   Take the initiative to decide what to make.  We don’t want to make one more decision and we definitely don’t want anyone to declare the food we cook is “yucky”.  If they say your food is yucky, that’s okay with us.

3. Wash and change the sheets on all the beds in the house.

   This includes putting the sheets back on the bed and getting it done more than an hour before bedtime.  Set a timer if you need help remembering when the laundry is done because if the kids are ready for bed.and the beds aren’t made, you will be in the doghouse for a while.

4. Clean the kitchen.

   It doesn’t need to be a deep clean but cleaning the kitchen counters, running the dishwasher (and then putting the dishes away), and emptying the sink, will make most women happy.  Just don’t ask us where stuff is supposed to go.  If you don’t know, put it in a small pile.

5. Take the kids out of the house.

   Typically we have to leave the house if we want any time alone.  We are rarely alone in the house. It would be an amazing gift to have the house to ourselves to watch a movie uninterrupted, eat ice cream without having to share, and just have some peace and quiet on the day that’s designated to be ours.

What could you add to this list?

xoxo

–k

Read about how a mom’s gut is always right

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