Mother's Day: What Mom Really Wants
We asked the moms here at SheKnows: "What do you really want for Mother's Day?" Over 150 moms responded, and while the responses were varied, one central theme dominated. Read on for an overview of the results!
The Most Precious Gift
Dads: Put away your checkbooks. Kids: Keep the change.
What mom really wants for Mother's Day is one of those things
that money just can't buy: the gift of time.
Whether it's spent alone or with the family, moms across the country and around the world named time as their number one "must have," according to a recent SheKnows survey.
"All I want for Mother's Day is a little time off," says
Karen in San Antonio, Texas*. "I am at everyone's beck and
call. I want time for me." Adds Lisbeth from Raleigh, North
Carolina, "I want to be able to take a bubble bath and get both
legs shaved before my child needs something. I want to go
shopping alone. I want to watch an entire sitcom episode
without interruption."
More than "Me" Time
But time alone isn't all mom wants. Many women crave
some quality moments with the family. Says Colorado mom Dana,
"This will be my first Mother's Day ever, so I want it to be
special. I would just like to spend the day at the park with my
husband and seven-month-old daughter and have a picnic." Gina
in California echoes this popular sentiment. "What I really
want for Mother's Day is just some quiet time with my husband
and daughters. No work, no running to relatives or friends'
houses, no classes; just the four of us." Tee wants to "spend
the day with my family, enjoying the three blessings I have
been given."
What didn't rate highly on the list? Flowers, chocolates, jewelry and clothes -- all traditional gifts for mom. Terri, a mother from Chicago, says, "My husband tends to buy things, but I would like something that took a little more effort."
While a bouquet or a box of candy may be easier, today's
busy mom needs love, peace and understanding -- and don't
underestimate the value of understanding. Notes Gail from
Newfoundland, Canada, "What I'd really like to get for Mother's
Day is a little recognition for even some of the stuff I do."
Tessy in Glenside, Pennsylvania, agrees that the perfect gift
would be "just to be appreciated by my husband for being able
to juggle a full-time job, and then go home to a full-time job
of being a mother to a beautiful 11-month-old daughter and
being a wife."
Show Your Love and Gratitude
So what can the thoughtful family do for mom to show
gratitude? The moms at SheKnows have these ideas to suggest:
Say thanks. Give her a hug. Send her a card. Let her take a nap
in peace. Make her dinner. Write her a love letter. And don't
forget about some good old-fashioned tender loving care.
Several moms mentioned their desire for bubble baths, massages,
facials, manicures, makeovers and other spa treatments. "I
would love to feel pampered," sighs New Yorker Tracy.
Whatever you give, if it's from the heart -- and coupled with a moment of peace and quiet -- she's sure to be delighted. "No matter what the day brings," says Barbara, a mom in Shreveport, Louisiana, "Kix in bed, complete with a weed bouquet, a tissue- paper flower card, maybe even a picnic … recognizing and being thankful for the small things is the best way that I know to spend Mother's Day."
* Some names and identifying details have been changed
© Copyright 2003-11 SheKnows, LLC and/or individual copyright holders. All Rights Reserved.
Member Comments On...
Mother's Day: What Mom Really Wants
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I'd love for my husband to take our daughter out for the day so I can take a long bath, followed by a nap or watching some TV that I like.
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Every year on Mother's Day, we go for a nice brunch with my sister and her family. That is one tradition that has become a big part of my Mother's Day. Other than that, I like a basically unscheduled day. I also plant my flowers on Mother's Day weekend. Oh! And for dinner, we have ice cream. Since we still might be kind of full from the brunch, we don't do a regular meal. I guess it's a food fest. As long as I have NO cooking to do, it's a winner for me!
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A nap and a clean kitchen are the two things I would most appreciate.
