What mothers really want for their special day!

Mother’s Day is in a little over a week and my mum has already done her yearly phone call, advising her top requested gifts. This has been a ritual for the last several years that started out of the blue. I never called her to ask what she wanted, but apparently 23 seemed like a ripe age to remind me well wishes were no longer enough. And don’t get me wrong. My mother, like me, is not what you would categorize as the norm. She still has our elementary school art works proudly displayed on every mantle place possible like it’s the undiscovered works of Van Gogh, so her Mother’s Day/birthday [her birthday is also in May, and yes she is a Gemini] wish list didn’t come as a surprise. Which made me wonder if all mums were this vocal, and if not, what do they really want?

In lieu of doing a gift guide, it seemed more beneficial to find out straight from the source. So I asked real mothers of all ages, with children that are newborns to over 30, what they wanted for their special day. These are their responses.

“Other than the most obvious of being in the same city with my children, I can think of several things that would be very meaningful for Mother’s Day. The first thing that came to mind was a repeat of a gift I once got. It was a poem written for me by my youngest of a memory of our together moment of going to get frozen yogurt after her music lesson. To hear her tell it, was so touching. Any note of a favorite memory of time with me that meant something special would be the best gift. And then to hear or maybe just to know that what I did as a parent has given my children the foundation that will carry them through life in the best way possible.”

– Char, 59, Denver, CO

“Sleep!!! Isn’t that what everyone says?”

– Betsy, 36, Casting, New York, NY

“I’ve given it some thought but it’s been harder to come up with than I thought. Some thoughts… framed photo of the two of us. A necklace or bracelet with her name. Day trip to an aquarium or somewhere we could all enjoy together. Pretty generic but really she is the gift.”

– Jenny, 31, WAHM, Kingston, NY

“Okay so what I really want for Mum’s day is a collage or a scrapbook of the first year of my son’s life with me. Time goes way too fast and having a child really makes you realize how quickly the months go by! This would allow me to always feel those tender moments we experienced together as he discovered himself and the world he just entered! I wouldn’t mind some pampering either.”

– Coco, 41, Sales Manager, Brooklyn, NY

“So… honestly, it’s not that easy. I can just remember being a bit disappointed those last years. Don’t know how this is handled in the US, but in Luxembourg mothers get little self-made presents from their kids. Fathers/husbands are not supposed to make presents. Some buy flowers and make small presents though, but I would not want my husband to do this. After all, I am NOT his mum. But… since our son is still very young, you know, he would actually need some help for example for handing over his present he made at daycare. That’s where it would come handy if dad actually thought about the fact it’s mother’s day and if he would help arrange for a nice setting you know? I mean, on father’s day, what do I do? I get up early with our son, I let daddy sleep in for a while, I prepare breakfast and I make sure everything is ready for when he gets up. So our son kind of feels it’s a special day for dad, we make sure everything looks nice and the present is ready. So the little one also feels super proud when handing over his present. We take pictures etc. And on “my” day? Nothing similar happens. Have a look at our photo album… it’s as if there never had been a mother’s day in our lives. I actually sort of have to remind our 3-year old that there was certainly a little something he wanted to give me. Then I make a goddamn selfie of me and my present… (So hey, thanks for giving me a reason to put my frustration in words here. I have a wonderful husband and he’s an awesome dad. But on mother’s day, he sucks).”

– Stéphanie, 33, self-employed, Luxembourg

“Start off the day brunching with the ladies of the extended family, followed by a full body massage and ending with a lovely dinner with my little family of four.”

– Fazzarna, 31, Program Manager, Katy, TX

“For Mother’s Day I would love nothing more than the gift of Not Doing. This includes not making the breakfast plans, not getting everyone ready to go, not planning “something fun” to keep everyone busy while we wait to be served, and not doing the laundry or cleaning up the house once we get home. I would love to Not Do all this stuff and just relax in the secure comfort of knowing it WILL all get done, by someone else’s hand. Mother’s Day perfection.”

– Rebecca, 40, History Professor, Glenville, NY

“I’m a big family person, so I really want a family/friends BBQ with great music and beautiful weather. Or diamonds, because they last forever just like motherhood!”

– Attilah, 30, Project Manager, Michigan

“The best gift for a mother is to know the love her child has for her and to know that she has conveyed to them beautiful values. In short, to know she is always loved by her child.”