A Mother’s Day Gift Guide for Dads
The title says it all and I’m here to help. I’ve been doing the whole dad-assisted Mother’s Day thing for over a decade now so I have some experience with this particular holiday.
First off, this is
not some made-up holiday that’s optional like Boxing Day or Valentine’s Day.
Well, actually, it is a made-up holiday but it’s definitely not optional, dads,
so snap to it.
Especially in
those first 10-12 years, you can’t depend on the kids to handle Mother’s Day
and you need to have a plan. If you’re eagerly reading this column for ideas
and Mother’s Day is Sunday I have bad news and good news. The bad news is you
failed rule number one and didn’t have a plan. The good news is it’s not too
late.
For the early
years, the bar is super low. Let’s be honest guys, the first Mother’s Day is
the easiest. Your wife is less than one year from having the baby and
particularly susceptible to the emotions of the first Mother’s Day. Which means
you can only mess it up if you forget about it. So don’t forget.
Get her flowers
and a onesie for the baby that says, “I love my mom,” and you’re golden. Really,
in those first few Mother’s Days, anything you do to recognize all she’s doing
as a mom – even just saying those words out loud and getting her flowers are
great. Protip: don’t just do this only on Mother’s Day.
When you move into
the category of Mother’s Day gifts from 3-6-year-olds, don’t sleep on the hand
made crafts. Oh, they will be terrible. And if left up to the child they will
always, and I mean ALWAYS, involve paste and/or excessive finger paint. But
moms appreciate the love those messy little paste lickers put into their
creations so lean into the homemade stuff in these years.
In the
7-10-year-old age range the kids will have somewhat of an understanding of what
Mother’s Day is all about. Getting the troops on board with having a clean
house or involved with how they can make Mom a special Mother’s Day breakfast
are great ideas at this age.
Making mom a
special breakfast that involves breaking her special dishes or feeding her burnt
toast aren’t ideal so Dad’s got to know when a task can be delegated and when
it can’t.
At the 7-year-old
and older age can be a good time to experiment with kid-picked Mother’s Day
gifts as well. Going to a store and letting a kid look around and get something
they think Mom will like can lead to some fantastic and very personalized gifts
for mom.
It can also lead
to a mom getting 78 coffee cups. Maybe this is only a thing with my kids, but they
have never seen a coffee cup they thought their mom wouldn’t love. You may have
to suggest and redirect a little.
The truth is,
Mother’s Day isn’t about the gifts. Or the pampering. Or even the clean house.
Mother’s Day is a feeble attempt to show moms how much they’re appreciated for
what they do day in and day out. Dads are often the facilitators and conduits of
this by helping direct their naturally self-centered kids to recognize the
gratitude they have for their mom.