The ideal Mother’s Day gift seamlessly blends the uniqueness of the mother, the personality of the mothered kiddo, your deep appreciation for her devoted care and relational investment, and the accuracy and depth of corporate-approved, canned sentimentality.
Or you can just buy some bling. Bling often expresses love too.
Or flowers – have you thought about gifting those maybe-fresh flowers that sit at the front of your local grocery store reminding you not to be a putz? If you pick a decent bunch, your kitchen table has a shot at looking as classy as a Chick-fil-a booth.
The above was my annual thought process in the days leading up to Mother’s Day until our oldest was capable of speech. At that point, I was no longer alone in attempting to express her (and my) thanks for my wife’s excellent mom-ing – it was time for my toddler to step up. A limited vocabulary is no excuse when it comes to completing the Mother’s Day Fill-in-the-Blank.
This concept is what it sounds like: a statement with a blank at the end that your kid finishes however they see fit.
My favorite thing about Mom is that she __________.
It is funny when Mom __________.
It was special when Mom __________.
You may need to prompt / direct / massage your kid’s answers, but even clunky answers can be endearing. It was special when Mommy laughed until she cried when Millie the cat sat on your birthday cake, wasn’t it?
I also recommend having some Mom’s Favorite type items in the list.
__________ is my favorite book that Mom reads me.
__________ is Mom’s favorite movie.
__________ is my favorite food that Mom makes.
__________ is Mom’s favorite thing to say to me.
Accurate answers aren’t at all needed in order for this MD gift to be fun and meaningful. The key is the questions: If you assemble a strong list of questions that draw out thoughtful / odd / endearing answers from you kid, Mother’s Day laughs and (just maybe) a few tears are likely to result.
If, however, you save these answers and ask similar questions year after year, tears are nearly certain. Compare your kid’s answers as a three-year-old with their answers as a six-year-old and you’ll get a fun glimpse of how they’re growing up and learning about their mom. You’ll all appreciate anew your spouse’s uniqueness and your kid’s personality. In the process, your deep appreciation for her devoted care and relational investment will be expressed, but with even more accuracy and depth than corporate-approved, canned sentimentality.
###
Looking for some additional thoughts for making Mother’s Day memorable (in a good way)? Consider our guide. And don’t be afraid to ask set up a mom-themed scavenger hunt this weekend.
Did you enjoy this post? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter.
Picture by London Scout; Used via Unsplash license. Amazon links are affiliate links.