On May 10th, many moms will finally get a small fraction of the gratitude they deserve. This Mother’s Day, children across the country will face the question of “How do I show the woman who brought me into this world, and raised me into the person I am today, what she really means to me?”
Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s a question that’s difficult to answer. Motherhood is a virtue that’s defined by selflessness, and if you asked many of the mothers I know what they’d like on their special day, many of the answers would be variations of “Whatever you think dear.”
This year, when our world is going through unprecedented challenges, and it may not even be possible to be with your mother, the question is more pertinent than ever.
So perhaps it’s best if we turn to science. Numerous surveys have asked mothers this very question. And after reviewing the data, we may not have come up with quite the ultimate gift for every mother, but we have come up with some guiding principles.
Lesson #1: All Moms Are Different
One of the most illuminating was a survey conducted by YouGov in 2019. It asked moms specifically what gift they’d like to receive.
It’s an interesting survey, because as much as we’d love to tell you that “every mom wants you to send their old jewelry in to a reputable online jewelry repair service” (we even have a specific one in mind), that’s not what the data says.
What the data really says is that moms are different.
So, here’s our first piece of advice: Don’t ask yourself what moms want; ask yourself what your mom — or the mother of the children, or the mom you’re celebrating Mother’s Day with — wants.
Lesson #2: Lots of Moms Do Want the Same Thing
While surveying moms about what physical gift they want for Mother’s Day doesn’t provide any easy answers to finding the perfect gift, surveying moms about how they’d like to spend their time on Mother’s Day shows a more united front.
A survey conducted by TopCashBack asked moms what they want for Mother’s Day, but expanded the definition to include experiences. Three of the top choices are illuminating.
While no single physical gift scored more than 10% on the last survey we looked at, when you give moms the option of experiences, you get a lot more agreement.
A good chunk of moms would love to spend Mother’s Day doing something nice with their kids and family.
Lesson #3: You Probably Know What the Moms in Your Life Want
Let’s leave the area of scientific answers about what moms want, and move into the realm of experiences. Here’s our hypothesis: You probably know what the mom you’re spending Mother’s Day with wants.
We don’t mean you know about the exact cashmere sweater she’s been eyeing, or the pair of walnut-handled garden shears she’s been longing for at her favorite nursery. What we mean is: You probably have a pretty good idea of how to make Mother’s Day special.
If you’re celebrating a mom who doesn’t get to see her kids as often as she likes, there’s a good chance that would be at the top of her list for Mother’s Day. Make it happen and make it special.
If you’re celebrating a stay-at-home mom who spends every waking minute changing diapers, correcting homework, cleaning up messes, meal planning, prepping and cooking for finicky palettes, there’s a good chance she might want a break from all that. Make it happen and make it special.
And if you think long and hard, and you honestly don’t know what the mom you’re celebrating on Mother’s Day wants, that’s probably a sign too. Why not spending Mother’s Day getting to know her better? Make it happen and make it special.
Finally, let us add that while the data shows us that most moms prefer experiences to gifts, there’s no reason why moms shouldn’t have both. And in our opinion, the best gifts are those that are tied to memories.
If you’re celebrating Mother’s Day with a mom who would appreciate the expert repair and refurbishment of a treasured watch or piece of jewelry, we’d be delighted to help. And we’d be even more delighted if you’d share your story with us.
Now, go forth and plan a fantastic Mother’s Day for the moms in your life.