And how to avoid them.
Mother’s Day is all about thanking the wonderful woman in your life that seemed to have everything together. This year, our mission is to help you be ready (like mom always had dinner ready to go even when she was tired). We decided the best way to be prepared is to give you Mother’s Day tips learned from previous epic mistakes.
For instance, many holidays creep up and catch us unaware, and the biggest mistake is forgetting the whole holiday! Mother’s Day seems to have a special set of skills designed to catch us off guard. We all do it – forget about her special day – only to promise that next year will be better. We’re going to make sure this year one when everything falls into place. To help, here’s your reminder that this year Mother’s Day is on May 14th.
And without further ado, here are sure-fire ways to make your mom mad on Mother’s Day (or really any day), and our recommendations for avoiding them. We’ve also got tips to say you’re sorry if you stumble into one of these all-too-common traps.
10) Get her a gift she doesn’t like or already has.
This is probably the least offensive, after all you’ve remembered Mother’s Day, and you even got mom a present on time. It just wasn’t quite right. Make sure you play it cool, and thank your mom for being honest if she doesn’t want the gift. Letting her be upset without getting defensive is the most important thing here. You can easily fix this if you kept 
the receipt. Offer to go with her to take it back and pick out something more appropriate. Take note of the things on the shopping trip she’s interested in even if you don’t get them. It will help you for future gifts for mom.
9) Only send her flowers.
It’s true, flowers are nice, and they are the go-to Mother’s Day gift, next to chocolate. But when you send your mom a bouquet and nothing else, it can hurt a little. Most moms really want to spend time with their children on Mother’s Day, even if it’s only a phone call or text. If you’re too busy to spend time with her on that day, be sure to let her know in her card or with a very short call that you’ll spend time with her as soon as you can. The key here is to not be vague. Make concrete plans. Tell her WHEN you can spend time with her, and what you would like to do.
8) Take credit for a gift your siblings sent her.
It may take your mom a while to figure this out, but we promise if your brother or sister took the time to pick out that necklace, or book, or whatever it is that you took credit for, she’s going to find out. Not only will this upset her, but it will upset your sibling as well. If you can’t afford a gift on Mother’s Day, she’ll be just as happy with you coming to visit. If you can’t do that, send her a letter, maybe a homemade card, or whatever you can. You can also try 
asking your siblings in advance if they’ll add your name to the gift card, more often than not they’ll be happy to do it and then everyone wins.
7) Send her a gift that isn’t appropriate.
Okay, this doesn’t apply to all moms. If your mom likes gag gifts, or non-traditional gifts, you’re fine. However, your mom isn’t one of your friends, and sending her a gift that you find funny may end up with her feelings hurt. If you really want to try your luck with a gag gift, make sure you have a second gift ready to go on Mother’s Day. Or, if you’re not sure, try checking with her partner or her friends first. You may get an even better idea. Or you may find that your Mother’s Day gift is just fine.
6) Plan a big surprise party.
This doesn’t sound like a bad thing, but you better know for sure she wants it. Mother’s Day is most often a time just for immediate family. Check with your mom well in advance before you turn a day that should be all about her into a party. If you want to take the gamble, plan the party somewhere away from her, and in another location besides her home. This ensures she won’t have to do the cleaning after your surprise. And it gives her the option to spend as much time being social as she wants and slip away without making others stop their fun.
5) Ignore your Mom when she tells you exactly what she wants for Mother’s Day.
It’s sweet that you’re trying to be creative. However, your mom may feel like you don’t listen, that you forgot, or worse yet like you don’t care. Unless your mom says she wants nothing for Mother’s Day, your best bet is to try and give her what she wants. Within reason of course. If you absolutely cannot give her the gift she wants, acknowledge that. A sweet way to let her know you’re listening and want to do more is to put it in her Mother’s Day card. Saying something like. “I know this isn’t [this is where you write what she wanted] but I hope it makes you happy.” Make sure you include the typical “I Love You Mom” text at the end.
4) Give her a gift that isn’t just for her.
Okay, your mom taught you to share. But that doesn’t mean she wants to on Mother’s Day. If you are giving her a gift that she has to share with someone else, you better make sure she really wants to share it with that person. Or, that it is a gift that has more than enough 
to go around. The best thing to do here is give her a gift she has the option of sharing. A huge gourmet gift basket on Mother’s Day could be shared with the family, or she could spoil herself for days nibbling on the gourmet delights you sent her.
3) Giving her a gift that requires a future commitment from her.
Massages, manicures, spa days, weekend getaways. These are all lavish gifts anyone would be thrilled to get. However, don’t give your mom any more obligations on Mother’s Day. If you give her something like this, make sure it’s something that has an open window for her to redeem. If the hotel or spa won’t let you book open dates, and if they don’t do gift cards, don’t worry. Send your mom flowers and let her know there’s a second part of your gift that she needs to work out with you. She might be annoyed at first until she finds out you’re being considerate of her busy schedule.
2) Only ever sending her gift cards or money.
This is really true for most people on most holidays. On Mother’s Day it stings a little extra to know your children can’t think of anything better you would want to receive. If you must resort to sending her a gift card, at least make extra sure it’s to a store she actually wants to shop at. The grocery store doesn’t count. Make it a little extra personal by letting her know you’ll spend the day there shopping with her. A day out with her child (children) is the way to most mom’s heart.
1) Forgetting Mother’s Day completely.
This is the biggest and most common offense. Chances are you’ve already forgotten one Mother’s Day, try not to forget two in a row. If you’ve forgotten it completely don’t just send a late gift and hope she doesn’t notice. Your mom knows what it’s like to be busy and forget. Own your mistake, and offer her a sincere apology along with a late Mother’s Day. Do the extra leg work to make it up to her and try to deliver her late gift in person. If you can’t do that maybe spring for a few extras to go with her Mother’s Day gift and try to call her first a few times to let her know how much she means.
Whatever mistakes you might make on Mother’s Day, your mom will be happy to know that you’re trying. The whole point of a Mother’s Day gift is to thank your mother for all the amazing things she’s done for you. Make sure what you’re doing comes from the heart, and this Mother’s Day will be a day she will never forget.
Now, You’re Almost Ready for Mother’s Day – What’s Next?
- Schedule your gift now, so you don’t forget. Browse Mother’s Day gifts to USA, Australia & 200 countries, and make sure your gift is delivered on time!
- Plan to make Mom breakfast in bed on her special day with these Healthy Pancake Recipes for Your Family.
- You’ve read this far, we’re sure you have a friend who’d like to see this too. Click those share buttons below.