In the run up to Mothers’ Day we are swamped with gift ideas. As the founder of a company that sells beautiful hamper gifts for mums I am part of this! BUT, as a mum myself, I know that there are plenty of things that can be done to delight me on Mother’s Day that don’t involve gifts at all.
Please don’t assume I mean “don’t get her a gift” here. That is a VERY bad idea. But there are some things you can do alongside a present for her to earn you some serious brownie points.
There's no question; every mum is different, and so are the way families work …maybe you already do all this stuff! But I’ve done some research, and here are my findings on the things that will REALLY give her a Mother’s Day treat to write home about…
- DIY jobs you’ve been putting off. Yes…I know they’re annoying, but imagine how HAPPY she’d be if she came home and found that patch of mould on the ceiling had gone, or that wardrobe door was mended! I use those examples because they’re the DIY jobs that need completing in my house right now, let’s hope my partner gets the memo!
- Sort out THAT cupboard or drawer. You know the one. It is full of random items like string, tools and Tupperware with no lids. Tidy it up, get rid of the rubbish and throw away all Tupperware that doesn’t match. And VOILA! She probably won’t believe her eyes.
- It’s an obvious one, but let her sleep! Especially if you have kids, get up with them and let her have a lie in. This is a given-on Mothers’ Day, of course, but should be extended to a more regular feature too, in my opinion!
- Many mums I spoke with said the mental load of food shopping and planning were BIG in their households, so why not plan and complete a food shop? Work out what meals will be needed, plus household basics and things like packed lunches etc and complete it. If it’s usually her job she’ll be so pleased to get a break from it for a while (cooking the meals too wouldn’t go amiss).
- Hoovering is always welcome, but if you do those hard to reach areas that rarely get done, you’ll be a hero. Under the beds, skirting boards, under the sofa and under sofa cushions are brilliant targeting spots!
- Change all the beds in the house with fresh sheets. Nothing quite beats the feeling of getting into bed with freshly laundered bed covers…especially if someone else has done it!
- Sort out the household paperwork. If your house is anything like mine, you’ll have bills and statements all over the shop. Create a folder with dividers to mark out what’s what. So boring, but having a bit of order can bring so much joy.
- Block out some time for her to do something just for her. A read of her book in the bath. A walk. Anything that allows her some head space. If you can’t go together to the cinema because of the kids, for example, encourage her to go with friends or on her own. I’m sure she’s free to do this kind of thing anyway with her own planning, but if you make the effort to arrange things to make this easier for her she’ll really appreciate it.
- Those little jobs that no one ever gets around to. It could be that a picture needs framing or hanging up, or perhaps some photos need printing out and arranging in an album. Completing those jobs is a really thoughtful thing to do and she’ll be really impressed that you’ve taken the time to do it.
- Clean the oven & grill!! I know this isn’t the most pleasant of tasks to carry out…that’s why it’s not been done, right? But honestly, completing it will make you a legend!
So there we have it. I was nervous about posting this blog. I really didn’t want to come across as patronising or condescending. But I’m afraid the evidence of my research speaks for itself…these really are the gifts us mums want, please! Obviously you should get her a lovely gift too, we have some beautiful gifts for mums over at our site, mumsback.com. Take a look!
This blog was written by Sally Bunkham, founder of mumsback.com – luxury hamper gifts for mums filled with delicious Prosecco, Wine, Cheese, Pate, Chocolate, Gin, Tonic….and much more. £1 from every package sold goes to perinatal mental health charity PANDAS Foundation.