Mother's Day gifts are such a cliche - this is what mums really want

Mother's Day comes every year, and it seems like we're always getting the same things - a nice family meal out together, cake and flowers, a pampering spa session, and heartfelt notes and cards.

Don't get me wrong. While all those gestures are lovely and much appreciated, there are more useful ways of expressing your love for Mum, (and from a mum's point of view) in ways that will mean a lot more to her.

Try these ideas for this year's upcoming Mother's Day that give her a break from her daily mom duties:

1. Let mum sleep in

The gift of uninterrupted sleep ranks tops on perhaps every mum's bucket list, so please let her sleep in at least on this day this year. Likewise, a long, quiet, uninterrupted nap during the day is also big on our lists. It's really the smallest of things that make the biggest difference sometimes.

 2. Treat her to a family day out without her having to plan it

We also love family days out, but we would also love to take a break from all the planning and logistics of it all, because that makes it just another day of "mummying".

Listen up dads. It doesn't have to be fancy. It just needs to be all taken care of for us. Pack up the family for a day out to somewhere nice like West Coast Park perhaps, swing through the McDonald's drive-thru to pick up a picnic lunch for everyone, and then have a fun, family picnic with minimal fuss.

3. Send her off to lunch with her BFF

Double brownie points here, as you score big with mum's best friends forever (BFF) too for getting both of them to have quality time together at their favourite restaurant. Double brownie points if you manage to keep the venue a secret from both till the last minute.

4. Let mum be the fun parent today

Moms are typically the ones who get the bad rep for being boring since we get stuck with the dreary responsibilities of instilling discipline, good habits, shutting down tantrums all day, and generally running the household by (seemingly) raining on everyone else's fun.

Most dads on the other hand, usually get to be the cool, fun parent. This Mother's Day, let mum be the one who takes the kids out for ice cream before dinner and spoil their appetites, or for lets the kids stay up way past bedtime, while dad has to do the 'cleaning up' for a change.

5. Give mum some quality alone time to herself

Sometimes, what we really want is to have the entire day to ourselves, to feel vaguely like the well-rested, intelligent, passionate women we were before we became mums, sleeping just a few hours a night, excelling in baby talk, changing diapers, doing potty training, and surviving on coffee.

Give mum a break mentally and from her day-to-day grind of motherhood responsibilities, by letting her be HER, not mum. If it's possible, let mum have the house to herself all day so that she can do what she wants, such as binge-watch TV (what she wants to watch, not Paw Patrol) to her heart's content.

Trust me, it's a real treat to put our feet up in the comfort of our own living rooms without being asked to do, find, cook, or clean something. So dads, pack the kids up after breakfast and don't come back until dinnertime, and bring back dinner with you too since the kitchen is closed that day.

Even better, book mum in for an exclusive staycation for the day (and night) - nothing beats lounging around in a fluffy bathrobe in a beautiful hotel room alone, ordering room service and not having to lift a finger for anything.

6. Treat mum and grandma to something together

Treat mum and both grandmas (if they all get along) to a pampering day at the spa, followed up with high tea perhaps, while the dads and grandfathers hold the fort down and look after the kids together.

It's nice for the ladies of the house to spend quality free time together, something that they might not get to do as often as they would ideally like.

7. Help mum reconnect with a passion or hobby that got put on the back burner

Remind mum of who she used to be before the kids came along and help her rekindle her passion for that hobby that she used to love doing. It might be painting, pottery or even something small like photography.

Help her around the house so that she can make time to pursue her interest a little everyday going forward now.

ALSO READ: Mother's Day 2023 Singapore: Mum dines free, buffets, and dining promotions