Great Gifts for Kids to Give Mom on Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a time when school children have the opportunity to do arts and crafts to give their mothers, and a time when fathers scramble through town with kids in tow, trying to find the perfect gift. However, what do moms really want from their kids on Mother's Day? I asked a few mothers to tell me.

Kim Karl sums up how most moms seem to feel about gifts from their children on Mother's Day. "I love to get anything that they make. Although, at their ages, they still need some help. Last year, they insisted on going clothes shopping for me...and pick things out. I'm just happy my DH tried to steer them in the 'right' direction. Now, what I'd like to get would be handprints. I love those little things."

Gillian Taber agrees. "I'd rather have something made than something they grabbed off the shelf at the last minute in a panic."

Maggie O'Leary is right there with them. "Hugs, kisses and homemade cards or pictures. The BEST things EVER."

Susan Sosbe says, "My favorite Mother's Day gift of all time is the little dixie cups with the shoot growing out of it. I love to plant it and watch it grow and see what it ends up being because my sons can never remember what they planted. My youngest gets a kick out of seeing how big it gets, too."

Angel Sharum adds, "I love that my son makes me a card on the computer. It's his own creation, so it's special. I know he loves me, 'cause he shows me every day, so it wouldn't matter if he gave me anything or not really."

Cyndee Kromminga recalls, "My favorite gift for Mothers Day was a gift my oldest son gave me when he was about four. We had gone to the store the day before and when we walked in, there was a table set up for children to make things for their mothers. While I did my shopping he sat there and created his gift. He was so excited on the ride home that he almost told me what it was. He asked me if I would wear it to church the next day. Well of course I said yes. I proudly wore the most god awful looking necklace fringy thing to church, and he was beaming." She goes on to say, "Now that my children are older, I would just be happy if they remembered the day. That would make it special for me."

Linda StCyr loves the things her children make her. "I like getting the crafts my kids make but the jewelry they give me is nice too. The best gift so far for Mother's Day was done in my son's class. He knew I had been asking for a tea set for the longest time so he made a tea pot card and colored it. He then got the teacher to buy green tea and staple it to the card. It was sweet and thoughtful. It almost made me cry." She adds, "The one he gave me for Christmas did make me cry and it wasn't really a gift. Just a card that was folded over like a present, that when you opened it said "Thank you for all you do" on one side, then on the other side it said 'The best gift you gave me was love.' It still gets me all teary eyed."

Andi Caldwell's kids don't have to go very far to get her favorite Mother's Day gift. "Lilacs, lilacs and more lilacs. They grow right in our yard, so when they were little, Dad would 'assist' with the cutting and the kids would arrange it in a vase and every year I would act so surprised and go on and on about how I love lilacs!"

Some moms, like Laurie, just want to know their kids think about them. "I honestly love the things she creates more than any fancy gift. She draws, writes little stories with illustrations, leaves me little I love you letters and notes all the time, brings me things from outside, like a rock she found shaped like a heart that I carry around in my purse or have on my desk."

Jo Brielyn's kids know just how to make her smile. "I'd prefer anything made from their precious little hands and hearts every time! My older daughter, who's eight years old, is a very creative and thoughtful young lady. Last year for Mother's Day, she sent her three year old sister into my room to 'entertain' me and keep me in bed while she worked on my surprise. She brought me breakfast in bed (her own slightly mushy creation of my favorite fruits mixed with cheerios, toast, and a glass of water because she's not allowed to use the coffeemaker) and served it up with a hand decorated paper napkin and a bouquet of wild flowers picked from the backyard. While I ate every last bite of my breakfast, the girls showered me with homemade cards, pictures, small crafts, and even a short book my older daughter wrote and illustrated for me. They must have been working and planning for days to come up with all those things! Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by how well my girls know me and how hard they worked to make Mother's Day a special day for me. Simply knowing that and feeling the love put into it all was all the gift I needed."

Melanie Marten doesn't expect gifts from her children whom she homeschools, but would still like a little something on Mother's Day. "I would like some extra effort toward cooperation with each other and perhaps some spontaneous cleaning, but I'm not holding my breath," she says wryly.

Getting a gift for Mom on Mother's Day does not have to be difficult. Most mothers just want to know their children appreciate them, with simple cards and homemade trinkets.