Mother's Day Ideas for Men

Okay guys; I know it's only been two months since Valentine's Day but you can't relax just yet. At least not those of you with kids. Mother's Day approaches quickly, and this is probably the most difficult holiday for men to properly commemorate. And no, you don't get to take your kid's mother (hereafter referred to as Mom even if you're not married to her) to a restaurant/arcade hoping she'll return the favor on Father's Day.

Since many guys tend to wait until the last possible moment, here's a forward-thinking guide of three Mother's Day ideas to get you across the finish line ahead of the pack. Most of these are easy, time-friendly and guaranteed to score big points with Mom, which should lead to a Father's Day lunch at the restaurant/arcade.

The over-arching principle to this guide is: Preparation. You simply can't breeze into the grocery store Saturday evening and troll through the picked-over cards any longer. Nor can you re-cycle that box of chocolates you received from her on Valentine's Day. Women store bar codes in their brain; she'll know it's the same one. You have to think ahead, make plans and execute precisely for this mission to succeed. Remember; preparation says, "I care."

1. Food

Nothing says, "Thanks for bearing my kid in your stomach for nine months," like food. Not a cook? Get the kids to help. They'll come up with all sorts of great meal suggestions that are easy to fix. Kids too young to help? Let a restaurant cook. *
Or you could surprise her with a light meal in the park. For you cavemen, that's called a picnic. No matter where it takes place, make the menu/reservations in advance, and have it ready for the big day.

*Unless you plan on waiting for two hours to be seated, go early or bypass restaurants altogether. Mother's Day is statistically the busiest day of the year.

2. Gifts

Want to thank Mom for dragging out of bed for late-night feedings, or cleaning the floor where Johnny just regurgitated the four pieces of pizza you let him scarf? Gifts are where it's at, and no they don't have to be expensive. Since this is a day to celebrate motherhood, get the kids some craft materials and let them make gifts. Yes, this will require you to go into a "sissy" store, but she's worth it. You can also purchase, or hand-make gift certificates to stores, spas, restaurants, etc. No gift cards to the restaurant/arcade allowed. How about ordering something online and have it delivered to her work a day or two prior to Mother's Day? This has two effects: It allows her to sing your praises in front of her co-workers, some of whom are men, and it helps those men remember that they now have but 48 hours to do something for Mom as well.

3. Album

This one takes a bit more time, but you're starting early, remember? Find some photos of Mom when she was pregnant, in the delivery room, just home with the baby (no embarrassing photos though when she'd been without sleep or a shower for three days), or at the christening/baptism/dedication. Put the photos in a small scrapbook or album and under each write a few lines about what you remember from those days and how blessed you are that you two went through it together. This is a good time to get mushy so let it flow. If the kids are old enough, have them add their thoughts about looking at Mom when they were in her tummy. If they're younger, let them decorate the cover with crayons or markers and maybe some stickers.

Regardless of which item(s) you choose, start early. These don't take a lot of time and the dividends they'll return are priceless. Not only will Mom appreciate the thought and care taken to celebrate her gift of life, you'll display a wonderful example to your kids of how important it is to tell those we love how blessed we are to have them in our lives.