Mom bloggers are circling and advice columnists are revving up their keyboards to address a very important societal question: Do you owe your spouse a Mother's Day gift?
If you're about to open your mouth to say, "Of course not, she isn't my mother!" or thinking, "But doesn't that just add one more extravaganza to the list that already has our anniversary and her birthday and Valentine's day?" you might want to save your breath. You certainly don't want to be the featured couple in article like Lisa Rich's "Mother's Day Fail: When My Husband Kindly Informed Me That I'm Not His Mom" for Mommyish.
Let's start with the basics from the parenting blogosphere: Help the kids make breakfast in bed and make sure they've got a card (homemade is always best). But as for a gift from yourself? Let's start with some advice from across the pond. The women of Mumsnet have definite feelings on the subject. Consider this exchange between TheRealCinderella and TheGruffaloArse:
TRC: So it will be my first Mother's Day as a Mum on Sunday, I've told OH that I'm expecting a card flowers and a cuppa in bed while he gets up with LO, he says I'm not his mother why would he get me a gift! I do 99% of the childcare alone as he works away and I think I've made it clear to him that it's important to me and I'm hoping he will do something.....is this unreasonable? Does your OH do anything for you?
TGA: Mine is the same.
While a few of the other mums chimed in to remind TRC that she's not, in fact, his mum, most seemed to think that some effort was required. LadyLoveYourWhat put it best: "I really don't understand why a loving partner wouldn't put themselves out, especially for your first Mothers' Day. My husband always has done, and does, a little something on his own behalf for me even now our children are old enough to sort themselves out, because he loves me and appreciates what I do for our children."
That's pretty solid advice.
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