SURVEY SAYS: Mother’s Day Plans

Last week, I asked NewsDash readers, “What, if any, plans do you have for Mother’s Day?”

Forty percent of responding readers said they will visit their mothers and/or grandmothers. More than 17% each chose “taking mother and/or grandmother out for a meal” and “children visiting you and/or taking you out.” Ten percent indicated they will just call their mother and/or grandmother, 7.5% plan to go to church with mother and/or grandmother, 5% are visiting children, and 2.5% are having mother and/or grandmother over for a visit and/or meal. Another 2.5% reported they have no plans.

“Other” response included:

• I will remember her fondly and offer a thankful prayer for having had her as my mom.
• Going to brunch with a couple of other mothers whose kids are not in town.
• Quiet day at home with son and husband
• Going to visit mother-in-law after yoga with daughter
• Mani/pedi with my mom!
• Probably a quiet day at home being pampered by husband. The older generation is all gone and my kids and grandkids all live on the other side of the country. I expect there will be lots of phones calls and Facetime.
• get together with son and grandchildren and do a special drive or hike
• For several years now, my brother-in-law fixes a huge Mother’s Day meal for all the mothers in both families.
• My husband is making breakfast, lunch and dinner for me. That and planting flowers with my “tweenage” sons will make for a perfect Mother’s Day!
• Going to the zoo with my daughter and son in law
• Taking mother-in-law to lunch
• Taking my mother to her favorite art festival locally.
• I’ll spend the day with my dad
• Parent wise, I am down to just my mother-in-law. My husband and I are taking her to church and lunch. Our children are working or out of town, so hopefully I get cards from them.
• Taking my mother to my brother’s house 1.5 hours away for a visit.

In verbatim comments, a couple of readers noted that going to a restaurant on Mother’s Day can mean crowds and rushed service. A couple also reminded us that there are some fathers who have served in the mother’s role as well for some people. Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said: “As a mother of boys, I have to make the plans and tell them what I want, or I am lucky to get a card.” I can relate.

Verbatim

I'll tell my kids, again, one of her favorite mantras; few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

My Mom just likes her kids around her so we all pile into her place and have a great time visiting including all generations who are available.

Just calling and sending a card and small gift as she lives in another state.

My mother passed a dozen years ago and while I miss her every day, I know she's still here with me. Once in a while it would be nice to get feedback though when I "talk" to her, but it would probably scare me silly!

I am lucky enough to have children and grandchildren who make every day Mother’s Day!

The men take responsibility for all the cooking and cleaning. Those who can't/won't cook, spend money for someone else to do it.

We are actually bringing lunch to my mother-in-law. Little or no fuss for her and a more relaxed atmosphere to visit for a few hours.

This is my second Mother's Day since becoming a mother and I plan to spend it with my mama and granny, who made me who I am and showed me how to be the best mama in the world. I just hope I can come close to measuring up!

Verbatim (cont.)

As an adult I have never lived within 700 miles of my parents, so I call my mom on Mother’s Day and send her flowers. My daughter loves the zoo and since she has been married she and her husband meet my husband and I at the zoo and we enjoy the zoo and dinner together. Sincerely hope that it becomes a Mother’s Day tradition for multiple generations soon.

Church, golf, and dinner at Mom's!

As a mom, the best gift is having my beautiful daughter just spend the day with me. No gift, no fancy dinner can take the place of getting lots of hugs and knowing you did a good job raising your child. And we need to thank all those dads that are both mom and dad to their children because often, we forget how truly amazing those men are!

When your young Mother's day is magic, when you're a teen it's a nuisance, when you're in your 20's and 30's you often forget, and then in your 40's and 50's it becomes magic again.

We stopped going out for a meal on Mother's Day a long time ago as the restaurants are always crowded and service spotty at best because the wait staff is overworked. We far prefer to have my parents over, relax, hang out on the deck and grill. Our kids come over as well, if they aren't working. Family time is more important to us than going to a restaurant just to get rushed through a meal so they can turn the table for the next group.

I've always celebrated my dad on Mother's day as he filled that role for the majority of my life.

One of my daughters wrote a Mother's Day commercial for Barnes and Noble about our relationship. You just can't get any better than that.

I am taken out to dinner the day before Mother's Day as I hate the crowded restaurants and rushed service on Mother's Day.

As a mother of boys, I have to make the plans and tell them what I want, or I am lucky to get a card.

I hate mother's day. Too much stress on making sure my mother has something to do with me for 8 hours. My mother is 90, so basically for the last 20 years I just keep her company for a day. It's awful. She can't walk or eat well, so taking her to a restaurant is not viable. And she doesn't want to go, because, of course, everyone will make fun of a 90 year old with a walker. Like SHE'S the only one and that's what people do. Ugh.