The Best Mother’s Day Gift
What is the best Mother’s Day gift?
The best gift I could ask for on Mother’s Day is sleep.
What I wouldn’t give for a lazy afternoon nap or to sleep in on the weekends. And I reckon that I’m not the only mom who wouldn’t love the gift of sleep for Mother’s Day.
Research shows us that sleep benefits memory, focus, attention, and mood. As moms, we know well what it’s like to live sleep-deprived. Some moms even deal with sleep-deprivation for years after the births of their babies. Sleep experts say that seven to nine hours of sleep is the optimal amount for adults.
Though everybody has different preferences and needs, below I’ve listed a few ideas to invite sleep, in the hopes that at least one idea will bring you more sleep. Let’s celebrate Mother’s Day and Better Sleep Month in May with restful, deep sleep!
26 Ways to Give the Gift of Sleep:
As family members, what can you do to give Mom the gift of sleep?
- Go out for the afternoon, so she can have a nap.
- Take the kids out for breakfast, so she can sleep in.
- Offer to take the night shift if your child wakes up in the night.
- Set up the bedroom with essential oils, freshly cleaned sheets, calming music, or candles to help invite sleep.
- Draw a bath for Mom, so she can relax before bed.
- Make a cup of chamomile tea for Mom to drink before bedtime.
- Take Mom out for some fresh air and exercise during the day.
- Cook Mom a healthy home-cooked dinner.
- Practice family yoga together at bedtime.
- Talk Mom through a Yoga Nidra session while she’s lying in bed.
- Serenade your mom with calming, gentle music.
- Get her to bed on her consistent bedtime routine and don’t force her to stay up late.
- Treat her to a late-evening relaxing massage at your local spa or have a masseuse come to your house.
As moms, what can you do to give yourself the gift of sleep?
- Take all the electronics out of your bedroom. Charge your cell phones and/or tablets in a separate room.
- Set up a nightly bedtime ritual to give yourself time to settle your mind and body.
- Practice mindful breathing or meditation before bed.
- Go through a few calming yoga poses to prepare your body for sleep.
- Write in a journal to let go of your thoughts for the day.
- Have a pad and paper next to your bed, to get your ideas out of your head.
- Create a practice of connecting with your partner before bedtime.
- Enjoy fresh air, exercise, and healthy food during the day.
- Create a bedtime ritual with your children, so they, too, sleep through the night from infants, thus giving you a good night’s sleep.
- Do something relaxing before bed, like reading.
- Write down at least two things that you were grateful for in your day.
- Avoid stimulants (caffeine, excessive alcohol, or violent/ scary television programming) before bed.
- Set up a daily exercise routine.
Please consult your health professional for serious sleep issues. These ideas above are meant to give you inspiration to creating a healthy sleep lifestyle.
Is there at least one idea that could make a difference to your sleep pattern?
My daughter and I practicing yoga before bedtime.
What is the best Mother’s Day gift?
I asked my mommy blogger friends about their best Mother’s Day gift recommendations, and here is what they said:
“I have made cards for our school’s spring fair for the past three years, using cut-outs of kids’ hands or fingerprint flowers. These are cute and easy for Mom or Grandma and remind us how little they still are.”
Kristyn, CleanBirth.org
“I love cooking and would really appreciate a home-cooked breakfast with homemade cards from the kids!”
Amanda, Educators’ Spin On It
“I’d love a picnic lunch with my husband and kids, prepared by someone else, and homemade cards. (Cards with handprints are high on my list!)”
Christina, There’s Just One Mommy
“The best gift I ever got for Mother’s Day was a plaque with my kids’ handprints on them. Other years, teachers have sent home poems and pictures and crafts that were so meaningful because they were ‘snapshots’ of time that was so precious. I recommend ANYTHING handmade that helps a mom recall her child’s joyful youth!”
Daria, Daria’s Music
“I wish that one Mother’s Day, my children would let me sleep longer! And help their dad prepare a brunch! That would be a lovely gift. Nothing ‘bought,’ just a kind morning all together with cuddles, reading stories in bed, and delicious food.”
Eolia, La Cite Des Vents lacitedesvents.blogspot.com
“Anything homemade. My best Mother’s Day was last year, which included a tea party with her class and lots of homemade things for the moms. Homemade tissue paper corsages (sprayed with some perfume), homemade pins in painted boxes, and time together. Plus, the kids sang for us and were told to wait on us. So fun!”
Carrie, Crafty Moms Share
“My favourite gift from my children for Mother’s Day are homemade cards or gifts and gestures like a nice breakfast or dinner made by the kids (and their dad). I rather prefer a nice outing all together than a present.”
Ute, Expats Since Birth www.expatsincebirth.com
“I love the handmade crafted gifts from my children. Those are the presents I remember, keep, and cherish. And a lie-in would be a bonus, and all meals for the day taken care of.”
Amanda, Happy Sensitive Kids
“Moms always have kids attached at the hip. When a dad gives his wife a day off, I think it is the best gift. Being able to have a whole day to spend however I want is absolutely dreamy.”
Jodi, Meaningful Mama
“Mine are also homemade and three very special gifts spring to mind: drawings and poems, written/drawn by my two daughters, bound together into a small booklet; a CD my younger daughter recorded with her singing and playing guitar.”
Rita, Multilingual Parenting
“We go to a YMCA camp for Mother’s Day, so I get a whole weekend of giant swing, massages, kayaking, eating, horseback riding, etc, and not have to plan any of it! For my actual gift, I ask my girls to sing me a song, at the evening campfire talent show, which my husband records for me because I’m too busy crying—or laughing, as was the case last year, when they told jokes instead. They practice for weeks together and plan the song with their dad. The three of them beautifully singing on the stage set against the sunset, with their mismatched, muddy, happy, camping clothes is a sight to behold.”
Koloud, A Crafty Arab
“In the morning, we tend to focus on my mom and mother-in-law, because of course we still want to honor them, but then the afternoon and evening belong to me. I love when my husband has the kids surprise me with something little they made/picked out and then they take me out to dinner.”
Kate, Kitchen Floor Crafts
“A lie-in, lots of squishy cuddles, and kisses from the kids and a homemade card or gift.”
Louise, Messy Little Monster
“I realize it isn’t a sentimental request, but each year I secretly HOPE for a gift certificate to a nearby spa. We already have so much “stuff,” that I would rather receive an experience than something I don’t really need. I’m reluctant to splurge on a spa day myself, so that opportunity for a little pampering really is the perfect gift. And, if I get sentimental, my favorite part of Mother’s Day is going to brunch with my husband and our two boys – it is a tradition that has carried through from my own childhood and really means a lot to me!”
Ellie, Musing Momma
“The best present for a mother is something made by kids hands. It could be something a postcard or a drawing or a craft. My kids are 3 and 5 and I love what they come up with just using a piece of paper and markers.”
Galina, Trilingual Children
“I love anything homemade also.”
Malu, Bilinguazo
Gina, East Coast Mommy
What’s a Mother’s Day gift that will help a mom in the developing world?
If we asked some women in developing countries what their #1 gift recommendation was for Mother’s Day, they might say: a clean birth.
My friend Kristyn Zalota has created a non-profit organization called CleanBirth.org. Its mission is to make birth safer in Laos. Here’s what she says:
“CleanBirth.org works to prevent the needless deaths of mothers and babies in Laos, where maternal and infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world. In the villages where we work, women often give birth alone in the forest. To make birth safer, together with our Lao non-profit partner, we provide life-saving Clean Birth Kits and train local nurses in the distribution of the kits and the WHO’s Essentials of Newborn Care.”
If you’d like to support CleanBirth.org, consider giving your mom or grandma a special Mother’s Day card that honors her and provides mothers in Laos with Clean Birth Kits. The cards are beautiful photographs of mothers and babies in Laos, enclosed in hand-stamped muslin bags. Choose from a list of names or customize the bag with your special word for “Mom” or “Grandma.” Make a difference this Mother’s Day!
See the CleanBirth.org Etsy Shop to purchase your Mother’s Day Cards.
How do we practice yoga before bedtime with our children?
Our Good Night, Animal World yoga book was inspired by my daughter, who was two-years-old at the time. I wanted to add a yoga sequence to our bedtime ritual to help her release pent-up energy and stress from her busy day. In this bedtime yoga book, the readers say good night to animals from around the world through calming yoga poses for kids. At the back of the book, a world map shows where each of the animals live.
In this bedtime book, readers meet all six of our Yoga Kids (Sophia, Anamika, Pablo, Baraka, Elizabeth, and Luke), who come from six continents around the world. Join the six yoga kids as you perch like a bald eagle, crouch like a tiger, and curl up like a sloth. The bedtime yoga book includes a list of Yoga Poses and a Parent Guide with tips on creating a successful bedtime experience.
The Good Night, Animal World Yoga Cards complement the story, offering an independent and quiet activity as children match and sort the calming yoga poses with the matching animal images.
Target age group: Toddler, preschooler. Ages 2-5. Fun for all ages.
Good Night, Animal World | Good Night, Animal World Yoga Cards |
Other Related Links You Might Also Like
5 Animal Yoga Poses to Help Your Child Sleep Better | How to Play with Bedtime Yoga Cards with Kids |
How to Get Your Child to Sleep Better | Calm Down Yoga Poses for Kids |
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