5 Mistakes Dads Make On Mother’s Day
On May 13, families everywhere will gather to celebrate Mother’s Day, the one day a year where mothers get a much-earned reprieve from familial obligations.
It’s also a Sunday that is a cause of anxiety for dads across the nation. Because since no mother should have to do work on Mother’s Day, it falls on the dad to plan the day in a way to truly honor the matriarch of the house.
Of course dads are terrified of screwing it up. That’s why we at Classic Dad are here to highlight some common mistakes dads make on Mother’s Day, so that future dads manage to avoid the same mistakes.
Giving The “Homer Simpson’s Bowling Ball” Gift
Do you remember that early Simpsons episode when Homer buys Marge a bowling ball with his name on it for her birthday?
Okay, yes, we know that the episode is literally *counts* *holy crap* over 20 years old, but it’s still an important lesson for dads. You see, Homer decided to go with the “gift that we can both use” route to buy something he essentially wanted for himself.
Don’t fall into that trap, dads.
While mom technically will get use out of, say, a new cover for the grill, any “shared household” gift is going to be (rightfully) met with scorn and anger. So make sure to get something for mom and only for mom.
Oh, and if she says, “I don’t want you to get me anything,” that is a trap. You absolutely still have to get her something.
Not Planning Anything
There are plenty of reasons not to plan anything crazy on Mother’s Day.
Maybe the budget is a bit strained this year. Maybe mom really wants to take in a lazy Sunday. Still, “oh, I’m fine having a low key day” is not an invitation for dads to avoid planning anything.
Dads can corral the rest of the family to help clean the house while mom takes a bath and watches Grace and Frankie on Netflix. Or they can plan to cook up mom’s favorite meal for dinner. Or he can coordinate with mom’s girlfriends to have them take her out for a nice brunch.
No matter what, dads should always be planning something. But be careful with what you plan, because another grave error is…
Planning Something Early In The Morning, Or Planning Too Much
Dads scientifically are unable to sleep later than 5:30 in the morning, so the mindset of “fitting as much into the day as we can” is tempting.
It’s also a huge mistake.
Moms want to sleep in on Mother’s Day, or at least they want to be allowed to languish in bed for an hour while dad focuses on the rest of the family. It’s not going to go over well if the Mother’s Day begins with having to hurry out of bed at 7AM to beat the morning breakfast rush. Mother’s Day is about celebrating mothers, not stressing them out with a jam-packed itinerary.
Making Breakfast In Bed
“Wait,” you may be asking, “breakfast in bed seems like a great way to treat a mom on Mother’s Day!”
Oh, you sweet, naive soul.
On paper, yes, it’s lovely.
The image of a smiling family carrying a tray of coffee and pastries and delightful morning goodies that mom can eat at her own leisure sounds great. Until you actually try it. Then all of a sudden mom is watching in horror as her sheets become covered in flaky pastry crumbs, her hand trembling slightly with each sip of coffee hoping none of it spills and soaks through to the mattress. And then, of course, there is the chaos left behind in the kitchen. If you absolutely must do breakfast in bed, you have to clean up the kitchen before she gets out of bed as well.
But it’s all too risky. Best to avoid it, and let her sleep in instead.
And of course, this wouldn’t be a site of advice for dads if we didn’t close this article with the number one mistake dads make on Mother’s Day…
Forgetting Mother’s Day
Come on dad, this is rookie stuff. But it is a real risk.
At the end of the day, if you make any of the mistakes in this article you’re still granted a bit of a reprieve, because you tried. A little effort goes a long way when it comes to Mother’s Day. But if a dad straight up forgets about Mother’s Day? Well, that’s a week sleeping on the couch, at least. So remember, dads out there. May 13th is Mother’s Day. Don’t Forget!