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Cut the Chaos – Mother’s Day Gift Certificates
Mother’s Day is on the horizon, and 2009 seems like the perfect year to honor Mom with gifts of the heart, not of the credit card. So I’ve come up with a few unique gift certificate ideas that only a mother could appreciate. Feel free to forward this article to your family. Note: Some adult supervision required, Dad.
One Don’t-Get-Up Dinner. You bought the food. You cooked the food. Now, you can actually eat the food while it’s hot! That’s right, Mom. This certificate is good for an entire meal eaten while seated. No hopping up to get seconds, more milk or the towel to clean up milk when little brother spills it. You sit; we’ll get it. We’ll handle the table clearing and clean up, too!
One Week of Thank-Yous. No matter what you give us (a snack, a bath, homework help), we promise to say ”thank you“ without prompting. This certificate even includes those occasions when you give us stuff we don’t want, like a reminder to brush our teeth or clean our rooms. We’ll respond, ”Thanks, Mom, for that great advice.“ As an added bonus, we’ll throw in a few ”pleases.“
One Prime Time of Controlling the Remote Control. Relax, put your feet up, and grab that remote! It’s yours for the evening. No talking sponges, no wrestling, no shows about attacking animals. Watch whatever you want, Mom. We promise not to whine, complain or punch each other while we sit on the couch. Popcorn included.
One Family Game Night Without Accusations. This certificate entitles you to an evening of board games without the usual cries of “Cheater!” or “That’s so not fair!” Doesn’t that sound like a little slice of heaven? Not to us, but we know you’ll love it, so we’ll do it for you, Mom.
A Weekend of Hazard-free Floors. Tired of tripping over backpacks, abandoned shoes, scattered toys and random socks? Not this weekend, Mom. We’ll keep the house hazard-free for 48 hours! Travel anywhere you’d like in your own home without stopping to bend over and pick up something! Imagine the luxury! Walk to the bathroom at night without incident. The floor is yours!
A Fidgetless Hour. We won’t wiggle, giggle, poke each other or make inappropriate noises to attract attention from strangers. We won’t move and you won’t have to give us The Look. Suitable for use at Grandma’s house, church or waiting in line anywhere.
About the author: Lian Dolan is a writer, mother, Satellite Sister and creator of The Chaos Chronicles, a podcast, blog and Website about modern motherhood.
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and for those of us with older children may I add? A week of: not leaving the car with no gas in it; not leaving cereal bowls in your bedroom until the milk curdles; not doing anything that prompts a call from the high school!
Love it Lian! Nice job.
Great list! How about a certificate for doing your homework without being reminded? and checking it yourself before mom looks at it? and turning it in on time? and not losing it? OR How about enthuisastically embracing any family outing? even if it sounds silly or corny? More ideas out there?
Here, here! I agree with diane wholeheartedly on her wish list for those of us with older kiddies! May I add: no asking us to leave the room when we pop in to say hi to you and your friends; no leaving dirty dishes in the sink---there is a dishwasher 10 inches away, for heaven's sake!; and how about telling us before ten at night that you need brownies to sell at your bake sale in the morning? I know I can think of others but I have to go back to work so that I can continue to afford you!!
Love these comments. You are so right about gift certificates pertaining to homework! I'd take any of those. Thanks for the great suggestions. Lian
Sooo true! Here are a few more for older children: Folding your own laundry and putting it away without being told after all, I sort it, empty your pockets of wrappers and pencils (!), I take it down to the washer, put it in the dryer and bring it back up! Change the sheets on your bed without being reminded. Don't leave less than a serving of anything in the fridge / freezer. If you use the last of any item in the fridge / freezer, add it to the grocery list on the fridge!