Mocha Dad

Most parents would agree that we could all use more time. Between working, cooking meals, homework, driving kids to various activities, and trying to manage the household, the days always seem too short.

In my discussions with moms, I discovered that most of their time is spent caring for other family members and they often neglect their own needs. As a stay at home mom, my wife is constantly doing things for us or for the community and rarely gets a chance to unwind and pamper herself. That’s why I’m giving her the gift of time this Mother’s Day. I’ve tried giving her jewelry, technology, and other tangible gifts, but they don’t seem to have the same impact as giving her a few hours to focus on herself.

Therefore, I will corral the kids so my wife can enjoy these special gifts:

• Time to sleep – Number one on my wife’s wish list is a nap. She’s often tired from the early mornings and late nights and longs for a little extra sleep. A short nap will do her good.
• Time to read – My wife was an avid reader before we had kids. Now she can hardly find the time to read a book for pleasure. I will load a few good books on her iPad so she can indulge in her literary passion.
• Time to watch TV – My wife only likes a few TV shows: Bones, Burn Notice, and Suits. However, she can never watch them when they air. Thankfully, previous episodes are available On-Demand and my wife will be able to take the time to catch up on all the episodes she’s missed.
• Time to relax and rejuvenate – Because of all of the household responsibilities (dishes, laundry, cooking, etc), my wife is always busy. Consequently, she’s often stressed out. This Mother’s Day, the kids and I plan to tackle these chores so mom can take it easy and recharge her batteries. A clean kitchen and a home-cooked meal are probably the gifts that my wife will enjoy the most.

You can also give the moms in your life the gift of time this Mother’s Day. Visit Clorox’s Facebook page and download the book, If Mom Had Three Minutes. It has some great time saving tips that will help to make mom’s life a little easier.

Stay Strong,

 

 

Question: What would your wife or mom do if she had extra time?

Disclosure: I am being compensated by The Clorox Company to talk about my favorite time-saving, multi-tasking tip(s) as part of the If Mom Had Three Minutes program.

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Mother’s Day is an occasion when people around the world celebrate their moms. Buying your own mother a gift is a no-brainer, but things aren’t always so obvious when it comes to other moms in your life. I’m speaking specifically of the mothers of our children.

I asked people on Facebook and Twitter if they thought that husbands were obligated to buy their wives a gift on Mother’s Day. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of respondents believe that husbands should buy a gift. In fact, some were quite vehement in their assertion.

“If she is a mother or if y’all are trying to have kids, then absolutely,” said Richard. “I don’t want the mother of my two beautiful boys upset with me on Mother’s Day because I decided not to get her a gift because ‘ain’t my momma.’ That would be dumb.”

Other comments such as “Duh” and “Of course” were expressed in the survey.

When I broke down the data by gender, I discovered that 33% of men believe that they should not purchase their wives Mother’s Day gifts compared to 31% of women.

“I think that this is a day that children should honor their mothers,” said Broadus.  “Spouses have plenty of other opportunities.”

Ann, a mother of three agreed.

“I tell my husband I’m not his mother and I don’t expect a gift from him. I encourage him to buy for his own mother to set a good example for our kids.”

Despite the differing views about buying gifts, one thing was consistent: Mothers want to feel appreciated on Mother’s Day.

“Gifts aren’t required,” said Mary. “But husbands must do something to recognize her role as the mother to his children.”

Men would do well to follow this simple bit of advice from LuCretia.

“It’s not the size or cost of the gift that matters,” she said. “The fact that my husband thought of me is what’s priceless.”

Stay Strong,

 

 

 

Question: Do you think husbands should buy their wives Mother’s Day gifts?

Popularity: 1% [?]

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