It’s the holiday season — a time for celebration, for family, for gift-giving. Wondering how to find the perfect gift for mom? Whether it be your own mom, a friend, or your child’s mom, you might need some ideas.
Here are six questions that will help you in your quest to find the perfect gift for mom.
1. What would help her in everyday life?
Everyday life is busy and hectic. Any gift that helps comfort and calm the baby, saves time, or helps mom feel good is helpful and welcome. A more elaborate or expensive gift might be a rocking chair. A simple and fairly inexpensive gift might be a NuRoo pocket — a babywearing shirt.
A breastfeeding mother who works outside her home or frequently travels might love a great bag for her breast pump, an inflatable nursing pillow for a plane trip, or a hands-free device like the Simple Wishes bra so she can pump and read email.
2. What nuisance factors does she put up with — but wishes she could avoid?
Every mother has times when she feels two hands are not enough. A perfect gift for mom might be a baby carrier or sling for hands-free baby carrying and multi-tasking. And, here’s an added benefit — this helps to calm and comfort her baby, and who doesn’t love that?
Because she has a baby literally attached to her breast, the nursing mother may find herself criticized for breastfeeding in public. Or, she might be tired of having her distracted baby drawing away from the breast to look around.
A stylish clothing design or special cover-ups will help her to nurse discreetly. Or, an inexpensive, attractive set of “nursing beads” that double as a stylish necklace provides a safe means of effectively holding baby’s attention while during nursing.
3. What does she love to do?
The nursing mother who loves to read might find it tricky to juggle a baby and a book. A Kindle or an iPad might be the perfect gift for mom. If she likes to listen to music or podcasts, consider a gift card for downloads.
If she’s a whiz in the kitchen, here are some possibilities:
- Oven mitts. I recently received these oven mitts as a gift, and they are far and away the best oven mitts I’ve ever owned. They are heat resistant, waterproof, non-slip, and more. I love them.
- An instant-read thermometer. This may be a godsend for an inexperienced cook, but anyone will enjoy the features. I gave it to my sister who has been cooking and keeping house for 56 years and she loved it because it has so many features including being ultra-fast, having a lock function, being easy to read, and more.
- The Ultimate New Mom’s Cookbook would also make a great gift because it has delicious recipes that are nutritious for the whole family, too!
4. What does she hate to do?
The same woman who hated to cook or clean before she became pregnant and giving birth will probably hate those tasks even more now. Most women would appreciate a gift certificate to a local restaurant. An establishment that has take-out service adds flexibility and might be the perfect gift for mom if she hates to cook.
Or, maybe she’s like me: I don’t mind cooking, but I hate grocery shopping. A gift for a service like Blue Apron or even a grocery delivery might help ease that burden.
Similarly, a certificate for a cleaning service is a fabulous gift for anyone who craves a clean house but doesn’t like to clean or doesn’t have the time.
5. What would create a memory for her?
How about a gift certificate for a family session with a local photographer? It could be anything that creates a memory, but family photos are priceless.
A perfect gift for mom isn’t always tangible. A nursing mother of an older infant might be eager to get out of the house. Tickets to a concert, a membership to a gym or a yoga class, or a special night out might be “memorable.” Couple it with a “free babysitting” coupon for double the delight!
6. What does she enjoy that costs more than she would be willing to spend on herself?
Parenting is an all-the-time job; every mom is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, putting someone else’s needs — the baby, other children — ahead of her own. Consider luxuries she may not spend on herself — wine, fancy chocolates, or a high-quality skin product. Maybe a manicure, a pedicure, or a massage would be the perfect gift for mom to feel pampered.
These tips that can be used when gift-shopping for anyone — moms, dads, grandmas, you get the picture, but they are more geared toward breastfeeding moms. Need more specific ideas? Listen now to my podcast on my favorite gifts. Then share this episode with sisters, parents, and in-laws. And be sure to comment below and let me know:
What gift would make your holiday merry and bright? How do you find the perfect gift for mom?