Mums have revealed the presents they dread receiving on Mother’s Day from self-care value packs to home cleaning appliances and even chocolates and flowers.
Hundreds of mums have taken to social media to share the worst gifts they’ve ever received so those still to buy something for mum ahead of her day on Sunday, May 14 know what to steer clear of.
On the no-go present list included anything adorned with the phrase ‘World’s Best Mum’, bath bombs, cleaning supplies and even a voucher to get Botox.
Aussies are set to spend a combined $1billion or $82 each on Mother’s Day presents this year according to Finder data and would hope they splash their hard-earned cash on something mum really wants.
Mums did shed some light on what they really want for Mother’s Day with many saying they prefer spending quality time with their loved ones or having some quiet time to themselves rather than physical gifts.
Mums are sharing the gifts they hate to receive on Mother’s Day from cleaning supplies to appliances and even cheap chocolates and supermarket bought flowers
Many mothers said they hated receiving gifts that ‘give them more work’ like cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaners, irons and ironing boards and cookware.
‘I gave (my mum) a saucepan – it was very expensive but she hated it!’ one woman recalled.
‘My ex’s kid got her a vacuum and laundry detergent,’ another added and a third said: ‘A lint roller. Enough said!’
‘My husband gave his mother a toilet plunger,’ someone laughed.
‘MY OWN MOTHER GOT ME A BROOM. A BROOM. LIKE WE LIVE IN SOME LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE TIME WARP,’ another exclaimed.
Supermarket shelves stocked with off-brand value gift packs containing hand creams, soaps and beauty products may lead shoppers to believe they are the ideal gift for any woman but mums said they roll their eyes at the ‘thoughtless’ present.
‘Just an FYI, the women in your life do not want these,’ a Facebook post alongside an image of the gift packs that racked up more than 2,000 likes.
‘There are only so many body creams one can have in the cupboard,’ one woman replied and others called them ‘tacky’ and ‘juvenile’.
Blogger Stay at Home Mum said toiletries like baths salts, bath bombs, or loofahs often just end up taking up room in the bathroom cupboard.
‘And really, do I smell that bad that I need an entire shea butter set containing a lotion, scrub, shower gel and body butter? Like seriously,’ she wrote.
She gave perfume a red light saying everyone has their own personal scent preferences.
‘If I tell my hubby that I like a scent that is slightly nutty with a woody accent and floral undertone, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have the slightest clue what I am talking about,’ she said.
Store shelves stocked with value gift packs may lead shoppers to believe they are the ideal gift for any woman but mums said they roll their eyes at the ‘thoughtless’ present
‘And even if I gave him the actual name of my favourite perfume, he would buy something completely different because ‘the box is nice and the girl said it’s really popular’.’
A study by McCrindle surveyed hundreds of mums to find the five worst Mother’s Day presents.
The results included cheap chocolates, supermarket flowers, underwear, ‘trivial’ trinkets as well as appliances.
Getting something that shows you don’t know your mum well will also put her in a bad mood like gifting earrings when she doesn’t have her ears pierced or giving her something she already has like a certain candle or book.
‘Impersonal’ gifts that were obviously bought at the last minute like half-wilted flowers, cheap chocolates and personal care items from the corner chemist should also be avoided.
Another impersonal gift is apparently anything with the phrase ‘World’s Best Mum’ printed on it like mugs, tea towels and fridge magnets.
‘Not that it’s a competition, but I am decidedly not the world’s best mom, a fact that is glaringly apparently now that my toddler has started throwing, and I’m struggling day by day to maintain my cool,’ one mum said on Pick Any Two.
Mums were unanimous in saying gifts that hint they need to improve their appearance like wrinkle cream or bathroom scales are downright offensive.
Mums were unanimous in saying gifts that hint they need to improve their appearance like wrinkle cream or bathroom scales are downright offensive
‘My mum started to complain about wrinkles and the like. My dad, thinking he knew exactly what he needed to get her.. got her a gift certificate for botox,’ one woman said in a Reddit thread.
Mums also complained about partners using Mother’s Day to buy themselves something they really wanted.
‘A couple years ago, my husband surprised me with a PS4. For himself. I still haven’t let him live it down,’ one mum said.
‘Ex husband got me a $400 turbo flush toilet…never said anything about wanting or needing a tall commode with a forceful flush, but that’s what I got,’ replied another.
‘My grandfather was an avid woodworker in his spare time and retirement…One Mother’s Day, many years ago, he made a big deal about a special gift he’d gotten his wife. He really played it up in a way he never did for gifts,’ a third recalled.
‘It was a fancy air compressor, of the type used to power pneumatic tools. The kind of tools he used for some of his projects. His old compressor had died recently.’
Others shared the worst presents they had received on the holiday with a few saying they had been given nothing but a ‘cheap’ card on more than one occasion.
‘A magnet that says ‘MYNAME’s KITCHEN’ because ‘I’ve finally started to cook more’. It was in that cartoony farmhouse kitschy plaid style,’ a mum commented.
‘My (now ex) boyfriend presented me with a lotto scratch-off…I did win $5 on the scratch-off but my ex took it,’ a second added.
‘I’m a stay-at-home mum so I don’t have money of my own. We went to Target a month ago and I got two pairs of shorts for summer. This morning I asked if anything was planned for my first Mother’s Day and he said he thought the shorts were my gift,’ a third said.
A post to Mouth of Mums posed the question: What do you really want for Mother’s Day?’ drawing in hundreds of answers with many requesting a ‘day off’ and a good sleep.
‘A day off. A week off, a month off,’ one mum laughed and another agreed: ‘A day off, a day completely to myself’.
‘An afternoon sleep sleep. Uninterrupted deep sleep,’ a third while a fourth added: ‘To be left alone all day so I can just sleep’.
Many mums said they would love just to spend quality time with their kids and get ‘lots of hugs’.
‘Nothing. Just to be with my family and be happy,’ someone answered.
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