The new Mothers Day rule women are demanding

One year, my step-dad thought he had stumbled upon the most utterly perfect Mother’s Day gift.He wasn’t known for his gift-giving abilities, often racing to the shops the day before and grabbing the first thing he could find. But on this Mother’s Day, when my brother and I were still in primary school, my step-dad swore he had nailed it.He had overheard a conversation my mom was having with her friend, where the friend was raving about a new slow cooker she had bought.According to him, my mom agreed that it would be very convenient and that it sounded like a good idea. So, when the first Sunday in May arrived and my step-dad was more confident than ever in his gift, he was shocked when my mom didn’t share in his delight. I remember her face when she realized what it was – mostly confusion at what had inspired this choice.

When my step-dad recounted this conversation, my mom joked, “So you missed the part where I said how much I wanted diamonds or even a day off?”My mom was firmly of the view: if it’s something that’s involved with helping or serving other people, it’s not a gift to her. And, it seems she was not alone. In a video now being widely shared on TikTok, a woman, Jess, is sharing her own mom’s rule for Mother’s Day presents. “If [the gift is] something to clean, decorate, to keep maintenance in the house – it is not a Mother’s Day gift.It is a family gift,” she explained. “A Mother’s Day gift is thinking specifically of the mother and what she would like.

It’s not just another thing for the home that we’re disguising as a gift.”Jess said that since becoming a mom herself, the rule is resonating more than ever. Speaking to TODAY, the 38-year-old said she was inspired to post the video, after reading an article where women discussed what they wanted from their families. “Right away, I noticed women asking for household items, like ‘Oh, I really want this new Dyson vacuum or the Le Creuset pan,’�...