If you haven’t yet done any Mother’s Day shopping for your mom, good news: YouGov has the data on what American moms want as a gift.
The most popular gift moms want this year is a simple one: a card. More than one-third (35%) of women who indicated they were mothers say they would like to receive this as a Mother’s Day present. (It was also Americans’ top pick for Valentine’s Day gifts.) A similar proportion (31%) would welcome a bouquet of flowers.
About one in five American mothers (20%) say they want a special experience with their family, such as going on a hike or going to the beach. Slightly fewer would want to receive jewelry (17%), something homemade (17%), or for someone else to take care of the household tasks they normally manage (17%).
Next are keepsake gifts, such as an engraved frame or other personal item (16%), chocolate or candy (16%), or a certificate for a massage or spa experience (16%).
You can probably skip on getting her the latest tech accessory -- just 5% of moms want to receive electronics as a Mother’s Day gift. The same percentage (5%) say they would want wine, beer, or liquor as a gift.
And though breakfast in bed may be a classic Mother’s Day offering, only 7% of American mothers say this is something they want.
YouGov also asked Americans who plan to celebrate Mother’s Day what they planned to send or give for the holiday.
Gift givers and recipients appear to be in sync: Nearly two in five of Americans celebrating the day (38%) will send a card, and 33% plan to give the mothers in their life flowers. (Hopefully the card givers are buying for the recipients who want cards.) Fewer givers have plans to give chocolates or candy (13%) or clothing (9%).
How will Americans spend Mother’s Day?
Besides giving gifts to the maternal figures in their life — and receiving those gifts — how do Americans intend to spend Mother’s Day?
Just under half (46%) of Americans plan to do something to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, though 19% said they were unsure whether they would or not.
Among those who indicated they may celebrate Mother’s Day this year, 49% will celebrate with their own mother. About one-third (32%) will celebrate with their children, and 24% will celebrate with their partner. Fewer will celebrate Mother’s Day with their sibling (12%), their grandmother (10%), and/or their mother-in-law (10%).
Many Americans who may celebrate the occasion say they’ll have a special meal or celebration at home (45%). Far fewer (26%) plan to go out for a special meal or celebration, and 23% will mark the day by talking on the phone or having a video chat.
Whether you choose to stay in or go out, it’s not a bad idea to do something for the moms in your life, as they might have been let down in the past: 31% of mothers say they’ve previously been disappointed by their family not doing enough for Mother’s Day.
Most Americans say society does not adequately reward mothers for the work they do
More than half (57%) of Americans say society does not adequately reward mothers for the work they do. Among mothers themselves, 70% hold this opinion.
Women (65%) are more likely than men (49%) to say society does not adequately reward mothers for the work they do.
Americans over 65 (69%) are particularly likely to say that mothers are not sufficiently rewarded for the work they do. Fewer 45- to 64-year-olds (60%), 30- to 44-year-olds (52%), and 18- to 29-year-olds (47%) see it the same way.
– Linley Sanders and Carl Bialik contributed to this article
This poll was conducted on April 27 - 30, 2022, among 1,000 U.S. adult citizens. Explore more on the methodology and data for this U.S. news poll
Image: Pexels
