Moms and daughters share the Mother’s Day gifts they truly want

The holiday was built to feel personal

Mother’s Day lands on the second Sunday in May in the United States, which makes this year’s date May 10. The holiday began with Anna Jarvis’s push for a more personal observance, including the first Mother’s Day church service in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, before President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday in 1914. Jarvis later fought the holiday’s commercialization, and that tension still explains why the most meaningful gifts tend to be the least fussy ones.

What moms actually want is not a mystery

The clearest line in the data is the one shoppers should keep repeating to themselves: Mark Mathews of the National Retail Federation says people are looking for “unique gifts that create lasting memories.” That tracks with the 2026 forecast, which puts Mother’s Day spending at a record $38 billion, with the average shopper planning to spend $284.25 per person. It also helps explain why 84% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate this year, even as flowers remain the most popular category at 75%, followed by greeting cards at 74%, special outings like dinner or brunch at 63%, gift cards at 55%, and clothing or clothing accessories at 51%.

The real surprise is how much moms want the day to be about time, not just things. In a 2024 YouGov survey of 500 American mothers, 60% said they want to spend Mother’s Day with their children. Another 42% wanted to go out to eat or drink, and 36% said dinner would make them happiest, which is a good reminder that a reservation can be a better gift than another object to unwrap. Among physical gifts, flowers led at 31%, followed by handmade gifts at 29%, gift cards at 28%, and greeting cards at 24%.

Buy this if you want to get it right the first time

If you want a safe bet that still feels thoughtful, start with something that already matches how moms say they want to spend the day. A dinner reservation or brunch plan works because it gives her time with the people she wants to see, and it fits neatly with that $284.25 average budget without forcing you into a giant splurge. Flowers are still popular for a reason, but they land best when they are part of a larger gesture, not the whole idea.

For the mom who loves a keepsake, go sentimental but specific. A personalized candle, a picture frame, or a personalized card gives her something she can keep and actually see every day. That is the kind of low-pressure gift Hallmark keeps circling back to, along with handwritten letters, which are still one of the smartest things you can give because they cost little and feel completely custom.

For the mom who likes useful gifts, a gardening handbook is a better choice than another decorative object she has to find a place for. It works especially well for the mom who likes a quiet project, a morning routine, or a gift she can keep using long after Mother’s Day has passed. This is where practical and personal overlap, which is exactly where the best gifts live.

If kids are giving the gift, keep it simple and keep it saveable

Hallmark’s strongest kid-friendly ideas work because they turn a small moment into a real memory. A handwritten letter from a child, a treasure hunt around the house with small keepsakes, a coupon book of chores with no expiration date, or an easy handprint kit can all feel more meaningful than a store-bought trinket. The handprint and footprint approach is especially smart for younger kids because it creates something a mom will keep instead of something she has to tidy away.

This is also where handmade gifts make the most sense. The YouGov survey shows that handmade gifts beat a lot of traditional defaults, and that tells you plenty: moms are not asking for perfection, they are asking for evidence that someone thought about them. A messy craft with a real note beats a polished object with no emotional center almost every time.

Skip this if it feels generic, rushed, or like more work for her

Skip the gift that looks like you grabbed the first acceptable thing and called it done. Mothers are already telling you they want time, dinner, handmade touches, and simple keepsakes, so a present that creates clutter or responsibility is probably the wrong instinct. Even flowers, the most popular category, should feel chosen, not automatic, especially when the holiday still carries Anna Jarvis’s original insistence that it be personal.

Skip the assumption that “practical” means boring, too. A gift card is not lazy if it points to a place she genuinely loves, and it fits the 28% of moms who said they want one. The trick is to make the gift feel like relief, not obligation, because the best Mother’s Day presents are the ones that give her either a good memory, a useful object, or one beautiful hour where she does not have to take care of anybody else.