What moms really want for Mother’s Day

Your mom loves you and will enjoy anything special you do for her on Mother’s Day.

But if you listen to these moms, you might get some new ideas for how to give your mom a one-of-a-kind day.

Rest and relaxation

Meghan Meyer, 35, of North Liberty, is a busy mom of three boys, Harrison, 8, Graham, 6, and Barrett, 1. Plus, she teaches kindergarten at Christine Grant Elementary School in North Liberty.

So what do you think she’d like to do on Mother’s Day?

“Relax! Absolutely no cleaning, cooking, working (or) anything else that moms spend our days doing,” she said.

Meyer’s ideal Mother’s Day would be having a clean house and then going out to eat, so there are no dirty dishes. And bonus points if there is no fighting between boys.

A special gift she got for Mother’s Day was a compilation video her husband, Nick, made of snippets from Harrison’s first year growing up. Nick repeated the gift for Graham, and Meyer hopes (hint, hint) there’s a similar video coming for Barrett.

Gift of time

Karris Golden, 45, of rural Black Hawk County, said what she’d most like for Mother’s Day is time with her 17-year-old daughter, Zoey.

One of their traditions on or near Mother’s Day is to run the Cedar Falls Run Like a Mother 5K.

“That’s my top choice for a Mother’s Day activity, despite how slow I am,” Golden said. “With high school graduation looming and Zoey’s packed schedule, we can’t do Run Like A Mother this year. I’ll be fine with whatever we do. I like the time with Zoey and am not overly concerned about how we spend it.”

Golden appreciates the time Zoey puts into writing a heartfelt message inside a Mother’s Day card.

For moms, it’s fun to see what their children are thinking — whether it’s funny or serious — and if you take five to 10 minutes away from sports, games or TV to write your mom a message, she’ll know you think she’s important.

Get outdoors

Kris Voreis, 76, of Coralville, has had a lot of Mother’s Days, but still remembers her very first when she was pregnant with her daughter, Sara.

“Her dad and I were really excited. I expected a grand celebration and gifts on Mother’s Day, but nothing happened,” she said. “He said ‘Oops, I’m sorry. You’re not MY mom.’ But never again did he forget to shower me with love and attention after that one.”

Her most memorable gift from Sara was a handmade coupon book for various chores, including making her bed and taking out the trash.

“But all of them had expiration dates for just a few days after Mother’s Day so most were never cashed in,” Voreis said.

Now that she has three grandchildren, Voreis’s ideal Mother’s Day would involve a bike ride with the whole family.

Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com