Whether staying home for a first baby or looking after a growing brood, the life of a stay-at-home mom is hard. Strangely enough, it can also be lonely. Special occasions are a perfect time to show the stay-at-home mom in your life a little support, and know you are offering a truly useful gift in return.
At the top of the list is a digital TV recorder: essential in any household with children. This is quite a pricey gift, but any husbands or partners looking to earn major points with their spouse would do well to hand her the control in a gift-wrapped box on that special occasion.
Moms, whether stay-at-home or not, often ignore their own needs to provide for their family. Little treats, whether it be twenty minutes so that she can sit and have a coffee by herself, new bath oils, or even a comfortable pair of bed-socks are tiny gifts that can make all the difference.
For more a practical gift, yoga mats, workout clothes, pilates balls and other small pieces of fitness equipment are ideal. First, find out the level (if any) your mom is at with these disciplines. If she has no experience with pilates or yoga at all, get her started with a beginner’s DVD – you can even turn it into a social occasion by offering to do the classes with her.
Something that is always handy for a busy home is a cleaning service voucher. (It should go without saying that you should be careful how you present this, in case you end up with it thrown back at you. No-one likes having it hinted that they can’t keep their house clean!)
Although friends and family might often offer to babysit, you can turn your offer into a gift by suggesting a firm date and activity. Providing a couple of tickets for the latest rom-com (or film that will appeal to her taste) will ensure that your gift becomes a welcome break.
Finally, audio books. A lot of stay-at-home moms say that although they enjoy time at home with their baby, they nearly go crazy listening to baby-talk all day. An audio book, whether of the classics or something newer, provides some adult dialogue during the day while leaving mommy hands-free for the work of the day.
The work of a stay-at-home mom is never done, which is why any gift that offers a moment of relaxation is sure to be welcome. A thoughtful gift will let the stay-at-home mom in your life know that she is thought of and loved, and help her in a small way with the duties of bringing up the next generation.
This is a good gift for a stay-at-home dad as well – lots of men state the exact same ‘babytalk’ problem as their female counterparts. Other good gifts for stay-at-home dads include subscriptions to their favourite magazines, to help them keep in touch with the world, and offers of lunchtime babysitting to enable them to touch base with former colleagues or friends.
