So you’ve had a new baby and are riding high, still enjoying that new baby smell, and reveling in the fact that you and your wife made what appears to be a perfect human being together. Or maybe you are more in the sleep-deprived dad zombie stage of fatherhood. Whichever camp you fall in (both?), there is something very important you need to be aware of… Mother’s Day is coming.
I don’t want to cause you any worry or concern, but the first Mother’s Day is kind of a big deal. Right now, your wife and life mate has a perfect mental image of what her very first Mother’s Day is going to be like. She is full of expectations free from all disillusionment. We’ve all had great birthdays and birthdays that were a bit of a disappointment. As of this moment, your wife has never had a Mother’s Day that was a disappointment… ever. Plus, she is a new mother. She really does need a little appreciation, no one is paying her to give up sleep, soothe a screaming baby, or change dirty diapers. This is all community service so far.
So with this perfect streak going you definitely do not want to be the one who ruins it. This is opening day! But just in case you are only now realizing that you have no idea what to do or how to plan it, then don’t worry because here is a Four Step Guide to planning a Mother’s Day for new mothers.
Step #1. Take Stock Of Your Situation
Before running off and emptying your wallet in front of the first flower vendor you see on Mother’s Day eve, take a moment to stop and look at your situation. What resources do you have on hand?
- About a million baby toys. Probably not useful.
- Baby: Obviously you have one otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation. If this is your 1st child, it is important to remember that your baby is not an active player in mother’s day. Like your wedding, this is your wife’s special day. Your baby isn’t the hero of the story, you’re baby is just the catalyst for action, like the ark of the covenant or the holy grail in Indiana Jones. Your baby’s role in this mother’s day is just to turn your wife from a woman to a mother. Basically you can’t count on babies for anything other than spontaneously generating new toys somehow.
- What does your wife need at this point? Depending on when you had your baby, your wife might need some social interaction. Maybe she hasn’t seen the inside of a restaurant in months. Maybe she is wondering if her friends still exist. Or if you just had your baby, maybe you’re getting a little tired of friends and relatives stopping by with casseroles and baby blankets and she wants some quiet time. I’ve gone ahead and prepared a chart below illustrating this and the next point.
- What does your wife need at this point? My baby is 5 months old. For the past 4 months she has been totally against bottles. That means that my wife can’t do a whole day away from the baby. Yours may be great with a bottle or already eating baby food. And speaking of…
Step #2. Information Gathering
- See last week’s article.
Step #3. Don’t Forget The Basics
Breakfast in bed and flowers are good and you should definitely do them. But those are the bare minimum. Those are the kind of tasks that you can delegate to your kids when they are older, but for now you’re going to have to handle that too. Pro Tip: Crepes are fancy pancakes and are nearly as easy to make. Plus you get to use your fake French accent all morning. Also, did you know that a lot of places deliver even in the morning?
Your wife is expecting these things. And like all good stories, the ending is always better if it is a little unexpected. You might want to add a little twist. Possibly by doing them the day before actual Mother’s Day. Or getting everything ready in secret so that your wife doesn’t know when or how your pulled it off. But whatever you do, don’t do it on any day AFTER actual Mother’s Day. You just look like you’re playing catch-up then. But when you effortlessly pull off the basics and THEN go above and beyond, you look a little more like this guy…
Step #4. Plan Ahead
Good news! Just by reading this you’ve already begun your planning. This is probably the most important aspect, and it is for a couple of reasons. The first reason is so that she knows that you care about this, that you’ve been thinking about mother’s day. I’m getting points right now, just by writing this article because my wife knows that I’ve been thinking about what to do for mother’s day.
The other reason is because timing is important. If you try to cram too much in, then your wife is going to feel rushed and stressed if the baby needs something. This should be a rejuvenating day. Nothing is sexier than a smooth flowing plan and a man who looks like he knows what is going to happen and when it is going to happen.
The flip side is that you DEFINITELY do not want to just go with the flow. If you do, nothing will actually happen. It is a good idea to make a plan that allows for spontaneity or unexpected events, but just blocking off the day in your schedule and waiting to see what happens is a recipe for a wasted day. Those kind of plans only work for people who want to play video games and unless your wife wants to play video games then you’re going to need something planned to do.
How About You?
Mother’s Day is a great way to date your wife, to make her feel special and know how loved and appreciated she is. So what are your plans for Mother’s Day? I only ask because this is my wife’s first Mother’s Day and I’m not above stealing good ideas. Let us know in the comments or on Facebook!
