There's nothing like your first Mother's Day when you're pregnant and still wondering, "Hey, do I get to celebrate this holiday?" If the preggo in your life is divided on this, buying her a Mother's Day gift is tough. Because she could go either way -- don't get her one, and you risk the wrath of the "but I'm a mother too darnit" lady; buy something fancy, and she could look at you cross-eyed because she just isn't feeling it.
Folks, I feel you. Which is why I'm going to share my secret of the perfect Mother's Day gift for a pregnant lady -- whether she feels like celebrating or not. Ready? Let me lay some wisdom on you.
Books. Yup, that's it. Books. But not just any books. Oh no, see, getting a pregnant mom one of those long-winded parenting tomes is akin to torture. No one really ENJOYS reading those things. BUT, and this is a big ol' but, if you buy her a pile of children's books all about the love of a mom and her child, you can't go wrong.
Because for the mom who isn't so sure she wants to celebrate, these are a gift not for her but for the baby -- and trust me, nothing makes a mom's heart swell like gifts for that little bun. And if she's totally keen on the idea of a little second Sunday in May pampering? Well, you got her a gift that's all about her. Now, for the best of the lot, you could hit up book reviews, but who knows it better than real moms? Here are their recommendations:
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. A favorite of The Stir's own Sheri Reed, it's a sweet story that "really expresses unconditional mother love in a way that feels real and yet, is age appropriate for toddlers. The hope is that message sticks and they realize we feel that way to the end."
My Mother Is So Smart by Tomie dePaola. I'm a sucker for anything by dePaola, who is a total sweetheart, but it's the way dePaola turned the minutiae of a mom's day into a celebration that leaves a silly grin on my face when I read this to my daughter.
I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt. A favorite of mine, I found another fan in The Stir's Sasha Brown-Worsham. She puts this atop her recommendation list because "it really speaks to what mother-love feels like in child terms. It also reminds moms to accept their children however they come to them. There is not a pretty, perfect package and that's ok. Mom-love is not about expectations. It is about loving who your kids are."
If I Could: A Mother's Promise by Susan Milord. As Gwynne Watkins explains, "It's a book about a raccoon mom spending an ordinary day with her toddler raccoon boy. Nothing really happens; it's just a mom expressing how much she loves spending time with her son. The text says that she'd do anything for her little boy if she could, and I get teary when I read it to my own little boy."
My Mother Gave Me the Moon by Becky Kelly. My aunt Christine calls it "a sweet and touching children's book recognizing all those special little things Moms do for their wee ones."
What would you add to this list? Are you celebrating Mother's Day this year?
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