The Moms Have Spoken: This Is What You Should Never Get Her for Mother's Day
Plus, the things they actually want instead (the answers might surprise you!).
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Contrary to popular belief, there is definitely such thing as a bad gift, especially when it comes to shopping for your mom. With Mother's Day coming up on Sunday May 11, you'll want to get gifts your mom will really use.
After consulting my fellow editors, gift experts and moms themselves, I was surprised to learn that some of my own well-intentioned gifts may not have landed well. From the impersonal to the downright offensive, here's five types of gifts to avoid giving this Mother's Day:
- Cleaning supplies of any kind — yes, that includes fancy vacuums.
- Generic items like mugs, cheap lotion sets and "Best Mom Ever" tees.
- Kitchen appliances like Instant Pots (that is, unless she specifically asked for one).
- Gifts that are really for the kids, like baby gear and concert tickets for the whole family.
- Anything workout or weight loss-related — seriously, just don't.
Instead of opting for kitschy gifts or items that can only be used during chore time, our experts recommend items that she wouldn't normally buy herself. For example, instead of getting her a functional (but not exactly fun) kitchen gadget like an Instant Pot, consider a decorative Le Creuset piece in her favorite color.
Here are the gifts moms actually want:
Lauren Gruber is an associate commerce editor at Hearst Magazines, where she writes for publications like Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Prevention, Country Living, House Beautiful, and more. She has over four years of professional experience covering a variety of lifestyle topics from home to fashion, with an advanced background in beauty and fragrance. When she’s not researching the most worthy Prime Day deals or hands-on testing all the latest perfume launches, Lauren is probably hanging out with her cat Serafina or flexing her AMC A-List membership at the movie theater.
You can find her previous work at Entertainment Tonight, Shop TODAY, USA Today, Self Magazine, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, and Modern Luxury Media.


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