Mother's Day Ideas for Men

Okay guys; I know it's only been two months since Valentine's Day but you can't relax just yet. At least not those of you with kids. Mother's Day approaches quickly, and this is probably the most difficult holiday for men to properly commemorate. And no, you don't get to take your kid's mother (hereafter referred to as Mom even if you're not married to her) to a restaurant/arcade hoping she'll return the favor on Father's Day.

Since many guys tend to wait until the last possible moment, here's a forward-thinking guide of three Mother's Day ideas to get you across the finish line ahead of the pack. Most of these are easy, time-friendly and guaranteed to score big points with Mom, which should lead to a Father's Day lunch at the restaurant/arcade.

The over-arching principle to this guide is: Preparation. You simply can't breeze into the grocery store Saturday evening and troll through the picked-over cards any longer. Nor can you re-cycle that box of chocolates you received from her on Valentine's Day. Women store bar codes in their brain; she'll know it's the same one. You have to think ahead, make plans and execute precisely for this mission to succeed. Remember; preparation says, "I care."

1. Food

Nothing says, "Thanks for bearing my kid in your stomach for nine months," like food. Not a cook? Get the kids to help. They'll come up with all sorts of great meal suggestions that are easy to fix. Kids too young to help? Let a restaurant cook. *
Or you could surprise her with a light meal in the park. For you cavemen, that's called a picnic. No matter where it takes place, make the menu/reservations in advance, and have it ready for the big day.

*Unless you plan on waiting for two hours to be seated, go early or bypass restaurants altogether. Mother's Day is statistically the busiest day of the year.

2. Gifts