New Study Details How Moms Really Want to Be Celebrated on Mother’s Day
Don’t make mom cook, work or wake up early this Mother’s Day. These things should go without saying, but they’re some of the key takeaways in a new survey from Drive Research about how moms want to spend this Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026. The study revealed some substantial divides between what moms want for Mother’s Day, how they spent the holiday last year, and what gift-givers actually plan to give this year.
Not that Moms are ungrateful for the time, money and consideration spent on our presents; it’s just that they don’t always hit the mark.
Read: Being a grandparent is good for your brain, among other benefits, studies show
Discover: New Study: How your grandkids can help your dating life
Mother’s Day and how it affects the sandwich generation
For members of the sandwich generation, with kids at home and older parents – including a Mom who expects to be celebrated in her own right on this special Sunday – the pressure is on.
Nine-in-10 (89%) of moms want to spend Mother’s Day with their children, and more than half (54%) want to spend it with their spouse. By contrast, only 28% of adults polled said they want to spend the day with their own mother or mother figure.
You can see the conflict here: Most mothers want to spend their day with their kids, but adult children might not want to spend the day with their mom. A multigenerational gathering might be the solution, but it could fall on the sandwich-generation Mom to plan. Nearly one-third (31%) of mothers said they coordinated their own Mother Day’s plans.
It’s important to note that “spending time with” kids doesn’t mean changing diapers, chasing a toddler around a crowded restaurant, or helping teens with algebra. One-quarter of moms spent last Mother’s Day taking care of children or grandchildren, and only 14% said they want to do the same this year.
Dads and teens can step up to help out, giving Mom a day of togetherness where she also gets to relax.
Nine-in-10 (89%) of moms want to spend Mother’s Day with their children, and more than half (54%) want to spend it with their spouse. By contrast, only 28% of adults polled said they want to spend the day with their own mother or mother figure.
Switch it up this year, Moms say
Relaxation and togetherness should be the core of this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, according to the survey.
Gifts are important – and expected by some – but don’t need to be the focal point in today’s economy. Last year, 54% of moms received gifts, but only 48% put gifts on the list of what they’d like in 2026.
On the other hand, 44% would like to “do an experience,” while only 11% had an experience last year. Similarly, 38% want to sleep in, while only 27% got that opportunity last year.
Nearly one-third (32%) of moms spent last year doing housework. Only 3% said they’d like to do chores or housework on Mother’s Day.
Maybe the idea is to have Dad take the kids out so Mom can tackle purging that closet, finally? Or maybe that 3% of moms misunderstood the question….
Gift givers stick to tradition
In spite of the disparity between how moms celebrated last year and what they’d like to do this year, 99% of gift givers said they are confident in their ability to choose a gift that resonates. While roughly half use online resources to choose gifts, 65% said they come up with ideas on their own and 40% rely on past gifts their moms said they enjoyed.
Shoppers don’t neglect turning to the Internet or their favorite apps for inspiration, though.
- 22% use social media for gift ideas
- 21% read online gift guides
- 9% use AI tools or chatbots
The easiest, and perhaps most effective gift selection tactic? Simply ask Mom what she wants, which 36% of respondents said they have done.
Gifts moms really want
The survey also asked Moms what gifts they’d like this year compared to what they received last year.
The biggest “miss?”
Nearly one-third (31%) said they’d like a homemade gift, with that number jumping to 37% amongst moms with children still at home. Yes, we really do appreciate those school-made cards depicting us as superheroes. (And we appreciate the teachers who helped our kids make them.)
Even in the thick of raising kids, we all paused to giggle at the homemade “About My Mom” booklet depicting us as 51 pounds and 93 years old, with hobbies that include “cleaning the house” and “drinking wine.”
Even when our kids are old enough to shop, we still appreciate a card with a handwritten note or even a homemade present over pricier splurges. Unfortunately, only 8% of gift-givers plan to give a homemade gift.
Nearly half (48%) of moms said they want a gift card, while only 34% of shoppers plan to give one. Almost four-in-10 (37%) want an experience, like a spa day, while only 21% of gift givers have an experience planned.
Does food really count as a gift?
More than half of all moms (52%) want to go out to eat for Mother’s Day, but they don’t necessarily expect it to count as their gift. Only 28% said they’d like a food- or beverage-related gift, while 47% of gift-givers plan to give that kind of gift.
On the other hand, if you handled the chores for the day, Mom might count that as a present. One-in-five (22%) of moms want a day off housework, while only 10% of gift-givers plan to accommodate.
The price of Mother’s Day gifts
Fortunately, none of these ideas break the bank. Only 8% of the moms polled said a high-quality gift is important, indicating the intent behind the present counts more than the cost.
Nearly one-third (31%) of gift-givers plan to spend under $50 on a Mother’s Day gift and the majority (84%) said they will spend less than $200. The bulk of gift-givers (44%) have budgets of $50 to $149.
If the results of this survey indicate your plans might need some revisions, it’s not too late to buy some ham and eggs for a high-protein breakfast in bed, book an outing Mom will enjoy, and jot a sweet note on a Mother’s Day card. Just please don’t ask her to find the pen for you to sign that card.
More from Nifty50+
- On This Mother’s Day, A GenX Mom Reflects On All The ‘Lasts’ We Don’t See Coming
- Gray Divorce, Red Ink: The Hidden Costs of Divorce After 50
- Uncover the Benefits of Senior Centers (no, They’re Not Nursing Homes)
- New Study: Rising Costs Forcing Critical Trade-offs for Seniors
