Guest Post: How to get Mommy a gift when Daddy is away

Today’s guest post from Gym Craft Laundry will speak to many of you.  My husband has never been a part of the Navy, but her husband is and she has some great tips for you for Mothers Day! 

Herchel writes…
“Being a former navy wife, wife of a traveling husband, and Air Force brat I’ve known women all my life who spend time solo parenting while their husbands are away providing for their families. As Mother’s Day nears, I am reminded of a story that an old co-worker shared with me when her husband was deployed overseas.

Her boys are a bit older than my children, at the time they were about the age that my youngest is now, 6 years old. My kids were in preschool daycare and had given me the cutest ceramic crafts and handmade gifts. While she was admiring my purple ceramic kitty, I asked her how her Mother’s Day had gone.

Her face fell a little. Her kids were upset about Mother’s Day. They were at the age where they wanted to purchase her a gift using their own earned and saved money…but their Dad was far away and the only way to go shopping was with her! They couldn’t surprise her.

Instead of toys or candy for themselves they wanted to buy something special for their Mommy! How awesome is that? And how terrible is it that they couldn’t figure out a way to do it? This is one of the little things that makes life as a military spouse difficult. It is something that most women wouldn’t even think about until Mom’s birthday or a holiday comes up. I can tell you from experience that on most days, that military wife is trying to get through the day without losing her mind or breaking down in front of her kids. Little things that would normally be a non-issue when Daddy is home become hurdles. Most military wives get NO BREAK. They are in new cities or don’t have family nearby.

I have a large extended family but my mom and mother in law are both very far away. And as large as my family is, it is still difficult for me to ask for help. Sometimes, Mommy needs a day off too. (My hats off to you single moms out there because deployments are hard.)

Do you know a military wife out there going it temporarily alone?  Or maybe your husband travels and won’t be home to help?  Here is how you can help with this one little thing that she may not have thought of it’s her first Mother’s Day with school age kids. Younger kids are content making presents for their moms but sometimes schoolagers really want to buy something.

1. Ask her kids if they want to shop for a gift for their mom. They may already have plans or have made gifts so it’s best to ask first.

2. If they do, ask the mother she would like you to take them shopping. If she’s isn’t comfortable with it then offer to go with her and the kids. The mom can go grab a coffee or peacefully grab the items on her list while you and the kiddies grab and hide a gift for her. If both you and a friend have husbands that are deployed, swap kids for a few hours and go shopping!

3. If you have Amazon Prime, help the kids pick a gift online and use prime and the gift wrapping option to have it shipped to her.

4. If Daddy is able (my husband was a submariner so this would not have been an option for us) let the kids Facetime or Skype with him and he can figure out a way to get it to Mom!

5. If the kids aren’t concerned about purchasing a gift, you can always invite them to a play date at your house so Mommy can have some time for herself. It doesn’t need to be on Mother’s Day. A few hours of quiet is always welcome.

Military wives are strong women. They often don’t look like they need help but it never hurts to offer! These families sacrifice so much so helping a little one show their appreciation for their Mom is a little gesture that can mean so much for a family.

Herchel Scruggs can be found at Gym Craft Laundry where she shares her love for fitness, crafting with her kids, practical parenting tips and tricks, natural cleaning recipes and homemaking shortcuts.