Mothers Day 2026 Disappointment Thread

[Tinklapo]

Starting a thread for those of us who feel disappointed, unappreciated and let down this Mothers Day.

I’ll start. DH went away to stay with his mum this weekend (2 hours away, nice thought as she’s elderly and unsure how many more Mother’s Days there will be). He said he would be home at 12 so I (stupidly) assumed we would do something as a family but this morning he has told me that he won’t be home until this evening as he’s going to a football match local to his mums.

He’s left me no card, no gift and now I need to spend today doing what I do every day and look after the kids, do all the cooking etc. Feeling totally unappreciated.

We had a conversation last week about Mother’s Day and I said one thing I would love is some time to myself to recharge my batteries. I’ll be making sure I book myself for a long spa weekend next Mother’s Day!

Hopefully this isnt smug (not meant to be) but weirdly, Mother's Day is actually better since my DC were tween, and able to arrange things themselves. Several years in a row when they were very little, it appeared i was the only one in the house who knew it was mother's day. DH is poor at planning anything in advance and even if kids had made something at school or nursery, he wouldnt necessarily have prompted them to give it on the correct day.
One year when DD was about 7 or 8, she gave me a slightly tacky (and useless) gift, DH wouldnt stop going on about what a rip off it was that it was £12. Tbf it wasnt worth £12 but I wasnt sure why he couldnt have given her a smaller budget...then knowing how much it was, and him grumbling about it made it even less enjoyable as a gift. Another year DS gave me some flowers and said they got them because they were reduced.

This year DD is at uni and sent a card, and some flowers and DS (16) gave me a card and a small gift.
My major disappointment was getting up earlier than I usually would on a Sunday, to watch the F1 , with DS, and found that neither of the McLarens was in the race! But I cant blame any family for that.

I hope you told him that International Men’s Day is 19th November and that now he knows he has plenty of time to organise events and recognition for all that men do. Be sure to put it in your calendar so that when the day rolls round you can ask him what he has got done to celebrate men.

@Squarehairbear

‘what I'm gutted about is that DH didn't forget he just said it wasn't his job to remind them at this age.’

This is verbatim what my usually amazing DH said, while ranting at the fact they had disappointed him [HIM] in not stepping up… whilst conveniently forgetting that he has bought his mother her flowers and cards precisely ZERO times in 33 years of our being together (and zero times in the preceding 5 adult years)…

From one of the papers today…

Reading these have made me feel marginally better! My DH knows Mother’s Day is important to me so I try to drop heavy hints at what I’d like… a simple breakfast made for me, maybe a small gift I’ll have dropped heavy hints and time without the kids for part of the day.
Well guess who had to get the baby up because she was crying to my clearly deaf husband, make her own breakfast (I did get a partially raw croissant later in the morning cooked by him), yes a few cards and a present I didn’t want or need or hint at and will need to be returned as I can’t use it. Most of all, my DH woke up in a bad mood and nothing was done with love! Couldn’t care about lavish gifts, but actually being honoured and loved and a cup of tea with a smile would have meant so much. My kids didn’t really seem to get it either, they’re 9, 7 and the baby.
To top it off, I was left alone for ‘me time’ on the afternoon and I then started puking my guts out all night long, having been gifted norovirus from my middle child who had it at the start of the week. Thought I’d dodged it. Nope!
Worst Mother’s Day Ever 🤮

That’s horrendous I’m so sorry.

I mean yes, if you’re not into Mother’s Day then fair enough. But this thread is for people who were disappointed, so therefore are into it/expecting something.

My point is that if the day is important to you, and you’re expecting something, then that should have been a routine set up when your kids were very young (and heavily supported by DH).

Terribly disappointing isn't it 🙁

Yeah, I mean re @jacks11 's point - I definitely don't want anyone 'strong-armed' into anything and didn't see the need to set up a routine for it from a young age. And it doesn't have to be flowers and chocolates or a big commercial song and dance just a simple thank you would have done it.

If we didn't as a family 'do' mother's day then fair enough but DH has always said it's important and sends something to his mum each year presumably because he knows it will mean something to her but, for whatever reason, didn't think it was worth a quick 'heads-up kids, it's mother's day tomorrow/today, maybe give mum a hug and tell her you appreciate her' or something. Just smacks of not caring iota about my feelings or respecting what I do for the family.

Currently reading all your posts and feel for you all.

I'm so disappointed myself as well.

My first mothers day yesterday, after many years of hoping. OH didn't get up until 12pm, leaving me to do the whole morning routine with the baby on my own. I got just a card, which seemed hastily/ half heartedly written, and not even had "happy mothers day" said to me.

He's never been good at special events, even though I've explained why I want some effort, and even though I always go above and beyond to make sure he has a nice day on his.

Should have expected this, on my birthday (whilst pregnant) he got me two printed vouchers and said sorry he "couldn't" get out to buy me anything. Literally the week before I had made a huge deal out of his own birthday... and I was heavily pregnant... strange how we manage to make it work.

That’s rubbish @YellowAmberReader I’m really sorry. Happy first Mother’s Day to you. I went out for a walk this evening and bought myself a little gift. Highly recommend doing something nice for yourself even if it’s just going out with your little one tomorrow for a coffee and nice slice of cake

My ds1 was competing so I was up and out early, especially as ds2 was awake from 4am!
I got home about 2pm and the house was a tip so I proceeded as normal and cleaned, hung up washing etc. about 5pm I was given a card and a garden lounger (there is a seat theme as I got a garden bench for Valentine’s Day).
we had a slight disagreement later that night over when we were ordering Chinese for daughters birthday dinner and I was informed that I am not partners mother so his responsibility is to help them buy a card and a gift until they are old enough to get their own!

I was disappointed. She’s 20 away at uni. She was abroad and seemed to think that was a perfect excuse. I pointed out she could have given me something when I saw her weekend before or posted a card (she was in uk until Friday) I’d even mentioned Mother’s Day was coming up a week or two before and that she’d be away for Mother’s Day.
I told DH I was upset and he did message her and I got a call. But it was very much I’m abroad what did you expect.
I bought myself some tulips and put a pic on the family chat saying in the words of Miley I can buy myself flowers.
Glad I said how disappointed I was.
It’s thoughtless.
I do so much for her and felt awful driving to my mums listening to all the messages on the radio.

This is absolutely true! Just do it.

Probably no accident DH woke up in a bad mood! He knew he was expected to make an effort and didn't want to...

My dd1 (20) sent me a one line text. Didnt bother with a card as ‘she doesn’t like cards’. Left it to her sister to get me a present and hasn’t paid her for her half (sister is a student, DD1 works in a decently paid job but lives at home -for free-I might add-with us). I’m actually incredibly hurt by her atitude about it and I’ve told her so. She doesn’t seem to care at all. I know it’s a small thing in the scheme of things, but she is an adult for whom I do an awful lot, without much coming back the other way, and it seems a bit like a last straw tbh.
Im going to have a talk with her about her contribution to the household, but also about the way she treats other people. I haven’t done this so far, as I know she will fly off the handle, but she clearly doesn’t care about me, so I’m going to start matching her energy a bit.

He forgot..Your 40th?! That's unforgivable. I. Really hope things settle enough for you to move onto a life you deserve soon where you are appreciated

I know I'm more low-key than many in my expectations and wants but even acknowledging that I can't see for a second what you are unhappy about. You got a lie-in, breakfast in bed, handmade cards, flowers, chocolates and dinner. And somehow this long list still wasn't enough?

So I have to agree with @DappledThings This was a lovely acknowledgement by your children (and DP). I think people here weren’t after a ‘special day’ - the cream teas, lunches and spa days are not what most of us were after… it was being recognised, shown we are valued. Being remembered.

So, yes, I think you might be being overly sensitive.

I’d start by charging her some board. I can’t get over how many grown adults live rent free with their parents, some of my own family members included. I know I’m going off piste here but my brother won’t ask his very well paid 22 year old son for board because he’s worried about his reaction!

Totally.
My son couldnt even be bothered to get out of bed in time to come for lunch and didnt even say happy mother's day.
That saddened me and I still feel it now.