WTF is up with Mother's Day?

[Professor]

It's not about the "present", and if you think it is, then you're a shallow asshole.

It's about giving a day to your wife and the mother of your children. Doting on her whenever possible. Breakfast in bed, cooked and served by the kids. Encouraging the kids to make her something special (you know, those clay "masterpieces" that she'll keep forever, tearfully pulling out in 20 years, saying, "remember when!"). Telling her she's the best mother of your children that you could hope to have (which you should do often, anyways, but especially today). Doing things as a family (go to the zoo, park or be a tourist in your town).

The reason that you, as a husband, should do something for your wife on Mother's Day, is because, a) she is the mother of your children, and b) there is no "Wife's Day".

Uber, I am interested, though. You said "I expect no present from the mother of my kids on Father's Day" then said "this is why I'm single." If you're single, why even bring up an expectation presents from your wife? Do you have kids and are divorced? If so, I don't think that anyone expects ex-spouses to give each other anything. Even the most amicable split ups aren't THAT amicable!

[exploited]

I think that if your wife values Mothers Day, and really appreciates the gesture, you'd be wrong not to participate in it. The idea is to congratulate her for the role she plays as mother - not your mother, but the mother of your kids, which is a pretty big role if you ask me.

Yeah it's a bunch of bs. So what? What holiday isn't? Christmas is based around a stolen pagan festival coopted by a group that believes in an entity that cannot see or communicate with, and primarily about exchanging gifts with perfectly mortal people. Pointless. Stupid. Expensive. But it's fun.

[Saz]

[Aaron]

Gifts are not "expected" on days other than birthdays and winter holidays.

What you are referring to is fabricated demand, and if there are people close to you that are demanding you participate, it doesn't actually matter.

[uebermann]

[jimmyz]

The fact that two women in my life passed eight pound humans out of their vaginas to give me and my kids life commands me to give them gifts. Well that, and I love doing nice things for Mom.

[uebermann]

[uebermann]

[uebermann]

Case in point.

Friend of mine has a wife that literally does nothing. He has to drive the kids to school. He has to pick them up. He has to take them to soccer practice, basketball practice, dance lessons, etc etc. He has to cook or bring dinner home. He has to clean the house. All while having a full time job. She has no job, no income, no anything, does nothing with the kids at all, and yet expects to get a "nice Mother's Day gift" this year because the one he got her last year wasn't good enough. I told him my thoughts and said I'd be Googling divorce lawyers and giving her some papers as a gift.

[Spider]

Mothers day and valentines day are both stupid.

But I still tend to make big productions out them every year. Else my wife and mother combine their powers to destroy me.

(They're both fully awesome and deserve a lot more than I could come up with.)