Advice: If you’re a mom getting flowers today, don’t tell your delivery person these things.

For the last decade, my mother and I have spent Mother’s Day weekend delivering flowers together as a team for a family friend who owns a small flower shop. We both have regular work so this started as a way to help our friend and earn a bit of extra cash but we also love spending the time together bonding in the car all day. By and large, people are kind and happy and we get a lot of joy out of the work. However, there is a growing trend of moms who are downright angry about receiving flowers this weekend and I I wanted to suggest that if you’re one if them, here are things that are better said to your children or spouse than the innocent delivery person, who has zero control over the order: (Yes, these are all things that have happened and people have actually said to me recently and repeatedly)

• I hate flowers.
• This is a waste of money.
• I’m allergic to lilies/roses/carnations/etc.
• They should have remembered my birthday instead.
• I moved last year.
• My dog or cat or partner has died and they wrote their name on the card.
• I am on vacation this week.
• I wish they’d come visit/call/write instead.
• I like the other kids’ gift better.
• I’m sick/depressed/lonely.

No shame intended. I think all moms deserve to have what they want and should speak up. Direct the message where it does the most good!