Men, let’s be honest. If I could take a poll Saturday evening as I stand outside of a Hallmark or Walmart store, I bet 87 percent of you reading this would pass me by while trying to secure a last-minute gift for your mom, wife and any other motherly figure in your life. Am I right? And it’ll prob- ably be a box of generic chocolates or one of the few abused roses that are still standing in the floral section. Or maybe a plastic package of sugar cookies with icing on them that cleverly spells out “Mom.”

Let me be clear. I’m not knocking you guys for this. At least you had the last-minute drive and thoughtfulness to grab something for poor old mom. You’ll score some points for the effort, no matter how last-minute and hurried it was. Because, let’s face it, we all know what happens when you show up empty-handed. You don’t wanna go there.

Sure, just like other holidays throughout the year, this one has morphed into a massive consumer spending event that has upper management of all the big box stores drooling on themselves in the back office while staring out at the crowd through one-way glass… like little greedy retail gremlins.

Guess what? While mom will look at you and thank you generously for that nice $7 box of Russell Stover chocolates which are probably from last year, what she really wants is something else entirely.

But what do mom’s really want for Mother’s Day?

She wants peace. She wants sleep. She wants a day off. Or if it’s a “seasoned” mom, she wants her grown children to spend more than five minutes with her. She wants to hear that they love her and will always be there for her. She wants them to mow the grass or wash her car, maybe even do the dishes after dinner.

You see, moms appreciate everything, including all the cheesy gifts you’ve bought her over the years. But if you really want to make Mom’s day, and this is geared toward the younger moms with little monsters who run amok — just give mom a break! That’s all she asks for. A break from the norm. Let her catch up on sleep, or even her favorite Netflix series with that box of chocolates you got her, or whatever floats her mom-boat. At this point, if you have children together, you should probably know exactly what would make her day stress-free.

So, just do it. Take the little ones out for the day and let mom have some much-needed silence and solitude. A day by herself without worries is going to be worth more than any piece of jewelry you can buy her.

I don’t claim to be an expert here, but I listen and observe. It’s really not hard to figure out that all mom needs is a little time by herself, and that will go a long way in the issuance of brownie points. Because, let’s face it, that’s what you’re trying to score here. No need to hide it. Mom knows. But just make sure when you give her her own day, that she knows she’s genuinely appreciated all year around.

Guys, you’re welcome.