Fill Mom’s Stocking: The Importance of Appreciation
One of my best friends sent me a CNN article (LINK) related to motherhood and the holidays - specifically the unfortunate trend of empty mom stockings on Christmas morning.
The Empty Stocking Isn’t Empty — It’s Telling a Story
Every year around the holidays, a familiar image resurfaces online: a mom holding an empty stocking. Sometimes it’s shared with humor, sometimes with quiet sadness, and often with the caption, “This is the mom stocking.”
The “empty mom stocking” trend resonates because it reflects a reality many families don’t intend—but still create. Moms spend weeks thinking about everyone else: the gifts, the meals, the traditions, the memories. Somehow, in the middle of making the holidays magical, mom becomes invisible.
And while most moms aren’t asking for expensive gifts or grand gestures, the lack of acknowledgment can still sting.
Why Moms So Often Go Unnoticed
For many families, moms are the default planners, shoppers, wrappers, bakers, and emotional anchors of the season. Their work is constant and often behind the scenes. Because it’s expected, it’s easy to overlook.
The empty stocking isn’t really about presents — it’s about appreciation.
It’s about feeling seen for the mental load, the effort, and the love poured out day after day, not just during the holidays but all year long.
The Power of Small Acts
The good news? Making a mom feel appreciated doesn’t require a big budget or a perfectly wrapped gift.
Sometimes, the smallest gestures speak the loudest:
A handwritten note that simply says, “Thank you for everything you do.”
A favorite snack tucked into her stocking.
Taking over a task she usually handles without being asked.
Saying out loud, in front of others, “Mom made this holiday happen.”
A quiet moment of acknowledgment when the house finally settles.
These acts may seem small, but they communicate something powerful: You matter. I see you.
Gratitude Shouldn’t Be Seasonal
The holidays tend to magnify what’s already there — both the love and the gaps. While Christmas morning is a meaningful moment to show appreciation, moms deserve recognition far beyond one day in December.
Gratitude can look like shared responsibility, regular check-ins, and appreciation woven into everyday life. When kids learn to notice and thank the people who care for them, those lessons last far longer than any holiday tradition.
Filling the Stocking — and the Heart
An empty stocking doesn’t mean a mom is ungrateful. It means she’s human.
This holiday season, let’s shift the focus just a little. Let’s notice the moms who make the magic and remind them—through words, actions, and presence—that their efforts matter.
Because sometimes, all it takes to fill a stocking…
is a sincere “thank you.”