Mother’s Day was celebrated in the UK today which means we can all learn from any of their potential gift-giving gaffes and make sure we do better when the big day rolls round for the rest of us in May (…it is May right?). Mother’s Day of course is meant to be a time to celebrate and appreciate moms, but sometimes the actual presents doesn’t go as planned, from the hilariously thoughtless to the downright disastrous.

Below are 13 Redditors who have managed to completely miss the mark. Whether it’s a last-minute grab, a wildly inappropriate purchase, or something that screams, “I put zero thought into this,” these Mother’s Day gifts are so bad they deserve a spot in the hall of shame. If you think your gift-giving skills need work, don’t worry—at least you didn’t make these mistakes!

Some entries have been edited for length/clarity.

Fix your own toilet!

My husband gave his mother a toilet plunger.

u/Potatonitelight

Tastes a bit off.

Not a mother but I gave my mother fake chocolates once. Every mothers day we had to make a craft in class and for some reason my teacher had the genius idea to make fake chocolates. She provided some old empty chocolate boxes and we had to make “chocolate” out of clay, paint them brown and put them in the box. So my mom thought they were actual chocolates until she opened the box. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look more disappointed.

u/trowaway8293234

crime and punishment

My 16 year old brought me roses that he swiped off the neighbors bushes… so I had to march his butt over there to apologize and we both wound up mowing their lawn to keep the peace.

u/PM_your_recipe

one for me, two for you

I gave her earrings that were definitely not her type and I knew it but I really wanted the matching necklace (it was a set) and didn’t have pierced ears yet.

u/deweygirl

Close enough!

I was dead tired from the biggest weekend I’ve had in a while, so last night i managed to call my mum and proclaim: “Happy Birthday Mum!”

u/Emmkay67

Heaven Scent Mother’s Day Gift

When I was about 4 I emptied out one of her perfume bottles and filled it up with home made “perfume” (flower petals, leaves and grass smooshed up with water).

u/Smouldering_goose

YOU WIN SOME YOU LOSE SOME

My (now ex) boyfriend presented me with a lotto scratch-off. I did win a fiver on the scratch-off, but my ex took it and disappeared for the rest of the day to drink with his friends.

u/RiverSong42

GREENFINGERS

I got a half dead looking, clearance, potted plant. I pretended I loved it, planted it with loving care in a nice ceramic pot and watched it slowly die despite my efforts to keep it alive.

u/incognito_mama

TECHNICALLY CORRECT

One year I insisted on getting my mom a mug that says “It’s a girl!” on it. I was like 5, and I figured she is a girl.

u/Azazelsheep

GONNA NEED THAT PLUNGER

My kid made me cereal for breakfast in bed and insisted on sitting with me while I ate it. He’d forgotten I’m lactose intolerant and – not wanting to reject his efforts – I ate it. I then spent the next few hours unleashing torrents of unspeakable horror into the toilet.

u/KittikatB

SUBTLE

Stretch mark cream.

u/[deleted]

HUMBLE PIE

A Mother’s Day card that had many photos of me being awesome and the caption: “Happy Mother’s Day, Congratulations I’m Awesome!”

u/sezingtonbear

yahtzlete’s foot

When I was 6 I gave my mum a pack of Yahtzee score cards. I went to the store and it was the only thing I could afford. No, she didn’t have Yahtzee. Bonus, my brother bought her a can of foot fungus spray for the same reason. She pretended to like it but both my parents were laughing really hard.”

u/greeperfi

Featured image: Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA: https://www.pexels.com/photo/pancakes-on-gray-plate-7358058/