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NYC moms have a simple Mother’s Day wish: for their children to succeed

Tamika Brown, 26, of Jamaica, Queens says she and her daughter will probably go to church on Mother's Day.
Tamika Brown, 26, of Jamaica, Queens says she and her daughter will probably go to church on Mother’s Day. Photo Credit: Food and Drug Administration

The heat is off.

Mom is much easier to please on Mother’s Day than you might imagine.

What NYC moms say they want on Sunday is not jewelry, flowers or electronics. What moms — who, let’s face it, tend to be epic worriers about their progeny — really long for is for their children to flourish and achieve their potential.

They also want to spend quality time with their children with no one checking a cell phone.

“My Mother’s Day wish is for my daughter to get a job in fashion design,” said Jocelin Keglar, 44, who moved from Memphis to NYC so her now 19-year-old daughter could attend the High School of Fashion Industries.

Moms, explained the East Flatbush fundraiser, who was trolling stores in the garment district for internship info on behalf of her daughter, want not for themselves, but for their kids. “You’re always thinking: ‘what do they need?’ not ‘what do I need?'” she explained.

“When you have kids, it’s never about you any more: It’s all about your kids,” seconded full-time mom Tamika Brown, 26, of Jamaica, Queens. Her daughter, Makala, 6, announced she planned to take her mother to the park on Sunday to play. “We’ll probably go to the park!” laughed Brown.

A national survey of moms in April conducted by PriceGrabber showed that 44% said they most wanted “quality time with their family” for Mother’s Day, followed by gift cards (29%) and flowers (28%) with jewelry and dining out tying for fourth place at 26%, (Respondents could select more than one option.)

One NYC mom had a simple wish.

“I just want them to be OK: And my kids turned out OK!” said Donna Bowling, 55, a bookkeeper from East Flatbush who has a 24-year-old son in the Navy and a 28-year-old daughter who has found rewarding work as an auditor.

“I want them to be good husbands and fathers — to contribute something positive,” said Lisbeth Jackman, who told her 25-and 19-year-old sons “no buying presents!” for Sunday. (The 50-year-old Far Rockaway health company supervisor still has a collection of macaroni and Cheerio jewelry from previous Mother’s Days.)

Her sons “hate it, but they will get dressed up and go to church with me,” this Sunday, she said. “I just want things to slow down a bit so we can all enjoy each other,” Jackman added.