Earlier this month, families all over the US celebrated Mother's Day. This holiday is meant to be a time for husbands and children to give extra love and attention to their mothers and wives. However, reality does not always live up to expectations.

In the wake of Mother's Day, thousands of unsatisfied and disappointed mothers turned to the internet for comfort and an emotional boost. The website they visited, however, promotes activities that could put them at risk for divorce.

The website AshleyMadison.com bills itself as a service that facilitates infidelity. Their slogan is a simple one: "Life is short. Have an affair." The website's founder and president Noel Biderman reports that on the day after Mother's Day his site saw a 321 percent increase in female-initiated traffic.

Biderman said the website has a one-day offer after Mother's Day in which moms can sign up to receive free messages from other members who are interested in cheating with them. On that day, a record 52,684 unsatisfied moms took advantage of the free offer.

We have often said that certain holidays can put strains on marriages. This is why divorce filings rise sharply around Valentine's Day. It appears that Mother's Day is another holiday where failed expectations and hurt feelings can easily spell trouble.

Biderman says: "Holidays are litmus tests. If that is the day you're expecting to be treated well and you are left feeling empty that may be the impetus for starting an affair."

However, Biderman also adds that most moms who signed up for the service are not looking to physically cheat. Rather, they are seeking the validation and ego boost that comes from people showing romantic interest in them.

He says: "If you sign up for a service like this, and a day later you have six people interested in you, that is a revalidation of a time when your partner paid attention to you in that way. I genuinely believe this is what a large percentage of these women are seeking."

Still, this news could be a wake-up call to both men and women in struggling relationships. It reminds us that the little things matter, especially taking time to show a spouse that they are loved, appreciated and attractive. Tend to the little things now before they become problems down the road.

Source: Fox Business online, "Dating Site: 52,684 Moms Looking to Cheat After Disappointing Mother's Day," Kate Rogers, 12 May 2011