Nick Cannon is answering the question everyone’s thinking ahead of Mother’s Day weekend -- how exactly does a guy with 12 kids and 6 baby mamas handle the holiday?!?

Well, Nick broke it down for us on "The TMZ Podcast," explaining that people are getting the whole thing twisted, 'cause the holiday is called "Mother’s Day" and not "Baby Mama Day" -- meaning he’ll actually be spending it with his mother.

Nick reiterated it was up to all his kids to handle spoiling the moms themselves -- and absolutely not him.

He also noted that it was actually Valentine’s Day when things get super complicated for him ... and especially Father’s Day, when all the kids want his attention at once.

You gotta catch the full interview, because Nick’s "Netflix Is A Joke Presents: Nick Cannon’s Wild ’N Out" co-host Rip Michaels also jumped in with some pretty wild Mother’s Day plans of his own ... to the point even Nick had to check him a little!