Unlike many holidays with more commercial origins, a day honoring mothers has been celebrated for centuries around the world. In the United States, Mothers’ Friendship Day was observed for over 40 years before President Woodrow Wilson designated in 1914 that the second Sunday in May would be a national Mother’s Day. Now that Mother’s Day is coming up again soon, many children struggle with how best to honor the person who gave them life or has guided them throughout it.

As your mother ages, this question becomes a bit more complex. While a classic remembrance such as a card, flowers, candy, or a gift are a nice touch, there are additional things that may touch her heart and are even more on point. The older your mother gets, the less she may need additional things to clutter up her life. She may be thinking of downsizing or if she now lives in an assisted living facility or nursing home, she may already be living in a more compressed space. That candy she loved in the past may now be too rich for her or not good for her diabetes.

Ideas For A Happy Mother’s Day

In this age of easy audiovisual aids, here are a few things you can do to honor your mother that will add to the bank of memories for both of you – and not to her collection of unused possessions. Make your time together interactive and encourage her to be involved.

1.        Honor her past and present. The years when she grew up and had a home, family, career, and friends are her past, while her children and grandchildren may be her present. Documenting her life with a scrapbook or video of her past and present can be a meaningful gift she will enjoy throughout the year.

2.        Give her the gift of time. Even if your life is hectic as you chauffer kids, work outside the home, and live your life, take time to visit her without looking at your watch. Make sure to bring your kids along, with the admonition that they are there for Granny, not for texting, games, or Twitter.

3.        Be interactive! Use your electronic devices to record those stories you’ve heard a million times. Ask her about different times in her life so you will have a record of her life in her voice. Have her identify the people in old pictures and get the story. While she might enjoy this, the real gift will be yours in years to come when you long to hear her voice or want to fill in details you never knew.

4.        If she is in good enough health to go out, make time for occasional special meals, movie dates, worship services, and other things she enjoys. Mother’s Day dinner at a restaurant can be hectic and stressful, but getting together at other times will put the focus on her, without the stress. If she can’t get out, bring in takeout and a DVD, or even go to an event at the nursing home with her, if that’s where she is.

5.        Give her a cell phone and show her sure how to use it. She might not care about having an iPhone, but she might benefit from having an easy-to-use cell phone with big buttons and text messaging for emergencies.

6.        Consider giving her a tablet with a protective case. When equipped with Internet access, this can allow her to share photos, email, and even Skype with children, grandchildren, and friends that are far away.

7.        Get the kids involved. Building this information can be a fun family activity that can involve your kids who might take turns recording her on their phone and then compiling all the visits on one audio or video. Have tech savvy kids? Let him or her handle the training process for the phone or tablet. Even younger children can help building a scrapbook.

Need Home Health Care Services In New York City?

In addition to remembering Mom on Mother’s Day, you want her to be safe and content all year around, with all the day-to-day help she needs. SelectCare wants to be your partner in caring for your mother with a full array of home healthcare services in New York City. Whether you need a live-in aide or home health aides who will come to provide specific services, we can provide friendly, competent, licensed personnel to complement the help you provide. Just give us a call at 212-505-3640 or fill out our website contact form to request an in-home care needs assessment, or to arrange service.