Mothers are unsung heroes that should be celebrated every day. They have sacrificed so much for us over the course of their lives. My Mom and Mother-In-Law are my best friends. My mom has been my biggest cheerleader since I was a child. She has always encouraged me to be my best and taught me that I can be anything I desire to be. Abraham Lincoln once said “All that I am and all that I hope to be I owe to my mother.” I love my mom for always pouring out of herself into me.
My mom and I don’t live in the same state so it takes extra effort for us to ensure that we see each other frequently. Today, I will share some of the ways that I have included my mom into our family to continue to show her that she is a priority to me:
#1 Call Mom Often. No matter how busy you are, you should still take out a few minutes and call your mom. It doesn’t have to be for any specific reason. You are just calling to chit chat for a moment.
#2 Take Mom on dates. Take her to dinner and a movie of her choice. My mom rarely goes to the movies and when she does, it is when I take her. Once we go, she is always so excited and truly enjoys the outing. I also take my mom shopping for an outfit and take her to get pampered at a spa. She loves it and she is always so appreciative.
# 3 Take Mom on the family vacation. When we go to Florida for a family vacation, we will rent a house with an extra room for Grandmom. This gives me and my mom a chance to spend quality time together, but it also allows her to spend time with her grandchildren. It is a win/win situation. Another option is to go on a family on vacation in her town. If it is a vacation for your family, you can still stay in a hotel and see mom every day. For example, my mom lives in Newport News, Va. So what we recently did was go on vacation for spring break to Williamsburg, VA to the Great Wolfe Lodge. My mom came up to the Lodge every day and we still felt like we were on a getaway trip with our family.
#4 Invite Mom to attend special children events. My mom will visit on a weekend that she knows that all of my children have a game that she can attend. The children really excel in the game when they see grandmom in the stands. Also invite her to any special banquets and award ceremonies.
#5 Have Grown up Discussions with Mom. If your mom is asking your opinion about something, it is important to answer honestly. You already know each other so it should be easy to have some real girl talk. Your Mom is seeking your advice, because she knows that you have her best interest at heart.
#6 Still seek advice from Mom. As adults, we are totally capable of dealing with issues on our own. However, moms that believe that they are your friend really want to share their thoughts on issues you face. Moms appreciate their adult children valuing their opinion enough to care what they think. I share things with my mom and she always helps me make a more rational decision than I had planned. I don’t think that adult children should have to ask their mom for advice about EVERYTHING before they make any decision on their own. When that is the case, the adult child lacks their own confidence to make decisions.
#7 Use technology that Mom is comfortable using. My mom is not involved with facebook or twitter at all. She does enjoy communicating via email periodically. Even with the email, I still have to call her and let her know that I sent pictures to her via email. This is a good way to share pictures I have captured of silly family moments (My daughter covering her body from head to toe in Vaseline).
I really hope that these tips will allow your Mom to feel the same way mine does and that is a valued and irreplaceable part of your family. You can watch my television talk show, Daily Balance with Kim Jacobs, on PBS – WTVI every Saturday at 10:00 AM (NEW TIME). If you would like to hear more tips from me, you can see me as the Daily Balance Expert every Wednesday for a segment on Charlotte Today (WCNC – News Channel 36) between 11:00 AM -12:00 PM or you can send me an email at kim@dailybalancewithkim.tv. To learn more about what is going on with Daily Balance with Kim Jacobs visit www.dailybalancewithkim.tv. Thank you for your continued support.
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