Tips to make Mother’s Day extra special Perfect gifts for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is celebrated each May and marks a perfect opportunity to show Mom how much she’s loved and appreciated. Mother’s Day has been celebrated for more than 100 years, and in that time mothers have grown accustomed to certain staples of gifts from a partner and the children have become standards each Mother’s Day.
While Mother’s Day standards may never lose their appeal, families looking to make this year’s celebration a little more unique can consider these ideas.
• Whip up (or order in) some baked goods. If Mom is the family baker, surprise her this year with some homemade baked goods. An aroma of freshly baked goodies around the house can set a welcoming tone for the day, particularly if the treats are prepared in the morning before Mom wakes up. Partners and children whose baking skills leave a little to be desired can get some freshly baked treats from a local bakery and have them waiting for Mom when she wakes up.
• Take to the road. Another way to make Mother’s Day extra special is to make the celebration a weekend affair. A weekend getaway can be a welcome breath of fresh air for mothers and serve as a great opportunity for the family to unwind and celebrate Mom away from everything that reminds her of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A getaway can be an especially ideal surprise for mothers whose children are full grown. Invite adult kids along and make their attendance a surprise for Mom.
• Book a unique experience. Experiential gifts have been wildly popular in recent years, so why not incorporate this trend into Mother’s Day celebrations? Book a tour of a local vineyard or winery, take Mom to a live theater performance, or take her out experiences won’t soon be forgotten and can provide an exciting alternative to previous Mother’s Day celebrations.
day off. Partners and kids can team up to take care of everything from the moment lunch and then take Mom out for a nice meal at a local restaurant. In between meals,ing off her paint brush and engaging in some artistic endeavors and/or squeezing in a rare midday nap. Mom will undoubtedly appreciate a full day off, which might just make for the best gift of all.
Mother’s Day is the ideal time to offer Mom a unique experience that shows her how much she’s loved and appreciated.
families have been gathering to celebrate mothers, and celebrations typically include thoughtful gifts.
The role of mother can be a challenging job. Even though people strive to give moms the accolades they deserve, oftentimes mothers don’t get enough credit or attention. That all changes on Mother’s Day, when Mom is in the spotlight. Althoughering love, these gifts can help them feel that much more special.
Special Meal
busy for restaurants, it is wise to book reservations early to ensure you get on the list,
Flowers Anna Jarvis is credited with starting the push for a national day of recognition for mothers. Jarvis incorporated carnations into the holiday. If you plan to gift Mom a Mother’s Day.
Time
older, they naturally spend much less time with Mom and Dad, as they are spreading can be the best gift of all on Mother’s Day. Do something Mom loves, and do it together. That can be engaging in a hobby she enjoys, attending a theater show or concert, taking a walk through the park, or even planning to cook her a meal on a night apart from Mother’s Day.
Gift of Pampering
Mothers have a lot going on in their lives, and most of it involves helping others. Your Mom’s needs and whims likely take a back seat to the demands she places on herself, and that can change on Mother’s Day. Treat Mom to gifts that prioritize rest and relaxation. Put together a gift package that includes a massage, hair styling and a manicure at a local salon. Maybe Mom has been interested in trying acupuncture
Mother’s Day offers an opportunity to turn all attention towards Mom and treat her to various amenities and gifts.
Child: Harlee Harshbarger Jr. Mom: Katrina Harshbarger, Millerstown
Child: Ava Harshbarger Mom: Katrina Harshbarger, Millerstown
Children: Danielle Noll & Hannah
Children: Mackenzie Johnson & Dillon Rhodes Mom: Kristy Rhodes, Lewistown
Child: Michelle Bitner Mom: Mary Rupert, Lewistown
During a wedding, guests’ attention is directed at the happy couple tying the knot. But couples don’t make it to their big day alone, and many give ample credit to their parents with helping them along the way. With that in mind, a wedding day also can be the right time to honor parents in meaningful ways.
Engage in a joining ceremony
Couples can incorporate a variation of a joining ceremony in the wedding. Someers together to form a bouquet, or using individual candles to light one larger candle.
Participate in the processional
they wait for the formal processional to take place. Highlight parents during the processional by allowing them to lead the wedding party in walking down the aisle.
Wear a small token
Couples can wear charms, accessories like a father’s wristwatch or a mother’s wedding dress so parents are part of the wedding ensemble. These tokens can be visible, or hidden in bouquets or tucked into pockets so that only the couple and their parents will know they are there.
Participate in special dances
may want to pause and give thought to how meaningful it may be for parents to participate in traditional dances that customarily take place early in the reception. After and the groom to dance with his mother. However, any variation of these traditional dances can work.
Speak to the photographer
A couple can dedicate a special time for photo sessions with parents, whether separately or together. Arrange to have a framed photo made up for each set of parents, or a folio with a photo collage of the parents alone and together as the newly combined family.
Honoring parents at a wedding is a great way for couples to express their love and gratitude to the people who raised them. There are several meaningful ways to give parents the recognition they deserve.
touch this Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day presents an opportunity for people to shower the special women in their lives with extra love and affection. There are many ways to show Mom you care apart from gifts and dining out. A homemade dessert featuring rich and creamy chocolate might be exactly what Mom needs to cap off a perfect day spent with her family.
This recipe for “Mint Chocolate Mousse” from “Chocolate: Deliciously Indulgent Recipes for Chocolate Lovers” (Ryland, Peters & Small) by Maxine Clark is ideal for mothers who love the taste of mint and chocolate. It’s relatively simple to make, so it should be something that young children can handle with a little help from an adult.
Mint Chocolate Mousse Serves 4
5 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped or broken up into smaller pieces 4 to 6 chocolate covered dinner mints, chopped
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons chopped chocolate mint sticks, or frosted mint leaves and 1 cup heavy cream, to decorate
4 pots or dessert cups, for serving
Melt the chocolate with the dinner mints over a double boiler or in the microwave. Let cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick and mousselike, then beat in the melted chocolate-mint mixture. Sprinkle the gelatin over 4 tablespoons water in a small, heatproof bowl and let soak and swell for 2 to 3 minutes. Put the bowl in a pan of simmering water and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Beat into the chocolate-mint mixture. Working quickly, beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until stiff but not dry, then fold into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon. Divide the mousse between the pots. Scatter with the chopped mint sticks, then refrigerate until set. Alternatively, whip the 1 cup cream and use to decorate the mousses, along with the frosted mint leaves. Leave at cool room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Mental health issues that could affect new mothers
Pregnancy and giving birth to a new child is a happy time in a woman’s life. However, 10 percent of pregnant women and 13 percent of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, says the World Health Organization. In developing countries, these percentages can be even higher.
The National Child & Maternal Health Education Program indicates pregnancy and a new baby can cause a range of emotions. Women may feel anxious or sad at various times. For many women, such feelings resolve with time. For others, these emotions may become more serious and persist.
Baby blues
The name given to a common postpartum condition can give people the impression that it is nothing to worry about. Although the “baby blues” are something new mothers may have heard about, and generally produce mild symptoms, they can still be dishormone levels during and immediately after childbirth. These feelings occur in upery, says Mental Health America. Women whose blues do not resolve when hormones level out, and, in fact, get worse with time, may not realize they have progressed to postpartum depression, which is a more serious situation that often requires medical treatment.
Postpartum depression
a serious, but highly treatable, condition. Postpartum depression is the most common complication of pregnancy and can be life threatening. Postpartum depression is a factor in 20 percent of all maternal deaths, says Lindsay Standeven, M.D., of the Johns Hopkins Center for Women’s Reproductive Mental Health. Those who are at risk for postpartum depression include women who have histories of anxiety or mood disorders, a family history of postpartum mood disorders, and activity of certain genes, known as epigenetic biomarkers. Postpartum depression can cause sadinclude thoughts of harming the baby.
Postpartum psychosis
In rare cases, women may experience postpartum psychosis, a condition that affects about one-tenth of one percent of new mothers, says MHA. Onset is quick and include refusal to eat; inability to cease activity and frantic energy; extreme confusion; memory loss; incoherence; paranoia; and preoccupation with trivial things. Hospitalization may be considered for a woman with postpartum psychosis until her condition stabilizes.
Families and caregivers should be aware that these conditions can occur following (and during) pregnancy. Therapy and medication can help women alleviate symptoms.
Help a child grow as a person
Parents want their children to be successful, healthy and happy. That often means providing the best education they can, encouraging quality friendships and being supportive when a child may need some extra guidance. Although there is no magic formula to guide children toward becoming the best versions of themselves, here are steps that parents and other caregivers can take to promote youngsters’ personal growth.
• Respond to children’s sounds and gestures. Early childhood development specialists say parents should stimulate baby talk and treat it as real conversation. Individuals should respond to baby’s gurgling and actions and engage throughout the day. As the child grows, responding to their words, questions and thoughts can help expand a child’s vocabulary and boost reading levels later in life.
lanes. Parents may only know what they experienced and the paths they took. It is reasonable for mothers and fathers to want their children to follow in their footsteps, and sometimes parents push their kids into paths that their niche requires trial and error, patience, and even creativity. Eventually children will discover their passions, particularly when encouraged by their parents.
• Provide love and support, not criticism. Parents can be their kids’ biggest fans, but not at the cost of doing everything for them or shielding children from disappointment. They also should not be harsh critics. To help shape strong children who can grow and maa balance between being supportive and watching every move and preventing any obstacle. Adversity can help kids grow.
• Share your own stories. Children may be embarrassed by struggles or
failures and want to give up. One of the best ways parents can be supportive is by sharing stories of one’s own struggles and how they overcame them. Perhaps a challenging by telling a story about a poor test grade and how he or she needed tutoring but was able to improve performance later on.
• Talk about mistakes that ultimately proved learning opportunities. Children may believe they have to be perfect at everything, and that can set them up for failure when they don’t accomplish every goal. Adults can offer an example of a mistake they made that helped them grow, such as getting stuck in foul weather on a hike because they didn’t check the weather, and having to travel miles in wet shoes. That learning experience may have helped the adults be more mindful of being prepared for outdoor events.
• Make time for fun. Success doesn’t always come just from hard work. It also involves knowing when it is time to let loose and unwind with enjoyable activities. Then again, learning opportunities don’t always need to be chores. Learning through play and exploration also is possible.
Children can grow and develop positive traits with support from their parents.
