Moms deserve to be celebrated! While no one’s mom is perfect, a mother’s work often goes unthanked by the people around them. Whether it’s your own mom, your sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, or colleagues, think of the moms you know and admire. They ought to be celebrated, and more than just on Mother’s Day! 

If you are a mom yourself, don’t think we forgot about you. This article will give you ideas to celebrate the other moms in your life as well as to empower your own motherhood journey. At Clearway, we see so many amazing moms pass through our doors, and we love to celebrate you every chance we get. 

Words of Affirmation

Many times, moms go through a whole day without once hearing the words, “Thank you!” or “You’re doing a good job.” Words of affirmation often encourage and resonate within a mom’s heart, nurturing her as she nurtures others.

Motherhood is full of sacrificial love and demonstrating patience. It’s a lot! Take an intentional moment to speak life to a mom you know. That’s an easy way to make her day. Even simple phrases such as, “I appreciate you,” and “You inspire me to be more loving,” can mean a lot to someone. Personal, specific affirmations based on who a person is can have an even deeper impact. 

Craft Personalized Compliments

A meaningful compliment can include specific insights attesting to your genuine observation and understanding of someone as an individual. Each mom is unique. Take a moment to reflect on what you see in a particular person who you admire. Validating those qualities in her can go a long way! 

You can speak to a specific moment with that person that impacted you. For example, “I was really impressed with how you responded to your child in this situation. You showed a lot of wisdom and grace.” Or, you can recall one of her lifelong passions and mention how it’s expressed in new ways through her motherhood. For example, “I know you’re a creative person, and you miss having the freedom you used to have to express your creativity. But I see many ways that you still express your creativity in parenting, and I know your kids are better for it. The creative person you are is only growing!”

Personal compliments are a powerful tool to affirm someone’s unique identity and accomplishments.

Remember her individuality. Acknowledge her professional endeavors, creative talents, or intellectual pursuits–the whole mosaic of her identity. Consider her personal journey and the hurdles she’s overcome. Share your appreciation with her specifically. Such personalized compliments often resonate far deeper than generic praise.

Write Meaningful Letters

Crafting a heartfelt letter or card offers a tangible memento of your appreciation and affection for the mother you are honoring. For some people, letters are even more precious than spoken words, since they can read and re-read them as many times as they want. If writing isn’t your thing, here are a few tips for creating a meaningful letter:

• Be authentic — if you aren’t a poet, that’s okay! Write as if you were writing a long text message. Another tip is to record a voice memo expressing your thoughts, then listen to it and write down what you said. 
• Reflect on specific experiences you’ve shared with the person and how they’ve impacted you.
• Recognize her positive qualities and how they’ve influenced those around her.
• Encourage her dreams or goals, both for and outside of motherhood.
• Affirm her areas of strength!
• Express gratitude for her presence in your life.

A letter allows you to articulate sentiments that may not be easily expressed in daily conversation.

Acts of Service

Acts of service can be profound gestures of support that alleviate the daily pressures mothers experience. Even small acts of service can go a long way. 

Depending on how close you are to the person, acts of service will look different. You may offer to manage some household responsibilities, such as coming over to tidy up or preparing a meal for her family. If you are a gifted organizer, you could offer to help with scheduling appointments, organizing family schedules, or overseeing home maintenance projects. It helps if you know yourself, and know her too. What are your strengths? What is challenging her at the moment? How can those two areas meet for you to bless her? 

Acts of service, done with consideration and care, demonstrate an intentional understanding of her needs and a commitment to enhancing her well-being. Every act of service, no matter how small it may seem, shows that you recognize her and care to bless her life.

Handle Daily Chores

Alleviating the burden of daily chores is a tangible expression of care and understanding. Here are some chore ideas you can help with!

• Laundry: Come over to wash some clothes, fold, and organize them.
• Meal Prep: Plan and prepare nutritious meals to streamline her day.
• House Cleaning: Manage the cleaning to ensure a tidy and comfortable living space.
• Childcare Support: Step in to provide childcare, giving her personal time.
• Errand Running: Handle grocery shopping or other errands to save her time.

You don’t have to do all these tasks for every person; these are just ideas! Ask the person you are supporting what would genuinely bless her and offer her some precious time to herself.

Plan a Day of Rest

If you want to really give a mom in your life something special, you could plan a whole day of rest for her. This can be a day of rejuvenation, where she is relieved from usual duties, left unbothered, and pampered too. 

Cherish this opportunity to prioritize her health and wellness with thoughtful planning. Know your person! Perhaps she’d appreciate a therapeutic massage or a serene bubble bath, a day in nature or a fun night out. What would she most enjoy? 

She might have hobbies that she regularly puts aside in order to pour into her kids. Can you offer her a day to engage in one of those hobbies, alone and undisturbed? This could range from painting, gardening, sports, to sipping coffee in silence and solitude—anything that helps refresh her sense of self. This day can be more than an opportunity to relax, but also a chance to wholeheartedly celebrate who she is as an individual. 

Thoughtful Gift-Giving

Get your girl a present! 

Some people love receiving gifts, as it shows them someone knows them and was thinking of them. Moms often spend a lot of time giving and not too much time receiving. Choose a present that reflects her individuality. What would bring a smile to her face? 

Choose Sentimental Presents

Gift giving is an art, especially when it reflects deep personal sentiments. Selecting a gift entails an appreciation of the individual’s story—her past achievements, present endeavors, and future aspirations. Purposefully chosen items, such as a first edition of her favorite book, a locket with a cherished photograph, or a custom piece of artwork, resonate with the continuity of her life story. 

Gifts don’t have to be extravagant to be meaningful. Often, the most touching gifts are those created with thought and care, like a handmade album of family memories or a personalized poem. These sensitive gestures create connection and joy.

Create Customized Experiences

Customized experiences provide an immersive way to demonstrate appreciation, allowing mothers to reconnect with their passions, which may have taken a back seat to motherhood. These can range from a private concert of her favorite music, to a painting class that reignites her creative side. 

Such experiences allow her to indulge in her personal interests while feeling celebrated and acknowledged. They can help her to remember and reconnect with the parts of herself that extend beyond her role as a caregiver.

Give her the gift of time to explore these pursuits without interruption, ensuring that she feels valued not just as a mother, but as the unique and whole person she truly is.

Ultimately, it’s the effort to understand and cater to a mother’s individuality that makes these experiences so meaningful. A well-considered experience can become a cherished memory, providing a refreshing reminder of her valued place in the world.

Celebrate Yourself!

If you are a mom, take a moment to celebrate yourself too. Moms often see only what they’re doing wrong, but take a moment to reflect on what you’ve done well. Encourage your own self! You’re doing a great job. 

If you are in a super busy season, it might be hard to find time for yourself. But as the old saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” Are there a few moments throughout your day you can take for yourself? Instead of scrolling through social media while the kids play, do some gentle stretching or take a walk around the block. Maybe you usually use your baby’s nap time to clean, cook, organize, or work. That makes sense! You have a lot to do. Still, try to set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes before you start all those tasks, and use the time just to breathe. Read a few pages of a book, journal, do some deep breathing, or spend some time just allowing your thoughts to rest. Cast your worries aside for a few minutes. Then you can get those tasks done! Sometimes it’s the little things that refresh us. 

Your Motherhood Journey

Whether you’re just getting started on your motherhood journey or you’ve been at it for a while, a little support goes a long way! 

At Clearway, we are here for you. If you are facing a new or unplanned pregnancy, our medical services are here to empower you with good information. We offer free pregnancy testing, STI testing, and limited obstetric ultrasounds. Beyond that, we also want to get you connected to the resources you need to thrive in this pregnancy. Our patient advocates will get you connected to local organizations, support groups, and social services, and our nurses offer free prenatal education courses to prepare you for labor, delivery, and newborn care. 

Schedule your appointment today!