Thank You Mom (For All the Crazy Things You've Put Up With)

Every year, Mother's Day encourages us to show our moms how much we love them and appreciate everything they do for us. As that video, The Toughest Job in the World, showed us- being a mother is no easy task. It means unlimited patience, 24 hour a day availability, being nothing short of a professional multi tasker, putting her children’s needs before her own, being a chef, as well as a pro at managing 20,000 loads of laundry, and so much more. And being a mother also means witnessing, putting up with, and doing some pretty weird stuff when it comes to their child. So for this Mother’s Day, we are inviting you to take a moment and think about all the things your mom did for you that no one (and I promise you, no one) else would have done! When we asked, these are the responses we got from real people about what their Mom did for them and what they are most thankful for.

Learn more about the award-winning Fujimini Adventure series.  Purchase the books here

So thank you Mom for…

"Keeping me out of jail."

 "Always being a good sport."

"Putting up with me through my teen years."

 "Not complaining when I went to college and you thought you were free from my laundry but I still brought it home on weekends."

"Not being too embarrassing the first time I brought a boy home to meet the family."

"For not letting me get that “meaningful” tattoo on my 18th birthday."

"Listening to my hours of teenage drama and resisting the urge to tell me he’s a loser and won’t matter in a year anyway."

"For functioning as a counselor/hair stylist/coach/teacher/therapist/friend/parent…sometimes all at the same time."

"Being understanding when I forget to call."

"Putting up with my middle school phase. Sorry again!"

"For being my best, and sometimes only, cheerleader."

 "For home cooked meals. Those never get old!"

"For scaring those bullies even more than they scared me."

"For keeping me in line!"

"For teaching me how to love myself."

"For being there through all my victories and losses."

"For watching The Lion King 1,000 times with me."

"For changing all those diapers."

"For putting up with not just me, but now my kids too!"

"For showing me how someone can evoke genuine terror with one look."

"And for the whole, you know, giving birth thing." 

What are you most thankful for? 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

The Best Gift Ideas for this Mother's Day: Brought to You by Real Moms

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, coming up on May 11th, and now is the time to start searching for that perfect gift. There are always the traditional gift ideas like breakfast in bed, a massage gift certificate, flowers, and so on but this year if you are really trying to do something different- look no further! After asking real moms what they would choose if they were giving their own Mother’s Day gift, we have generated a list of unique ways to say “I love you and appreciate all you do for me” through thoughtful and creative gifts. For many people the perfect gift has nothing to do with the price tag, and for mothers this is especially true. It is about how much time and thought went into it…so don’t wait for the night before, get started now! 

Learn more about the award-winning Fujimini Adventure series.  Purchase the books here.

Gift Ideas For Mom Brought to You By Moms:

1. A scrapbook or photo album of current pictures of you and your siblings 

-As we get older we tend to take less family photos, but this doesn’t mean they don’t get less important, so snap some nice pictures of you and your siblings for your mother to enjoy.

2. A framed list of all the reasons why you love and appreciate you mom

-We all loved our mothers and appreciate all the things they have done for us, but don’t always tell them. Seeing a written out list of all these reasons will mean a lot to her. And actually seeing them on paper will serve as a nice reminder of why you love your mom too- and after all that is what Mother’s Day is about. 

3. Clean her house for her

-Most moms love a nice clean house but usually that means they are the ones who have to keep it that way. Taking this off her hands for a day will give her time to relax and do something a little more fun. 

4. Surprise her with a Netflix subscription

-If she doesn’t already have one, a subscription to Netflix is a perfect gift for any movie or TV lover. 

5. A collection of her favorite songs that she played throughout your childhood

-When I hear certain songs, they immediately remind me of my childhood because my mother would play them all the time. Making her a mixtape of these songs will serve as a nice flashback for both of you.

Learn more about Mompreneur Eileen Wacker and her acclaimed book series here

6. Take her car to the carwash, have the interior vacuumed, and fill the tank

-Car maintenance is one of the biggest (and most expensive) hassles. It will make her week to have this taken off her hands and have a shiny, brand new looking car to drive around. 

7. A floppy hat and sundress to match

-If your mom loves the beach and the sun as much as mine does, a trendy floppy hat and dress will be an awesome gift to make her the most stylish one on the beach this summer.

8. A smartphone wallet

-I am pretty disorganized, and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there. A stylish smartphone wallet is a cute and convenient way for her to keep all her things together. 

9. A “Learn to Knit Kit”

-If your mom has any interest in sewing, knitting, or wants to take up a hobby, a knit kit might be the gift for her!

10. A Custom Picnic Basket (made up by you not by the store)

-Find a nice, good sized picnic basket then fill it with her favorite things. Her favorite bottle of wine, cheeses, chocolate, tea, spices, breads, and so on. Get as creative or fancy as you like! 

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

Now, you’ve done the preparation and Mother’s Day has arrived. First, let her sleep in as long as she likes. It probably won’t be very late (it seems after a while mothers just naturally wake up early) but it is knowing that she doesn’t have to get up for anything or anyone that counts. Then when she is ready, bring her in a cup of coffee or tea followed by a tray with her favorite homemade breakfast decorated with a small flower in a vase. When she is done with her breakfast, clean the kitchen and put everything away. Then pick a family activity that you know she enjoys that you can all do together- or if she would prefer to relax and read her book all day in the sun let her do that, after all it is her day!