Give Mom the Best Gift of All- Your Time

As you begin thinking about what to give Mom for Mother’s Day, you are probably trying to find something that she can use, however, also avoiding knick-knacks and “stuff” that will only add to the clutter your mom already has to deal with.

There is a solution to this conundrum: the gift of time! This may be gifting her with time or gifting her with your time.

Giving her the gift of time is the perfect gift because it is creative, it is something your mom truly needs and something she will use. It also doesn’t take up space in the living room!

When gifting her with your time, many mothers long for a day off from their daily tasks. A day where they can enjoy spending time with their children and family without having to cater to everyone else’s needs. And although mothers love to do these things for their family, sometimes they just need a little break!

But how? Here are some ideas for how you can give your mom the gift of time this Mother’s Day.

1) Give Mom the Gift of Your Time

Spend Precious Time Together

Maybe all Mom wants is to spend more time with you. If you are feeling this is the perfect gift than do it in a way that is not any work for her. Plan and organize what you are going to do, prepare the meals, make reservations etc.

Give her the gift of your time, without interruptions, without having the normal daily routines. Do something special such as:  take a long walk, have a picnic, go for a day trip to her favorite spot. Maybe she loves bike riding…

Tackle a Project Together

Tackle a project together that she has been too busy to get to. For example, if you mother loves gardening and has been meaning to plant a veggie garden–give her a day of your time–helping her shop for seedlings and then enjoying planting them together!

2) Giving Her the Gift of Time

Sneaky Housecleaning

Offering to clean the house may result in your mom protesting that she doesn’t want you to have to clean. So do it in secret instead – your mom will be surprised and delighted. Arrange a time when your mom is not in the house and you are, and do some housework. Depending on what needs to be done around the house (you’ll have to be observant!), you can catch up on laundry, vacuum, mop, change bedding, clean the bathroom, and so forth.

The more people involved, the faster it will get done, so involve the whole family if possible. If there isn’t much family around, call on your mom’s friends’ family, and you can trade favors and help clean their house for their mom.

Allow Her to Tackle Unfinished Projects

Freeing up some time for Mom to finish projects that are hanging over her head can be a great gift. It might seem contradictory to give your mom the time to work on something, but she will probably be delighted with a chance to get something done that she enjoys and just hasn’t had time to get to. For instance, maybe she wants to finish a sewing project or redecorate a room.

Tackle Unfinished Projects for Her

For moms who are not territorial about their projects, you can jump in and finish a project for her, especially if it is something she wants to get done but doesn’t really like doing. For example, she might have been meaning to clean out the garage forever; go ahead and do it for her. Maybe she wants the laundry room cleaned out, or the bathroom tiles cleaned. Again, you’ll have to pay attention to find out what projects are hanging over her head.

Surprise Dinner and Clean Up

Take some time and cook a special dinner for Mom, and make sure you take time for cleaning up, too. That frees up an evening for your mom to read a book or do something else pleasurable she rarely has time for. Even better, make this a weekly thing.

Give Her Some Alone Time

For some moms, one of the best gifts you can give her is a break from the rest of the family (and you will really need to make sure she wants this one so you do not hurt her feelings)! It may be a bit of a sacrifice, but you are giving Mom a gift that she will really appreciate (and that she would probably never actually ask for).

So get everyone out of the house for a whole day and let Mom have the place to herself. Then, when you return that evening, bring take-out food with you for dinner.