Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the mothers and mother-figures in our lives. The challenge for honoring our mothers residing in assisted living or other types of senior living is mixing it up and making it meaningful and fun. Here are a few ideas for making this Mother’s Day heartwarming and memorable:
The Sound of Music: Plan a singalong for Mom with her favorite songs sung by her children and grandchildren on video, or in person if possible. You might not have the best voice or be in tune, but your enthusiasm is sure to bring Mom a lot of joy! You could potentially even reserve the common area of her residence and ask her friends and neighbors to join in.
Back to Baking: Who doesn’t love the smell and taste of a fresh-baked cookie? Baking up a favorite family treat will bring back fond memories, and you will feel closer together. Do you have a family recipe for cookies that Mom loves? She will appreciate the time and effort you spend in your kitchen! If baking just isn’t your thing, try online bakers such as Cheryl’s Cookies or Mrs. Fields Cookies and have them delivered!
Chalk One Up: Get the young grandchildren in on the act and grab a box or two of colorful chalk and head over to your mom’s assisted living community. Select an empty spot in the parking lot as a blank canvas for your family to fill with hearts, rainbows, and lovely messages for your Mom and her fellow residents to see and enjoy. No clean up necessary, the next good rainfall should take care of that!
Tea for Two (or More): Encourage Mom to dress up in her Sunday best and host an afternoon tea with the children and grandchildren! Ask in advance if dining services could provide cucumber finger sandwiches, scones, cookies and a variety of teas for everyone to enjoy. Maybe throw on a few episodes of Downton Abbey or The Crown to set the mood!
Pop-Up Spa: What mother wouldn’t love a day of beauty and relaxation, along with her daughters and granddaughters? Plan a relaxing and fun afternoon of manicures and pedicures, turning Mom’s room into your very own spa! If space allows, you can provide an array of fun nail colors for multiple residents and their children/grandchildren to join in the fun. See if you can pipe in some soothing music to let Mom soak it all in.
Next Best Thing: If you and your family are long distance, arrange for a Zoom video call for the entire family to wish Mom a wonderful day and share smiles together. Decorate the space behind you in your video with balloons, streamers, and handmade signs. Send a care package in advance filled with her favorite candy, homemade cards from the grandkids, and some favorite photos. Or have each family member make a short video to send to Mom in an email that she can see throughout the day. Just make sure to arrange in advance for an aide or counselor to help your Mom set up the call, keeping frustrations at bay.
However you choose to celebrate Mom, the most important thing is that she knows you and your family are thinking of her and finding ways to show her how much you love her. Have a happy Mother’s Day!